Of course neither the Yankees nor the Red Sox are in first place as they begin a four-game series on Thursday night at the Stadium. Somehow this still feels like the beginning of an abbreviated Yankee-Red Sox summer over the next couple of weeks, here and then at Fenway Park, even if the stakes might just be a wild card this time. These games matter. They always do. Just some more than others. Like these.

If the Yankees or the Sox — or both — are going to be serious teams in October after theme-park-ride seasons for both of them, they need to start showing that now, and against each other.

They seemed to be going in different directions the last time they met at Fenway two months ago. The Yankees came into that one at 42-26, nearly as many games over .500 as they’ve been all season. Th

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