“If the Yankees were the last team to give me a contract, I’d retire,” these were the words of the Red Sox rookie Hunter Dobbins ahead of the previous series finale against the Yankees. Needless to say, it reignited an already fierce rivalry. The 25-year-old, however, backed it up with his performance on the mound, helping Boston to a series win and earning much praise. But that was not it. Dobbins is now doubling down at Fenway Park and the Yankees skipper, Aaron Boone, couldn’t help but praise the youngster.

On Saturday, the Yankees were already falling behind in the second game of the ongoing series when Dobbins entered the mound. And well, he didn’t just throw, he stamped his authority. How did the Pinstripes respond? Well, they fought, but Dobbins came out trumps.

He pitched six shutout innings, gave up two hits, struck out five batters, and shut down Aaron Judge. And just like that, the Red Sox won another game by 4-3. Aaron Boone, who has seen a lot of high-pressure games over his managerial career, admitted that Dobbins is incredibly talented.

“He has got a life to the fastball at the top of the zone,” the Yanks skipper said post-match, while reflecting on the rookie’s performance. He also acknowledged Hunter’s ability to spin the ball.

“I thought he had a little presence with his splitter for the lefties, and it looked like he was spinning the ball pretty well, so able to keep us off balance enough to not really string together against them,” Boone further added.

While Boone was heaping praise on the young sensation, it was only natural he was going to be asked about his scathing dig at the Bronx Bombers last week. But he is way too experienced to be fazed by any trash talk. The 52-year-old shrugged it off again, calling it, “a little funny.”

What’s certainly not funny though is Yankees’ performance against Boston in the ongoing series. With two back to back wins, the Red Sox are now back at .500 (36–36) and just a game away from sweeping the Yanks for the first time since August 2023.

The Pinstripes are certainly struggling. While Boone is calm and composed as always, he certainly wouldn’t want another loss on Sunday.

Yankees’ slide continues in Boston

The Red Sox have absolutely dominated the Yankees this month, starting from Game 2 of the previous series at the Yankee Stadium on June 7. While the Yanks played like the table toppers in Game 1, winning by 9-6, they lost the momentum in the next two games as Boston secured back to back victories by 10-7 and 11-7 respectively to hand the Yanks a series loss on their home turf.

Once the Bronx got to Fenway though, everyone hoped for a bounce-back. But they lost the series opener again by 1–2. That surprising offensive shutdown set the tone for what was to come. The Yankees couldn’t match the Red Sox’s intensity.

It finished dramatically, with Aaron Judge tying it up in the ninth and Carlos Narvaez ending it with a walk-off single in the tenth. The New Yorkers fought hard, yet couldn’t get the job done. Judge was 1-for-7 with six strikeouts against Garrett Crochet, the Boston starter. Crochet seems to have Judge’s number.

The slump continued on Saturday too, where the Yanks lost again 4–3. Hunter Dobbins pitched six shutout innings, and Carlos Rodon gave up four runs. The Yankees couldn’t get their offense going effectively, even though they scored in the eighth and the ninth.

Four consecutive losses have now pushed the Yanks onto the backfoot. Can the Red Sox sweep them? Or will Aaron Boone and company answer back?