The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox could play a three-game series in an empty parking lot, and it would still feel like war! So it was no surprise that when they met at Fenway Park, Boston fans simply chose to ignore the hard math of their standings and went, “Yankees s—-.” But up in the booth, Bronx broadcaster Michael Kay couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

​”It’s really strange that the crowd is chanting that old chant that they have here,” Kay mentioned live on the air. “I guess the standings on the left-field board we can’t see those.”

​Well, his belief about Boston fans’ apparent delusion stems from the fact that the two teams are standing poles apart in the division. The Yankees are leading the AL East with a 48-32 record, while the Red Sox are at the bottom with a 33-46 record. However as the night unfolded the Fenway crowd’s chants started to feel less like taunts and more like a prophecy waiting to be fulfilled.

Rookie Cam Schlittler delivered one of his best outings, striking out nine batters and not allowing a single earned run. But despite Schlittler’s strong outing, the defense behind him faltered.

New York’s four errors turned the night into a frustrating one. The ugliest scenes happened in the fifth inning when Amed Rosario bobbled and failed to grab a grounder as it went through his legs. It started a rally of 4 unearned runs for the Red Sox, which otherwise could have been an inning-ending double play.

“We just didn’t do a good job of taking care of the ball tonight,” Aaron Boone said.

The Red Sox entered Thursday having lost 2 of their last 3 series, so winning the first game against the division topper, surely is satisfying. Add in their rivalry, and it makes their win even sweeter. Meanwhile, the chants can feel “delusional” for Kay, but the division toppers were clearly not playing like themself in Fenway Park. They for sure need to fill a few gaps to pass through October.

The Yankees’ gaps are still visible

New York may be leading the division, but a disaster is waiting to happen without the gaps being filled. First, the Yankees have yet to have a productive catcher this year. Austin Wells is batting .165, JC Escarra is at .188, and only Ali Sanchez is hitting above .300. Sanchez is also just back from the paternity list, and even if Sanchez plays as a starting catcher, the Yankees are without any performing backup catcher.

Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers has been widely linked to New York. He provides excellent right-handed power and would serve as a massive upgrade and platoon option. Jeffers is currently hitting .295 with 7 homers, and hence, he could be a valuable addition to the Yankees. Then there’s a need in the bullpen.

While the Yankees’ bullpen has solid pieces, they lack reliable late-inning options, especially from the right side. Here, Colorado Rockies reliever Antonio Senzatela and other proven high-leverage arms are being monitored as trade chips to secure leads in tight playoff games. The game against the Red Sox proved that the Yankees could falter in the clutch moment. The same repetition in the postseason would cost dearly.