The stakes are high for the visit of the Red Sox, but only for the Yankees

The last time the Yankees saw the Boston Red Sox, they left Fenway Park in the early hours of the morning dragging behind their luggage, their bags of equipment and their metaphorical tails.

It was early August, and the Yankees had been drawn into a four-game series – the last one offered by Miguel Andujar's throw-off error and Aroldis Chapman's failure – turning what was promised a fight to finish the race for the best baseball record in a race for Boston.

"We can not let that define what has been a great season for us," said manager Aaron Boone that night, sitting at his office inside the crowded visitors' office in Boston. .

Alas, six weeks later, this series has indeed defined the regular season of the Yankees, which has turned from excellent to solid and good. Although they are all assured of a place in the playoffs, the Yankees have failed to get closer to less than six games of the Red Sox, who arrive at Yankee Stadium with an advance of 11½ points in the East of the American League and a magic number of two division.

Boston will have three opportunities to celebrate in the Bronx, starting with a rare midweek game Tuesday – the Yankees having chosen to start at 1pm. rather than conflict with Yom Kippur, the Jewish holiday, which begins at sunset.

It would be the second time in three seasons that the Red Sox celebrate a division title at Yankee Stadium, although this season would probably be less difficult than two years ago. In 2016, the Red Sox, who needed a win or a loss to Toronto to qualify, left the field after Mark Teixeira's grand slam.

In addition to getting champagne and beer, the Red Sox are coming this time with a modest to-do list for the last two weeks of the season: ensuring Chris Sale's left arm is ready for the playoffs. otherwise (especially the bullpen) gets the right amount of rest.

The Yankees have a more pressing agenda, starting with pushing the Oakland Athletics to the standings to secure a field advantage in the wild-card match. Athletics follow the Yankees by a game and a half, but have a less impressive schedule – six games against the Los Angeles Angels, three against the Seattle Mariners and three against the Minnesota Twins. The Yankees have six games with the Red Sox, four at the Tampa Bay Rays and three with the Baltimore Orioles.

Beyond that, they have the right to recover and recover. Aaron Judge, who broke his wrist on July 26, was activated Friday but has not played a match yet. (The team said it had taken 11 off-sets on a day off Monday against pitchers A.J. Cole, Chance Adams and Phillip Diehl, Chapman, also hoping to return soon, also against the batters.)

The Yankees can only hope that the judge (and Chapman, from elsewhere) find his form faster than Gary Sanchez. His long stay on the disabled list did not reverse what was a disappointing season, averaging .191 with two home runs since returning September 1st. The other leader of the Yankees, Giancarlo Stanton, was equally weak. In recent times, the score is .145 with two home races since August 24th.

If only they were as consistent as Boone, who was convinced that the Yankees would recover. But the memories of April, May and early June, when the Yankees looked like a heavyweight, are becoming more and more distant.

Since June 21, the Yankees have gone from 41 to 36 – the 11th best baseball record of that period.

This happened despite a weak second half schedule. Since the all-star break, the Yankees have played only 16 games against teams with a winning record – Boston, Tampa Bay, Seattle and Oakland – and have only won five.

Yet the Yankees thought they would have a chance.

It's these two September series with the Red Sox that the Yankees have been watching since their last meeting with their rivals. They even tweaked the rotation so that their top three pitchers – J.A. Happ, Luis Severino and Masahiro Tanaka – would be lined up against the Red Sox.

When the Yankees swept a four-game series in Baltimore last month, they had closed in six games in first place. And with Boston getting ready to face Cleveland and Houston, it seemed like the opening seemed possible.

"We think they'll win all series the rest of the year, and when we play them, it's our chance to gain ground," said utility player Neil Walker the day the Yankees have swept Orioles. "These will obviously be important."

And for a team, they will be.