MLB Insider: Red Sox Are In Yankees’ Heads

The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are heading into another pivotal series this weekend.

The rivalry has shifted significantly since the days of the Curse of the Bambino. What once carried decades of frustration and heartbreak for Boston no longer has the same weight, but the stakes remain real. Both clubs are in a playoff scramble, chasing the Toronto Blue Jays and battling for position in the wild card race.

“We just can’t reanimate the furor and substance of the past,” Joel Sherman wrote for the New York Post. But these four games in The Bronx still carry urgency.

The Yankees entered June with a division lead, only to see Boston sweep them at Fenway Park and swing momentum. Since then, the Red Sox have surged while New York has slipped back into the pack.

“This is not 2003-04. But it is pretty darn important,” Sherman added. That importance is defined by five realities. The Yankees have struggled against Boston, with a 1-5 record so far. They also have a losing mark inside the division, a middling record against winning teams, and have watched the Red Sox dominate at Fenway.

Add in the perception that Boston manager Alex Cora consistently gets under their skin, and New York has multiple fronts to prove itself. “The Red Sox are in the Yankees’ head,” wrote Sherman.

New York still has a forgiving schedule beyond this series, but that does not lessen the challenge in front of them. Boston has clawed its way into contention, and its ability to rattle the Yankees has turned this matchup into a measuring stick.

This is not the rivalry of two decades ago, but it is still one that matters.