Yankees, Red Sox set stage for huge June series between baseball's best teams

PHILADELPHIA - The Yankees and Phillies just completed an entertaining three-game series at Citizens Bank Park which drew over 40,000 to all three games and matched contenders in each league.

And while the set between teams just over 100 miles apart playing in Philadelphia for the first time since the 2009 World Series drew the attention of both fan bases, what is in store for the Yankees next is certainly another level.

Yankees-Red Sox is big any time of year, but the teams' meetings this season have taken on a special kind of importance. The Red Sox moved into first place in the American League East on Wednesday night with a 9-6 win over the Angels coupled with the Yankees' 3-0 defeat to the Phillies.

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Boston will come to New York for a three-game series this weekend either tied for first place in the division or with a one-game lead over its biggest rival depending on the result of Thursday's game against the Angels. The Yankees are idle.

Boston has the best record in baseball at 54-27, with the Yankees right behind at 52-26. The third-place team in the AL East, the Tampa Bay Rays, is 14 games back.

"You're always looking forward to it," said Yankees first baseman Greg Bird of facing the Red Sox. "It should be a good one, should be intense. We're not quite coming into it the way we would have liked (off a loss), but we won this series which is good and we have a big off-day (Thursday).

"It's an exciting time. I don't think there's any other way to put that. We're playing good baseball and getting it done. When good teams are playing well, the weather is warming up it makes it fun really."

And the importance of claiming first place can't be overstated even if both teams are practically assured of postseason berths. The runner-up will be thrown into the 1-game wild card, where anything can happen.

"They're a great team," said Yankees manager Aaron Boone. "We've played some really competitive games with them already. If we're going to win the division, that's the team we're going to have to beat out. They're a really good opponent chasing after the same thing we're after and we embrace the competition."

The teams have split the first six meetings. They will meet again for a four-game series in August, then play six times in September - including the last three games of the season in Fenway.

Those final three games at the end of the season could have even more on the line, but what happens this weekend in Yankee Stadium and in the other Yankees-Red Sox games will go a long way towards setting the stage.

After beating the Phillies the first two games, the Yankees played like they already had an eye on the huge weekend encounter.

CC Sabathia was pushed back two days and Luis Cessa was given a spot start. Slugger Aaron Judge and other regulars were rested and the approach might have cost the Yankees in the short-term.

The result was a 3-0 loss in the series finale as the Yankees failed to get anything going against blossoming right-hander Zach Eflin and Cessa gave up a three-run homer to Rhys Hoskins.

After the game, Cessa was optioned to the minors with the adjoining move likely another bat - perhaps Tyler Austin - to counter Boston's three left-handed starters.

Austin played a role in a brawl between the teams back in April when he rushed the mound to encounter Red Sox pitcher Joe Kelly.

If he re-joins the Yankees, it will add another layer of intrigue to a series which was already building momentum. Despite the off day, Yankees ace Luis Severino will pitch Sunday night on his regular rest.

Even for late June, the Yankees' actions are showing how important this final chance to match themselves against the Red Sox before the All-Star break is.

"They've got a really good team and we've been within a game or two of them all year," said Yankees outfielder Brett Gardner. "It will probably be that way for the next few months as well. It will always be a battle with those guys whether we're at the Stadium or up at Fenway.

"I'm sure it will be a great atmosphere. Fans are probably more excited about it than we are, so we'll be excited to go home and play in front of them. I think they're going to get what they want to see."

Bill Evans can be reached at bevans@njadvancemedia.com or by leaving a note in the comments below. Follow him on Twitter @BEvansSports.

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