Former Red Sox Players Preview ‘Really Big’ Yankees Series

The stage is set for a colossal four-game series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees that can reignite one of MLB’s fiercest rivalries.

Each American League East team enters Yankee Stadium in the thick of a heated playoff run. The Yankees are 1.5 games above the Red Sox for the AL’s first wild-card spot, and they’re both chasing the Toronto Blue Jays for the division lead.

Kevin Millar and Ryan Dempster experienced the feud first-hand when they played for the Red Sox. They discussed the highly anticipated matchup Thursday on MLB Network’s “Intentional Talk.”

“The perfect time for these two organizations to play is right now,” Millar said. “Who needs it most? The Red Sox because they’re behind the Yankees. This is going to be exciting.”

Even if he thinks Boston has more on the line, Millar likes the Red Sox’s deep roster.

“This is a good ball club,” Millar said. “It really is. This is just a group of dudes that know their role.”

Dempster said that the Red Sox and Yankees clashing with meaningful stakes is great for the game.

“This is what it’s all about,” Dempster said. “It’s just so much fun when rivals are good and then they’re facing each other in the last stretch of the season … And they’re so equally matched … This is why we watch baseball. This is what the fun part of baseball is.”

While it’s easy to lose focus throughout a long season, the former Red Sox pitcher expects everyone to monitor this series closely. This could mark just the second time in the last seven years that Boston and New York both make the playoffs.

“When the Yankees and Red Sox are both good, no matter if you’re playing at Yankee Stadium or you’re playing at Fenway, it’s awesomeness,” Dempster added. “It is so great.”

However, Dempster disagreed with Millar about who needs a strong showing more. He believes it’s pivotal for New York, which already ceded first place in the AL East to Toronto, to finish the weekend above Boston in the standings.

“This series is really big, really — really big for the Yankees,” Dempster said. “At home, if Boston comes in and takes three out of four … Whoa, things can be really interesting.”