For the first time since 2004 and the fourth time ever, the Yankees and Red Sox will face each other in the postseason.
Boston and New York finished with the best and third-best records in all of baseball, respectively, as the Red Sox took the AL East Division crown while the Yankees hosted the wild-card game for the second-consecutive season.
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As the Yankees pulled away from the Oakland Athletics in the wild-card game Wednesday, their fans grew excited about the imminent meeting with the Red Sox, chanting about their longtime rivals. The moment offered a glimpse of how much this matchup matters.
"We want Boston." 👀 pic.twitter.com/GXbDQ3d9ik
— MLB (@MLB) October 4, 2018
New York players noticed the raucous crowd.
"If you didn't hear that, you're probably deaf or something," Didi Gregorious told ESPN. "Everybody heard that and that's definitely what we want."
The series kicks off Friday in Boston, when left-handers Chris Sale and J.A. Happ will duel from the hill. Sale is 6-4 in 17 career games (14 starts) against the Yankees — including 2-0 during the 2018 regular season — with a 1.61 ERA and 130 strikeouts over 100.2 innings pitched.
Happ's made 21 appearances against Boston, sporting a 8-4 record and 2.98 ERA against the Red Sox.
The Yankees hold the historic edge in the postseason with an 11-8 record against the Red Sox. New York topped Boston in the 1999 and 2003 ALCS but blew a 3-0 series advantage in the 2004 ALCS.
While a berth to the World Series isn't on the line this time around, bragging rights are always up for grabs when these two teams meet.
2018 ALDS: Yankees vs. Red Sox schedule
| Game | Date | Location | Time |
| Game 1 | Fri., Oct. 5 | Fenway Park | 7:32 p.m. ET |
| Game 1 | Sat., Oct .6 | Fenway Park | 8:15 p.m. ET |
| Game 3 | Mon., Oct. 8 | Yankee Stadium | TBD |
| *Game 4 | Tues., Oct. 9 | Yankee Stadium | TBD |
| *Game 5 | Thurs., Oct. 11 | Fenway Park | TBD |
*If necessary
Here are some of the most boisterous social media reactions to the matchup:
(WARNING: NFSW language)
Update from yankee stadium pic.twitter.com/UcF2MmWLkf
— Desus Nice (@desusnice) October 4, 2018
Yeah! Yeah! @Yankees STAND UP! 1-down. 3 to go. Yo @RedSox.......You’re NEXT!!!!
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) October 4, 2018
I Think :-)
Met fans who are y’all going for Yankees or Red Sox lol because I don’t like both teams lol
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) October 4, 2018
Yankees Red Sox in the postseason is what baseball needs
— Phil Hughes (@PJHughes45) October 4, 2018
Red Sox vs. Yankees loser has to claim Connecticut
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) October 4, 2018
The last time the Yankees played the Red Sox in the postseason, Gleyber Torres was 7 years old.
— Tyler Kepner (@TylerKepner) October 4, 2018
The winner of this series will face either the Astros or Indians in the ALCS.