A critical August game? Yankees need to change the narrative vs. rival Red Sox in a hurry

NEW YORK – Max Fried takes the mound Friday night, and the Yankees must instantly stop this Red Sox run of victories at their expense.

And how about clearing the Bronx air following a four-error, Thursday night loss to their forever rivals?

This is the most important Red Sox-Yankees series, this late in a season, in four years. So, the Yankees ought to treat Game 2 of this four-game set as their most important nine innings of the year.

If there’s anything close to being a critical late August game, this is it for the Yanks.

“I felt like tonight was one of those nights when we beat ourselves,’’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. said after Boston’s 6-3 series-opening win, threatening to flush the Yanks’ recent momentum.

Yankees' worst-case scenario in play vs. Red Sox

Prior to Thursday, the Yanks’ seven wins in their last eight games were built against mediocrities in the Twins, Cardinals and Rays.

But with their victory Thursday at the Stadium, the Sox (69-59) have won six of seven against the Yanks (69-58) this year.

A Red Sox win on Friday would vault them past the Yanks for the top AL wild card spot, with lefty ace Garrett Crochet due to start Saturday against the Yankees.

Carlos Rodon might be the Yanks’ last line of defense, preventing a four-game sweep – okay, we’re getting a little too far ahead.

But you get the point.

Friday is a huge game, and Fried hasn’t been the same since late June, and the blister issue that popped up in early July.

Over his last eight starts, Fried has posted a 6.80 ERA (it was 1.92 after 17 starts), and the Yanks have a 3-5 record in those games.

“Stuff-wise,’’ Fried is “very close to who he’s been all year,’’ said Yankees manager Aaron Boone, but Fried hasn’t put it all together, with sharp command, in over a month.

Friday night would be an excellent time to dial it in, against a Boston club that had lost seven of its last 10 games – including three straight – as they arrived at Yankee Stadium.

"Just not a great night'' for the Yankees vs. Boston

And neither team was very good Thursday night, with Yankees pitchers issuing nine walks and Red Sox batters going 2-for-18 with runners in scoring position – until Roman Anthony’s two-run shot.

Anthony’s second-deck smash to right in the ninth off Yerry de los Santos was his first homer at the Stadium, and it followed a one-out error by the usually surehanded Paul Goldschmidt.

“We didn’t play good enough to win,’’ said the veteran first baseman Goldschmidt, adding that the Red Sox “have been able to make one more play, one more pitch, one more hit than us’’ so far in 2025.

“Hopefully, we can change that (Friday).’’

In his fourth start since coming off the injured list (lat strain), Luis Gil issued five walks in five innings but only allowed one earned run.

“The most important thing is, I feel healthy and strong,’’ Gil said through an interpreter, having exited with a 3-2 lead.

After throwing 20 pitches Wednesday night at Tampa, Luke Weaver wound up on the losing side due to a seventh-inning RBI double by veteran pickup Nathaniel Lowe, Boston’s new first baseman.

But one of the biggest bullpen concerns is Camilo Doval, who yielded the tying run in the sixth (Anthony’s RBI single) and saw his ERA climb to 7.37 in nine appearances since being acquired from the Giants.

Doval has walked seven batters in 7.1 pinstriped innings, and his forgetful third disengagement off the mound was a preventable balk.

“Just not a real clean game for us, a lot of free bases,’’ said Boone, mostly referring to a three-error second inning.

Chisholm Jr.’s wild throw cost the Yanks a double play and catcher Ben Rice’s ill-advised throw from his knees cost them a run, but Boston only scored once that inning – as speedy David Hamilton, in an inattentive moment, was picked off third by Gil.

“Just not a great night for us,’’ said Boone, after stating pregame that “hopefully we have our best baseball in front of us.’’

Friday night would be a good time to start.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: A critical August game? Yankees need to change the narrative vs. rival Red Sox in a hurry