Yankees, Red Sox know exactly what's at stake in pivotal Game 3

Red Sox-Yankees in New Jersey: Do you get it or not?

If you are a baseball fan and do not get it on Monday night in Game 3 of the ALDS at Yankee Stadium with the best-of-five affair tied 1-1, double up on the bourbon.

Had the Yankees Red Sox gold won the first two games, Monday's tilt would have lost some juice. Because the Red Sox won Game 1 when Giancarlo Stanton and Gleyber Torres failed to hit the clutch, and the Yankees copped Game 2 by punishing David Price again, Game 3 falls into the category of "The Biggest Game Of The Year" for each club because the winner moves to the ALCS.

That's being played in The Bronx, where the Yankees' 53-28 regular-season record was the second-best home baseball (Boston's 57-41 was tops), should provide a boost for the home team. Also helping is that the Yankees have won their last seven postseason games played at home.

So, expect the atmosphere to be busy to the max.

"I think the connection that our fan base and our fans are a special and you will be in the postseason and you bring the Red Sox, I think the atmosphere is going to be special, electric, whatever Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "Hopefully we can give them a reason to keep building the game unfolds."

Center fielder Aaron Hicks, who expects to play in Game 3 after sitting out Game 2 with a hamstring issue, hears from competitors what problems to loud Yankee Stadium causes visitors.

"I hear guys all the time say how hard it is to play here," Hicks said. "For the other side, we just get excited about our games and getting some energy towards playing, it just helps us play better."

Nathan Eovaldi, who's starting for the Red Sox on Monday night, was a Yankee from 2015-16 and left for the Rays as a free agent following a second Tommy John surgery that cost him the 2017 season. He was dealt to the Red Sox on July 25. The hard-throwing, and at times erratic, right-hander has faced the Yankees three times this season, twice with the Red Sox, and is 1-1 with a 2.11 ERA.

He ignores the Public Relations Line No. 1 when asked about the importance of such a pivotal game.

"Eovaldi, who was 20-17 with a 4.30 ERA in 60 starts for the Yankees, said:" This is what we are for, coming out of spring training and preparing for this moment. "It's definitely, probably, the most important game I have ever pitched in. We need to win and we can be ready for Game 4.

Aaron Boone tabbed Luis Severino to start Game 3 and has veteran lefty Sabathia CC scheduled to start Game 4 Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium. Alex Cora plans to send Rick Porcello's native jersey out for Game 4.

Should a Game 5 be required, it will be J.A. Happ against Chris Sale at Fenway Park in a winner-take-all situation.

However, before that, there is a little bit of a nightclub and the first time the Red Sox and Yankees have been in the Bronx in 14 years – since Boston capped its ALCS comeback from a 3-0 deficit.

As for the bedlam that awaits. you get it or you do not.