New York @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 30, 2018 ) NY Yankees 2, Boston 10

The Boston Red Sox set a franchise record for wins during the regular season and ran away with the American League East, but the New York Yankees will not be intimidated. The bitter rivals will meet in the postseason for the first time since 2004 when the Yankees visit the Red Sox for Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Friday.

New York won 100 games during the regular season but still needed to survive the one-game wild card playoff on Wednesday, beating the Oakland Athletics 7-2 to earn a trip to Fenway Park. "I think they can't wait," Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters of his players. "I think they're ready and relish the opportunity to go up against the game's best this year. And obviously we're very familiar with them. We know how good they are. I mean, we know we have to play our best if we're going to have a chance to beat them." Boston (108-54), which will start ace Chris Sale opposite New York lefty J.A. Happ in Game 1, led the majors in runs scored (876) and batting average (.268) behind MVP candidates Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez but is most concerned with keeping the opposing offense off the scoreboard. "We have to keep them in the ballpark," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters. "That's the most important thing. I think from top to bottom they can hit the ball out of the ballpark. It's a tough lineup. Like I've been saying, there's heat maps. There's red and there's blue. We have to pitch to blue. If we do that, we're going to be in good shape."

TV: 7:32 p.m. ET, TBS

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees LH J.A. Happ (17-6, 3.65 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Chris Sale (12-4, 2.11)

Happ went 7-0 with a 2.69 ERA in 11 starts after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays and closed strong with a 1.86 ERA in five September outings. The Northwestern product went 1-1 with a 1.99 ERA in four starts against Boston this season but was not as effective at Fenway Park, where he surrendered nine runs - four earned - and nine hits over 9 2/3 total innings. Happ last pitched in the postseason with the Blue Jays in 2016 and is 1-1 with a 3.72 ERA in 10 career playoff games - three starts.

Sale spent September trying to build up his pitch count and strengthen his shoulder after two trips to the disabled list and struggled in his last two outings, allowing a total of five runs and nine hits across eight innings. The Florida native made his postseason debut in 2017 and struggled in two appearances - one start - against Houston in the ALDS, going 0-2 while surrendering nine runs and 13 hits - four homers - over 9 2/3 total innings. Sale had little trouble against the Yankees in 2018 and struck out 19 while yielding one run in 13 innings over two starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. New York set a major league record for home runs during the regular season (267) and added two more in Wednesday's wild card win.

2. The Red Sox will start LHP David Price in Game 2 and RHP Rick Porcello in Game 3 while the Yankees counter with RHP Masahiro Tanaka in Game 2 and have yet to announce a Game 3 starter.

3. Boston lost in the Division Series in each of its last two trips to the postseason and is 1-6 in seven playoff games since winning the 2013 World Series.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 4, Yankees 2