Yankees turn to a couple of Boston guys to put Red Sox away

The last time the Yankees beat the Red Sox in a playoff-series clincher, the Curse of the Bambino was still very much a thing.

And it was Aaron Boone — the third baseman — who made sure that hex stayed secure by taking Boston’s knuckleballer Tim Wakefield deep for the ALCS Game 7 walk-off homer that propelled the Yankees to the 2003 World Series.

But 22 years is a long time ago, even for an ancient rivalry that stretches more than a century, and the dynamic between these storied franchises had a very different vibe heading into Thursday night’s winner-take-all Game 3 of the Wild Card Series.

Since Boone’s dramatic blast, it’s been the Yankees trying to buck their head-to-head history against the Red Sox, a total reversal of the Bambino’s decades-long stranglehold on his original club.

There was Boston’s 2004 ALCS comeback, of course, the most humiliating chapter for the Yankees among their October clashes. But the Red Sox’s upper hand has been fortified more recently as they’ve won four World Series titles to their Bronx rival’s one, and Alex Cora has become a bogeyman of sorts, seemingly taking a special enjoyment from pantsing the Yankees, which he’s done frequently.

That’s why Game 3 represented a great opportunity for Boone & Co. to not only advance to a Division Series showdown with the Blue Jays, but also get Cora’s feisty Bostonians off their proverbial backs. Up to this point, the Yankees and Red Sox were dead even, 13-13, in their October meetings, but Cora’s crew had won nine of the past 11, completely flipping the rivalry’s once-familiar script.

The Red Sox also had won eight straight potential clinchers overall before Wednesday’s 4-3 loss to the Yankees in Game 2, and definitely had their chances to end the series right then. If not for Jarren Duran clanging an Aaron Judge liner off his glove, Ceddanne Rafaela failing to get a bunt down and Nate Eaton somehow not scoring on Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s diving defensive gem, the Sox easily could have swept their Bronx buddies.

Instead, it was Chisholm’s heroic 270-foot dash in the eighth inning on Austin Wells’ pinballing single down the rightfield line that gave the Yankees more oxygen for this October. Good thing, too. Because dropping a fourth straight playoff showdown to the Red Sox, a collection of mostly utility players this year and Garrett Crochet’s supporting staff, will be difficult for these $320 million Yankees to explain.

“It’s been two great games,” Boone said.

Entertaining, sure. But these series are measuring sticks for the two franchises, and for decades, under George Steinbrenner’s rule, it was unacceptable for the Yankees to lose to the Red Sox. That’s clearly not the case anymore. Under Hal’s reign, the Sox haven’t just caught the Yankees, they’ve surpassed them in stacking Commissioner’s Trophies and bragging rights.

This season, however, the Bronx turned to a pair of Boston-area natives that could help them regain that edge for years to come. Rookie phenom Cam Schlittler, who grew up in Walpole, Mass, and pitched for Northeastern U. — basically in Fenway’s backyard — took the mound for Thursday’s start.

With only 14 regular-season starts under his belt, Schlittler (4-3, 2.96 ERA) has the fifth fewest of any Yankee prior to their first playoff start, trailing Deivi Garcia (6, 2020), Mel Stottlemyre (12, 1964), Whitey Ford (12, 1950) and Wilcy Moore (12, 1927). Despite coming from the heart of Red Sox Nation, however, Schlittler and his family only put on pinstripes immediately.

“Growing up in Boston, I take pride in being from Boston,” Schlittler said on the eve of Game 3. “When it came to my career and where I want to be, this is where I want to be. They are full Yankee guys immediately. They don’t wear it around as much in Boston, just because. But when they are here, they are very prideful about it.”

After Thursday night, it could be a little tougher for Schlittler to go home again if he’s the reason for a disappointing winter in New England. But he didn’t sound too worried about that scenario. As you might expect, Schlittler welcomed it, and Boone believed he had the right 6-6 flamethrower for the job.

“Been super-impressed, first and foremost, with his stuff,” Boone said. “He gave us a shot in the arm when he became another stabilizing force in our rotation. He will handle it well regardless of the result — like I don’t think it will be too big for him. He’ll be ready to roll.”

Schlittler’s partner in the Sox-spoiler role has been Ben Rice, a Cohasset, Mass., native who played at Dartmouth and was back in Thursday’s Game 3 lineup — despite Cora throwing the lefthanded rookie Connelly Early. Boone took plenty of heat for sitting Rice against Crochet in the series opener, but Early isn’t among the best three candidates for the AL’s Cy Young this year. And Rice had just banger a two-run homer that gave the Yankees the early lead in Wednesday’s do-or-die Game 2.

How ironic that the Yankees finally restoring their aura over the Red Sox could depend on a pair of Bostonians doing the damage. At least in Rice’s case, he was a Yankee fan from the jump, so this is a dream shot for him.

Said Rice, “Unbelievable.”