Yankees and Red Sox continue the saga of maximum antagonism in MLB
Yankees and Red Sox face each other, starting today, in the first series of the season of the great rivals
For the first time since 2022, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees will meet in April. Their first three-game series of the season, and their first meeting since the 2025 American League Wild Card Series, begins Tuesday night in Boston.
New York, which leads the American League East by one game over the Tampa Bay Rays, completed a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals with a 7-0 victory on Sunday. Now, a nine-game, three-city tour begins.
“Scoring big runs was crucial,” Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge said. “We will certainly build on this momentum for those series.”
Judge and first baseman Ben Rice homered Sunday, giving them a total of 17 home runs this season, the most in the Major Leagues as a duo. Judge’s two-run homer in the first inning turned out to be all the Yankees needed.
Rice entered Tuesday leading the league in OPS (1.276) after hitting home runs in four consecutive games.
While the left-handed hitter has sometimes been excluded from the lineup against left-handed pitching, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the manager Aaron Boone make that decision.
“In short, he’s becoming, or even already is, one of the top hitters in this league,” Boone said.
Eight of the Yankees’ 13 wins this season have included at least two home runs. Trent Grisham also got into the action with a three-run homer on Sunday.
“This lineup last year had five players that hit 30 home runs,” Grisham said. “The other teams feel that.”
Still looking for his first win, right-hander Luis Gil (0-1, 7.00 ERA) will take the mound on Tuesday. He allowed all four runs, on three home runs, in a five-inning start last Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels.
Gil has had great success in his career against the Red Sox, going 2-1 with a 0.99 ERA in five starts. He pitched 11 innings and allowed just two runs to Boston last season.
The Red Sox scored six runs in the final three innings to earn an 8-6 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Patriots Day Monday, clinching the four-game series split.
After scoring just four runs in the previous three days, the 12-hit drive and victory were much needed, especially considering that seven relievers were called upon after starter Sonny Gray left the game in the third inning with a sore right hamstring.
“Sonny will have an MRI (Tuesday),” the Red Sox manager said. Alex Cora. “We don’t think it’s serious, but we have to see what happens.”
On Monday, Boston got its first win of the season when its starter pitched less than six innings (1-13).
In addition to the hits, five of them with runners in scoring position, the Red Sox walked eight and stole three bases. Ceddanne Rafaela’s two-run double with two outs in the seventh inning was the decisive hit.
“We put pressure on the opponent. That’s how we are right now, right?” Cora said. ”There were good at-bats. That’s what we need to score runs. We’ll make the most of the roster.”
Cora’s team would undoubtedly benefit from another good start from 24-year-old left-hander Connelly Early (1-0, 2.29).
Early has not allowed more than two runs in any of his four outings this season and is looking to build on his six-inning performance by allowing just one run in last Wednesday’s win over the Minnesota Twins, which was Boston’s final game before the current home series.
“He looks different on the mound. He always looks very calm,” Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony said. “We saw what he did in his debut, how unflappable he was. He was a starter in the postseason. It looks like he has 10 years of experience.”
Early’s only experience with New York was as a starter in the third and decisive game of last season’s playoff series. He struck out six batters and allowed three earned runs in 3.2 innings.
