The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox will meet for the first time this season Friday in the Bronx — a later-than-usual start to one of baseball’s most storied rivalries.

As noted by Peter Botte of the New York Post , this marks the fifth time in six years the first matchup between the teams has arrived in June or later, including the pandemic-altered 2020 season.

Boston enters the three-game set sitting 9 1/2 games behind first-place New York in the American League East. The Red Sox, who come in with a 30-34 record, will be without injured infielder Alex Bregman, sidelined with a quad issue.

“Obviously, it’s been a tough start for them, but a lot of close games that they’ve been on the wrong side of,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone told the media on Thursday after New York shut out

See Full Page