After unexpectedly losing the opening two games of their series in Arizona over the weekend, the Red Sox were in some trouble on Sunday.
Facing a 3-1 deficit through six innings, the Red Sox were facing the very real possibility of getting swept by a sub-.500 Diamondbacks team, a setback that could have suddenly put the team in peril of potentially flirting with the possibility of missing the playoffs.
Yet with a three-run seventh inning and a three-run ninth, the Red Sox salvaged a win in that series finale before winning their first two games in West Sacramento against the A’s. The Red Sox came up short of sweeping the A’s — with Aroldis Chapman’s historic streak of dominance ending — but finished the road trip at 3-3.
The Red Sox now have just five three-game series remaining in their regular season, and they have a rather significant one coming up this weekend at Fenway Park.
The Yankees will be coming to Boston for the second and final time this year. They’ll be coming off a home series loss after dropping the first two games of their series against the Tigers in rather ugly fashion.
After Wednesday night’s action, the Red Sox and Yankees are in a virtual tie for second place in the AL East, with the Red Sox having played two more games. And with the Blue Jays losing on Wednesday as well, the division crown remains a possible — if unlikely — goal for both the Red Sox and Yankees, who are both three games back of Toronto.
What’s more attainable for the Red Sox and Yankees this weekend is some control in the wild-card standings. They’re both three games clear of the Mariners, who currently hold the final wild-card spot, and they’re four games clear of the Rangers, who are the top team outside of the playoff bubble.
A sweep either way would obviously shift the picture dramatically, as the winner would maybe be a game out of first place while the loser could be stuck fighting just to make the playoffs.
Yet for the Red Sox, what’s really at stake this weekend is the opportunity to really assert dominance over the Yankees one last time before a potential meeting in October. Regardless of Thursday’s outcome, the Yankees will be headed to Boston feeling wounded, after getting outscored 23-3 in their first two games against the Tigers this week.
For the Yankees to deal with that beatdown from a playoff team before taking on the Red Sox, against whom they’re just 2-8 this season? That will surely test the confidence and belief inside Aaron Boone’s clubhouse.
A sweep for the Red Sox would be far too high of an expectation. Yet with the state of the Yankees, with Boston having an off day on Thursday, and with the Red Sox having Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Garret Crochet lined up for the weekend, Boston is certainly in the driver’s seat to at least take two out of three.
At the same time, the Red Sox have lost numerous series they were supposed to win in recent weeks — notably against Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Arizona — so the Yankees can’t be expected to simply roll over.
Whichever way it goes, this series represents a major opportunity for either side to deliver one final haymaker to either knock the opponent off cruise control in the playoff race or send a message for a potential wild-card series that could take place in just a few short weeks.
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