he New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night. Their next series will come against the Boston Red Sox this weekend.

The Yankees trail the Toronto Blue Jays by three games for the American League East lead. The Red Sox are just a half-game behind the Yankees. The Yankees and Red Sox entered Friday as the top two American League Wild Card teams.

The weekend series against the Red Sox presents an opportunity for the Yankees to take the Red Sox out of the division race and secure the top wild card spot. There are not many games left in the regular season, and a four- or five-game cushion could be huge.

The Yankees have a .500 record against teams above .500 this year. The Red Sox have been a tough opponent for the Yankees this season, and Aaron Boone spoke about how well the Red Sox have played the Yankees this year.

“Obviously, they’ve had our number this year,” Boone said after the Yankees’ Thursday win. “They’ve had their way with us this year. We know it’s going to be a tough series. We’re facing three great starters this weekend. Hopefully, we can go out there and set a nice tone early, understanding how important each and every game is.”

The Red Sox are 8-2 against the Yankees this season, so Boone is correct in saying the Red Sox have had their way with his team this year. However, the Yankees can all but take away any hope the Red Sox have of claiming the top wild card spot or AL East title with a sweep.