Yankees Ready to Bury Red Sox's 2019 Season
By Jeff Weisinger
This has been a lot of fun. At least, if you’re a Yankees fan.
It was only a week ago that the Boston Red Sox were sending the Yankees back down to Earth, taking three-of-four during their weekend series, outscoring the seemingly-punchless Yankees 44-22 in the four-game weekend series, and putting themselves within striking range of the division and the Wild Card.
The Yankees saved themselves from complete and total embarrassment with a 9-6 win in the series finale that Sunday night at Fenway. That win helped push the Red Sox back into the cemetery, but with a win on Sunday night in the Bronx, the Yankees can shove the Sox into their 2019 season grave.
Since Boston lost to the Yankees last Sunday night, they’ve lost seven in a row and plummeted back to a double-digit deficit, now trailing the AL East-leading Yankees by 13.5 games entering Sunday night. The Red Sox are also now 5.5 games behind in the Wild Card race. Another loss could put them behind the Texas Rangers. Who would have guessed that at the beginning the season?
The Yankees are making a strong case for a “Chase for 28,” while the defending World Series champion Red Sox are in danger of missing the playoffs altogether. Right now Boston is settling in for a rough chase for the second Wild-Card spot – it’s currently 5.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for that spot and 7.5 behind the Indians for the first Wild Card spot with the A’s standing between them and either team. The Yanks, meanwhile, have held onto first in the division since mid-May, minus a blip on June 14 where a loss at the Chicago White Sox put the Rays in front for a night. They’re now up eight games over Tampa Bay entering Sunday night’s series finale against the Sox.
It’s a sweet feeling for Yankee fans to not only enjoy the season they’ve had so far, but to also see the Red Sox suffer a year after watching them not only win it all, but defeat the Yankees in the ALDS on their way to the World Series title.
Forget brooms entering Sunday’s series finale against the Sox. Bring the shovels for a Yankees team ready to bury their rival Red Sox for the season. And if they complete the sweep, that’s exactly what would happen.