Boston @ New York preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 30, 2015 ) Boston 9, NY Yankees 5

The scorching Boston Red Sox have done well to delay the New York Yankees' playoff-clinching party and now have their sights set on an end-of-the-season goal themselves. The Red Sox look to extend their longest winning streak of the year and complete a four-game sweep when the rivals square off Thursday night in the Bronx.

Mookie Betts homered twice to help Boston outlast New York 9-5 in 11 innings Wednesday, pushing its run to six wins in a row and pulling within two games of .500 (78-80) with four to play. The Yankees only needed a win to clinch a spot in the wild card game and also failed for the third straight time to reach 10,000 victories in franchise history. Journeyman Rich Hill has been a big part of Boston's late run and looks to extend his surprising streak - he is the only American League pitcher in the last 100 years to record 10-plus strikeouts in his first three starts with a team. Hill gets the start opposite fellow 35-year-old lefty CC Sabathia.

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, ESPN2, NESN (Boston), YES (New York)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Red Sox LH Rich Hill (2-0, 1.17 ERA) vs. Yankees LH CC Sabathia (5-10, 4.82)

Hill fanned 10 in his dramatic shutout of Baltimore last time out, becoming the second pitcher in franchise history - along with Pedro Martinez in 1999 - to strike out 10 and walk one or fewer batters in three consecutive outings. He is 4-0 with a 1.15 ERA in his Red Sox career, spanning the three dominant starts and 40 relief appearances. Hill, who appeared in 14 games out of the bullpen for the Yankees last year, has an 8.31 ERA in nine career games (one start) against New York.

Sabathia has worked at least six innings in three straight starts, including 6 2/3 frames of a 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Friday. He gave up four runs and served up two homers after giving up two combined over his previous seven appearances. Sabathia has allowed three runs in 12 innings over two quality starts against Boston this year without factoring into a decision in either.

WALK-OFFS

1. Betts has reached base safely in 33 straight games, during which he has hit .371 with seven homers.

2. Yankees DH Alex Rodriguez (1,065) is tied with Jorge Posada for 11th on the franchise's all-time RBI list.

3. The Red Sox are 28-16 under interim manager Torey Lovullo.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 6, Yankees 4