(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
When the three-game series opened up Tuesday, the Red Sox and Yankees were right where they had expected to be, running neck-and-neck a top the AL East, with the Yanks one-game in front of their bitter rivals to the north.
As always, the teams are in an even battle.
Except they're not.
After sweeping the Yankees to go up by two games in the division, the Red Sox are now 8-0 against the Pinstripes this year.
This is a change from protocol.
Historically, the Yankees have always dominated the Red Sox, after Boston's delinquent management Boston shipped most of its roster (including the infamous trade of Babe Ruth) that had helped them win four World Series in the 1910's to New York, the Yankees won 26 World Series. Until, 2004, the Red Sox won none.
In the 2004, the Red Sox had an epic comeback against the Yankees from a 3-0 games deficit to win the American League and ultimately win their first World Series in 86 years. And for the first time since the 1910's, the Red Sox gained the upper hand over the Yankees.
That was, until 2006, when the Yankees got some swagger back with what, both fan bases agree, can be called "The Boston Massacre." In a tight battle for the division, as usual, the teams entered a five-game series. Red Sox fans were optimistic that the second place Sox could take the division lead with a good series.
That didn't happen.
In fact, the Sox didn't win a game and were sent into a tailspin that forced them to miss their first (and only to-date) playoffs since 2002.
But, in 2007, the Red Sox again reined supreme.
They ended the Yankees nine-year string of division championships and went on to win their second World Series in four years, and last season, the Red Sox held onto that supremacy, when the Yankees failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 1994.
In the offseason, the Yankees decided it was time to reload and build a winner again. They spent well over $400 million on just three free agents in an attempt to return to glory.
While the Yankees are playing just fine this season (34-26 entering Friday's play), they're considered far from successful because the Red Sox have flat out embarrassed the New Yorkers this season.
Fittingly, two of the three free agents (A.J. Burnett and C.C. Sabathia) suffered losses in the most recent sweep, while, the third, Mark Teixeira, made the last out in the third game yesterday.
Tuesday, it made sense that Red Sox ace, Josh Beckett, could out duel A.J. Burnett. Wednesday night it wasn't surprising that the Red Sox did damage against a struggling Chien-Ming Wang.
But, Thursday definitely favored the Yankees, with C.C. Sabathia (who owns one of the richest free agent contracts in history) going against the back of the Sox rotation in Brad Penny.
The Yankees almost pulled off their first win, until the Red Sox lineup, which had been shut down all night, broke out for the three runs in the eighth and Jonathan Papelbon closed the door on a 4-3 win for Boston in the ninth.
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