Did the Pink Sox break the Yankees?
If nothing else, Boston uncovered cracks in New York’s armor the final time the American League East rivals met, kickstarting a stretch the place they’ve stormed in reverse instructions.
Now, the Pink Sox and Yankees enter a three-game collection this weekend within the Bronx with their roles reversed: Boston is 12-4 over its final 16 video games, a run that started with back-to-back wins over New York at Fenway Park on June 15 and 16. The Yankees are 4-13 over their final 17 video games.
The online end result? The Yankees falling out of first place — the Baltimore Orioles lead the AL East by two video games — and the Pink Sox transferring into the third wild-card spot. Boston made up 8 1/2 video games on New York within the standings and sits 5 1/2 video games behind the Yankees earlier than Friday night time’s collection opener.
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Whereas current efficiency isn’t essentially predictive of the place the Pink Sox and Yankees will land when the mud settles this season, there’s definitely a distinct vibe emanating from every workforce as we navigate the summer season months with Main League Baseball taking middle stage.
The arrow is pointing up for the Pink Sox, a scrappy group of underdogs exceeding exterior expectations due to an all-around workforce effort. And the arrow is pointing down for the Yankees, a high-profile bunch with each World Sequence aspirations and impossible-to-ignore flaws.
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“It’s a must to get beat down to seek out out what you might be made from,” Yankees famous person slugger Aaron Decide stated Thursday, per the New York Publish, after a 3rd straight loss to the ho-hum Cincinnati Reds. “We’re going to discover out actual quickly.”
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The jury stays out on each groups, however there’s no denying the Pink Sox already went by way of the wringer and (thus far) lived to inform the story. Accidents have been a persistent drawback for Boston, beginning with free-agent acquisition Lucas Giolito earlier than the season and persevering with with in-season setbacks (of various levels) for Trevor Story, Garrett Whitlock and Triston Casas, amongst others. But, there’s seemingly a collective buy-in — rooted in a next-man-up mentality — that has Alex Cora’s squad firmly within the postseason dialog with the MLB commerce deadline lower than a month away.
“All of us belief one another, and all of us love one another, and we’re at all times taking part in for one another,” Pink Sox outfielder Jarren Duran stated after a hard-fought Fourth of July win over the Miami Marlins, per MLB.com. ” … That’s one of many issues that we will contribute, and when any individual doesn’t get the job finished, we all know the subsequent man goes to get it finished for us.”
Do the Yankees have that very same moxie? Perhaps. We simply haven’t seen it but, as a result of they’re nonetheless attempting to dig themselves out of their present gap. The Yankees peaked early, needing solely 72 video games to succeed in the 50-win mark, but it surely’s been all downhill since, with New York’s beginning rotation faltering regardless of Gerrit Cole’s extremely anticipated return and its lack of ability to manage opposing operating video games — a deficiency magnified by the Pink Sox in mid-June — proving pricey. Even the offense has been an issue, with Decide and fellow stud Juan Soto solely in a position to take action a lot, particularly because the Yankees persistently fall behind in video games.
All advised, we may study so much this weekend — about each groups.
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Are the Pink Sox severe contenders, a distinction that would power chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s hand on the commerce deadline? Are the Yankees frauds, a improvement few may’ve seen coming when Aaron Boone and firm raced out to such a powerful begin over the primary two-plus months of the 2024 marketing campaign?
Fates gained’t essentially be sealed over the subsequent few days. They simply would possibly come into higher focus, with one workforce (Pink Sox) trying to maintain its optimistic momentum whereas the opposite (Yankees) seeks to cease its personal bleeding.
Friday night time’s first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you may watch all of the motion on NESN, starting with an hour of pregame protection.
