New York @ Boston preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 29, 2018 ) NY Yankees 8, Boston 5

The Boston Red Sox spent the first two games of the final series of the regular season auditioning pitchers for the role of long reliever in the postseason, and the results were not encouraging. The Red Sox will try to turn the momentum heading into the playoffs and avoid a sweep when they host the rival New York Yankees for the regular season finale on Sunday.

Boston, which could host the Yankees in the American League Division Series next week, is set at the top of the rotation going into the playoffs with Chris Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello but bridging the gap to closer Craig Kimbrel is one of the few issues on baseball's best team. Brian Johnson, William Cuevas and Drew Pomeranz all struggled in an 11-6 loss on Friday while Eduardo Rodriguez, Steven Wright and Brandon Workman were knocked around in Saturday's 8-5 setback. The Yankees clinched homefield advantage in the wild card game against the Oakland Athletics with Friday's triumph and are just trying to keep players sharp and healthy before the winner-take-all contest on Wednesday. New York will not start right-hander Luis Severino, who is being considered for a start in the wild card game, on Sunday and will instead give multiple relievers a chance to get some innings opposite Porcello.

TV: 3:05 p.m. ET, TBS, YES (New York), NESN (Boston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Yankees TBA vs. Red Sox RH Rick Porcello (17-7, 4.33 ERA)

New York is choosing between Severino, J.A. Happ and Masahiro Tanaka to start the wild card game and is expected to give the finale over to the bullpen. Severino, who last worked on Tuesday at Tampa Bay, could see an inning or two of relief on Sunday as a tune up. The Yankees are still locking down bullpen roles for the postseason and expect to give young players like left-hander Stephen Tarpley a chance to earn a spot on the postseason roster in Sunday's finale.

Porcello is trying to find his Cy Young form in advance of the playoffs but failed to finish six innings in any of his last six starts. The New Jersey native was reached for four runs - three earned - and eight hits over five innings at Cleveland in his last outing on Sept. 22 to mark his seventh consecutive non-quality start. One of Porcello's last dominant outings came against the Yankees on Aug. 3, when he needed 86 pitches to toss a complete-game one-hitter and earn the win.

WALK-OFFS

1. Yankees 2B Gleyber Torres homered in the fourth inning on Saturday, marking the team's major league-record 265th blast of the season.

2. Red Sox RF Mookie Betts (.346) will win the AL batting title.

3. Boston DH-OF J.D. Martinez (127) is likely to finish with the most RBIs in the majors.

PREDICTION: Red Sox 8, Yankees 3