The Red Sox made their way to the Bronx on Thursday, and it wasn’t exactly on a high note.
Having lost three straight games, and seven out of their last ten, they struggled with performance, managing only one win in their last four series.
However, facing their rivals, the Yankees, seemed to change things for them.
The Yankees, who had just won five in a row, have had quite an impact on the Red Sox this season.
Red Sox catcher and former Yankees prospect Carlos Narvers said, “It’s a division contender, so we’re going to play a little harder. Those nine innings were proof of that.”
They felt confident.
After Saturday’s 12-1 victory at the stadium, the Red Sox had swept through all three series against the Yankees in the AL East.
They’ve won eight of the nine matchups, leaving the Yankees in their wake with a 54-31 record against them this year.
Trevor Story had a standout performance, scoring two runs with two doubles over three innings, solidifying their triumph.
In stark contrast, AL Cy Young Award contender Garrett Crochet gave up just one solo home run to Giancarlo Stanton, dominating for seven innings while the Red Sox continued to rack up runs.
Overall, six different Red Sox players found success with multiple hits, pooling together an impressive tally of seven runs.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed satisfaction, saying, “For us, every win is satisfying. It’s fun to come here and play well. We play a lot here. It’s been going well for a while. It’s a great stage; we love it.”
Currently, Boston holds the top AL wildcard position, while the Yankees and Mariners are vying for the second spot, 1½ games behind the Red Sox.
The Royals trail three games behind.
This victory further solidified the Red Sox’s assertion in what had been a lopsided series up until now.
They acknowledged the rivalry but stopped short of claiming they had any psychological edge over the Yankees, particularly as they look forward to their upcoming series at Fenway Park from September 12-14.
The main goal for the Red Sox is to secure as many wins as possible.
And the Yankees just happen to be in their path.
Story noted, “I’m just playing good baseball. I don’t know that I can identify something specific. Obviously, the tension is high—rivalry, etc. We were just playing good baseball and we came across them at the right points.”
As the game progressed, the stadium vibe started to shift with an expanding lead.
I even caught the “Let’s Go Red Sox” chant a few times.
Story remarked, “We know our fans are passionate and they travel well too. It’s always good to hear that.”
