The past two weeks have been adventurous for the Yankees since their 8-2 start to the season. A lengthy losing skid obliterated their fledgling division lead, then a perplexing four-game set with the Angels showed their greatest strengths and greatest flaws in equal measure. Consequently, it was a relief to watch the Bombers dispose of the Royals in convincing fashion over the weekend to complete the homestand. That gives them a good dose of momentum ahead of the first Rivalry Series of 2026.
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Red Sox are, to the pity of nobody on this pages, struggling. They sit tied for last place in the AL East with an 9-13 record, unable to rely on either a slumping lineup or a scuffling pitching staff. They game saw their ace Garrett Crochet get hammered around for the second consecutive outing over the weekend, and hitters they’re relying on to have big seasons have not answered the call. Roman Anthony is off to a slow start. Trevor Story and Caleb Durbin have been frightful. Marcelo Mayer still hasn’t found his footing in the majors.
How-evah, as John Sterling would say, the Red Sox are still a very talented team the Yankees cannot afford to take lightly. The struggling Crochet will not appear in the series, but three strong starters—including one who always seems to elevate his game against New York—will take the home hill at Fenway Park.
Tuesday: Luis Gil vs. Connelly Early (6:45 pm ET)
This is a bit of a rough draw for the opener. Luis Gil has not looked great through his first two starts—he at least made it through five innings last time, but has allowed seven runs across nine frames. Gil has issued five walks and surrendered four homers, including three against the Angels in an eventual come-from-behind win. It remains to be seen if Gil can reattain his Rookie of the Year vintage, but if he can handle a sleepy Red Sox offense, maybe that can spark a turnaround.
Connelly Early opposed Cam Schlittler in his unforgettable Wild Card Game 3 performance, and was matching Schlittler’s dominance until losing his footing in the fourth inning. And hey, it’s still early, but the 24-year old lefty is looking good. Through four starts he has a 2.29 ERA with 20 strikeouts counterbalancing 10 walks. For what it’s worth, the Yankees feasted on Royals southpaws over the weekend, dispatching both Noah Cameron and Cole Ragans with ease. Will Early be another victim of a suddenly hot New York lineup?
Wednesday: Max Fried vs. Ranger Suárez (6:45 pm ET)
Speaking of left-handed pitching, we have a doozy in the middle game (airing on Prime Video) between two very good lefty starters. Max Fried had a substandard performance against the Angels last time, with Oswald Peraza of all people beating him twice. But he still has a 2.97 ERA through his first five starts and has been particularly strong on the road. Fried pitched great against Boston last year, including a strong Wild Card performance and six scoreless innings in a game at the Stadium in which he had an interesting encounter with a squirrel.
Ranger Suárez was the Red Sox’ big signing to make up for Alex Bregman’s departure to the Cubs. His first four turns through the rotation have been the definition of a mixed bag—two clunkers against Houston and San Diego followed by a pair of scoreless outings against the Cardinals and Tigers. That last game was an eight-inning two-hit masterpiece—Boston ultimately won that game 1-0 in 10 innings. Suárez is at his best when he keeps opposing lineups on the ground; he grabbed 10 of them in that start.
Thursday: Cam Schlittler vs. Brayan Bello (6:10 pm ET)
Schlittler is due to receive a positively venomous reception from the Boston crowd thanks to that aforementioned utter domination of the Sox to eliminate them in the Wild Card Series. It’s hard to believe the Walpole native will be pitching at Fenway Park for the first time—Schlittler’s meteoric rise has come that quickly. He and fellow Massachusetts native Ben Rice are quickly turning New England against them, and that suits Schlittler just fine.
Brayan Bello, of course, is a Yankee-killer. He’s never really been an exceptional starting pitcher, but he routinely elevates his game against the Bombers. Given his 6.75 ERA through four starts, he’s certainly hoping that trendline can continue. Bello threw over 30 pitches in a rocky first inning and exited after four innings with four runs allowed—so the key to the Yankees will be to get after him early.
