Boston Red Sox
Can the Red Sox find their footing against a team that has had their number?
Connelly Early is scheduled to face Cam Schlittler on Sunday. David Berding/Getty Images
June 5, 2026 | 2:03 PM
3 minutes to read
Even with the Red Sox slumping, and the Yankees without slugger Aaron Judge, matchups between Boston and New York always carry extra weight.
This weekend’s three-game series in the Bronx is no exception, as the Red Sox try to prove they belong after suffering a sweep when the teams met in late April.
It’s Sonny Gray vs. Ryan Weathers on Friday at 7:05 p.m., Ranger Suárez vs. Will Warren on Saturday at 7:35 p.m., and Connelly Early vs. Walpole’s Cam Schlittler on Sunday at 1:35 p.m.
Here are five storylines to follow as the series gets underway:
Can the Red Sox finally gain some momentum against their archrival?
The Red Sox (26-35) allowed just 12 runs in the April series, as the pitching staff gave the team a chance. The only problem was that Boston mustered just three total runs.
Today is the 2,304th regular-season game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees ⚾
If the Yankees win, it would be just the fourth time they start a season 4-0 or better vs their AL East rivals. pic.twitter.com/Xrtv7xW6PZ
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) June 5, 2026
Their woes against the Yankees (37-25) go back even further, as they scored a combined six runs in three games during the Wild Card matchup last season. They only allowed 11 runs in that series, as it followed a similar pattern and left fans craving more.
They lost two of three in mid-September, and the series finale in late August, which means they’re 2-8 in their last 10 against the Yankees. This would be an ideal time to curb the trend.
Can the starters continue to give them a chance?
Outside of some occasional duds, the Red Sox starters have generally put the team in a spot to succeed this season.
Gray is 6-1 with a 3.06 ERA and will surely be fired up to face his former team. Suárez will look to bounce back following two sub-par outings that elevated his ERA to 3.38 following a dominant stretch. Early (5-3, 3.26 ERA) is in a similar spot after surrendering four runs to the Orioles on Tuesday.
Even without Judge, who is sidelined for an extended period of time with a stress fracture of the first rib on his right side, the Yankees still boast a powerful lineup. New York leads the Majors with 89 home runs and is second in on-base-plus-slugging (.761) behind the Dodgers.
Will Ben Rice find a rhythm against the Red Sox?
One of the driving forces in that operation is Cohasset’s Ben Rice, who has established himself as a true star early in his career.
Rice, 27, is having a monster season (.300, 17 home runs, 44 RBIs, .638 slugging percentage) and currently has the third-best American League Most Valuable Player odds.
Interestingly, Rice is hitting just .111 against the Red Sox this season after hitting .231 against them last year and .261 the year prior. He is, however, hitting .306 against lefties this season and will face two this series.
Does Willson Contreras make a splash?
Willson Contreras is someone who will quickly embrace the rivalry and everything it entails.
He was quiet in the first series (1 for 11), but has since taken his game to the next level and helped the Red Sox find their footing offensively.
Contreras, who hit his team-leading 12th home run and added an RBI single Thursday against the Orioles, extended his season-high on-base streak to 16 games.
He has hit safely in 14 of those 16 games, slashing .417/.478/.733/1.211 over that span (25 for 60, 9 runs, 3 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 12 RBIs, 5 walks). If the Red Sox are finally able to find some offensive juice against the Yankees, look for Contreras to be at the crux of the action.
Will Cam Schlittler continue to dominate his hometown team?
Schlittler (7-3. 1.89 ERA), who starred at Northeastern, is currently the Cy Young favorite in the American League.
He had allowed one run or fewer in seven of his last eight starts before giving up four to the Guardians on Tuesday.
Schlittler has dominated his hometown team, allowing one earned run in eight innings this year after fanning 12 in eight scoreless innings to spearhead a Wild Card win.
While consistency is still an issue, the Red Sox are swinging the bats a bit better of late, scoring eight or more runs four times in their last eight games after doing so five times through their first 53 games. They would take even three or four against Schlittler.
AL Cy Young contender Cam Schlittler on playing for the @Yankees:
“It’s tough to put the pinstripes on. The fans are loud and they expect excellence. I feel comfortable, great leadership in the locker room definitely helps.”
📺 MLB Central live from Yankee Stadium pic.twitter.com/bUQELNIyQ2
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 4, 2026
Do they continue to hold their own on the road?
The Red Sox, who have dropped eight of 12 games, are 2-6 in their last eight series and 6-13-1 in series play overall.
They are, however, 16-14 on the road, compared to 10-21 at Fenway Park. They’re averaging 4.7 runs per game on the road, as opposed to 3.3 at home, so perhaps a trip to a hostile environment will serve them well.
Or, maybe the series will yield another sweep and send them stumbling even further down the ladder in the American League.
Trevor Hass is a sports producer for Boston.com, where he writes and edits stories about Boston’s professional teams, among other tasks.
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