Red Sox, Yankees ride stirring wins into series opener

(Photo credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images)
The Boston Red Sox and host New York Yankees will open a four-game series on Thursday night that has major implications on the playoff future for both teams.

New York (84-62) takes a 1 1/2-game lead over the second-place Baltimore Orioles in the American League East into the series with just 16games left in the regular season.

Boston (74-72), in turn, is four games behind the