Sox Trail Yankees 1-0 in the Series After That 9-0 Embarrassment

Now listen, sweetheart, pour yourself something and sit down, because we need to talk about this series.

The Red Sox are back in the Bronx with the Yankees already holding the upper hand, leading the series 1-0. New York is 93-68 on the season and a monster at home, 46-34 there. Boston finished 87-75, third in the AL East, though they did go 46-35 on the road, so it's not like they can't win over there.

I'm not mad about that last game. I'm just saying, a 9-0 loss to the Yankees is the kind of thing that keeps a grandmother up nursing cold tea. Boston is just 2-3 in its last five: a loss to Cleveland, two wins over the Cubs, a loss to the Cubs, and then that 9-0 beating in New York. The Yankees, meanwhile, have won four of their last five, including that same 9-0 win over Boston, with their only hiccup a 10-2 loss to Baltimore.

The lineups tell a story. Ben Rice is having himself a season for New York — 41 home runs and 97 RBIs will do that — and Cody Bellinger's been steady, hitting .264. For Boston, Willson Contreras has been the power source with 27 homers and 81 RBIs, and Ceddanne Rafaela's been the table-setter at .283. My dear Willson, keep swinging.

Pitching is where I get nervous, and where I get hopeful. Sonny Gray has been an absolute gift this year — 18 wins and a 2.72 ERA — and if there was ever a night for him to remind everybody why we love a good starting pitcher, it's this one. Payton Tolle leads the staff in strikeouts with 171. On the other side, Cam Schlittler has been nasty for the Yankees: 14 wins, a 1.95 ERA, and 239 strikeouts. That's the arm Boston has to solve.

Both clubs are banged up. New York is without Aaron Judge, which is no small thing, plus starters Ryan Weathers and Clarke Schmidt are out, and a couple of relievers too. Boston's nursing its own bruises — Johan Oviedo is done for a while, Masataka Yoshida and Anthony Seigler are out, and Kristian Campbell is day-to-day with a foot bruise. Depth matters in October, and neither team has full depth right now.

How to watch: First pitch is Wednesday, September 30 at 8:00 PM ET from Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. Catch it on NBC.

The oddsmakers have New York favored at -136 with the over/under set at 6.5 runs, and after that last game, I understand why. But I've been doing this a long time, sweetheart, and a series isn't over after one game.

Our take: I want to believe in Sonny Gray settling things down and this offense finding some fight. That's the opinion of one grandmother with a scorebook, not a promise. But if Boston doesn't start moving runners and grinding out at-bats, this series could get away from them fast.