Oh, how I miss the days when Red Sox - Yankees used to mean something.
The days when the series was an intense border war with games that had a razor thin margin for error, combined with an intense, boiling hatred that filtered through the clubhouses and the fan bases alike.
Oh, how I miss the days of Pedro Martinez head hunting Yankees and dropping quote like "Who is Kareem Garcia?" and "Whose you Daddy?" The days when A-Rod got booed; when A-Rod and Jason Varitek fought one another at home plate. The time when the Yankees stormed back to beat the Sox in the '03 ALCS. Aaron Boone's home run. Then the 2004 ALCS when the Yankees choked on a 3-0 series lead.
Those were the days, my friend.
Because this iteration of the Yankees-Red Sox war has as much enthusiasm as a Yankees-A's game in mid-May.
It's sad.
And that sadness was on display for two consecutive nights in the Big Apple as the Yankees dismantled the Red Sox by a combined score of 18-2.
This was a total mismatch. The Yankees had a huge pitching advantage, and they will in every game and series they play this October. It's the only reason this Bombers squad has a shot at the pennant, and it's hard to believe they are considered under the radar this season.
Cam Schlittler blanked the Sox over 6.1 innings with 10 strikeouts in Game 1, continuing his stretch of owning Boston since last October when he burst onto the postseason scene.
In Game 2, Max Fried got touched up with a run on three hits over six otherwise brilliant innings.
And to think the Yankees will have a fully rested Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon waiting to start Games 1 and 2 in Tampa for the Division series.
Offensively the Yankees did something they haven't done in a long time: play small ball.
The Yankees plethora of young stars from George Lombard Jr., Spencer Jones, Ben Rice, and Austin Wells all found ways to move runners along whether it be by singles, productive outs, or even bunts. Then when the Yankees needed it they got the power swing.
Over two games, the Yankees pounded 26 hits, and only four of them were homers.
On Wednesday night they got it from Luis Garcia, the man Brian Cashman acquired at the deadline, who roped a home run to right to break a scoreless tie in the fourth inning. Then in the six, Cody Bellinger crushed a three-run home to right to blow the game wide open at 8-1.
The Yankees offensive output was very similar to what they accomplished in Game 1 when Rice drove in six, and cracked a grand slam to blow that game open at 9-0.
If anything the Yankees showed that they do no necessarily need Aaron Judge or Giancarlo Stanton in the lineup. Both players are finally on the doorstep of returning after missing huge swaths of the 2026 season. Judge is expected back by the Tampa series. Stanton was active but didn't bat against Boston.
Who needs them? When both were in the lineup in big spots like this, the Yankees got home run happy. Without them they are a more finesse offense with an old National League feel -- something a long time N.L. player like Boone, would like to manage.
Meanwhile the Red Sox had nothing. They came into the playoffs slumping having lost 11 of 18 entering the wild card series. They are a shell of who they once were, and were not the team that was red hot in July.
Next up, the Yankees take on a Rays team that has been ahead of them in the standings for almost the entire season. Everyday it felt like the Yankees were either three or four games out of first. Now these two AL East titans will meet in what should be a barn-burner of a five-game series.
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