Boston Red Sox have drawn first blood in the Bronx by edging past the Yanks with the final scoreline of 5-4. The more than a century-old Yankees versus Red Sox rivalry is as dramatically nasty as ever because both squads are brimming with combative characters. The Boston Red Sox have played 56 games in 2017 MLB season so far, but just two of them were against their nemesis New York Yankees. They experienced first-hand all the hype surrounding the Yanks resurgence and still came out triumphant in the end. The Yankees were 32-22 in the lead before the game and were leading the Red Sox by two games in the MLB AL East. The buzz around is that Yanks are back. After a dismal 2016, witnessed them finishing 19th in home runs and a gloomy 22nd in total offense. However, that is in the past because the present ranks the Yankees fourth in both of those categories. Aaron Judge – the superstar, who could not do anything wrong – is championing the offense with a bat average of 324, backed by 18 homers, 44 runs and 41 RBI in the team’s first 54 matches. Judge faced BoSox yesterday on the back of an 8-game hitting streak. The Yankees–Red Sox sporting enmity goes back over the years and is one of the most fierce rivalries in sports. In 1919, Harry Frazee (Red Sox owner) sold superstar Babe Ruth to the Yanks and inadvertently started a jinx spread across 86-year in which the Red Sox did not win a World Series. It led to the widely popular superstition of the Curse of the Bambino and haunted BoSox till they won the World in 2004. The support of a dominant offense and a steely bullpen has catapulted Yankees to the top of the AL East. They will stay there unless the visitors burn them with a sweep. Statistically, the Bronx Bombers have the best home winning percentage (17-8 record) in the American League. Notwithstanding above, Yankees are slightly concerned with the form of Masahiro Tanaka off late, and that concern was substantiated in yesterday’s game as well. The Japanese pro started the 2017 season with a career WHIP of 1.04 and ERA of 3.12, but has struggled so far with a 1.52 WHIP and a 6.34 ERA in 11 starts. All said and done, the fans – hardcore or generic – are in for an animated spectacle at the Yankee Stadium on June 8 and June 9, 2017.