The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry hasn't been the same the past few seasons, as Boston is 19-39 in the last 58 meetings and 16-44 in the last 60 meetings in New York. That's the type of domination New Yorkers were used to reveling in, serenading Sox fans with "1918" chants to remind them of their flawed past. That, of course, all changed when Boston found its groove in 2004, the first of its four recent World Series titles.

While neither ballclub is on the top of the standings this season, they appear to be headed in different directions. New York has a playoff-caliber pitching rotation, which Boston does not. The Sox lineup may be deadly, but consistently overcoming poor pitching is a tall order in a 162-game season. I predict that will be clear as day, even if the Northeast sky won't appear that way, on Friday at Yankee Stadium.

Without Judge patrolling the outfield, Cole will step up as the Yankees' leading man, holding the Red Sox in check. The Red Sox are not getting the job done at the plate on the road (.227/.303/.368/.671), especially considering how well they hit at home (.288/.358/.473/.831). They're 3-7 overall in their last ten games and 1-4 in their last five vs. a team with a winning record. In their last 51 road games vs. a team with a winning record, the Red Sox are 15-36.

New York slashed .252/.319/.463/.782 in May, a significant improvement month-over-month from April (.226/.299/.376/.675) that resulted in a 19-10 record. With Stanton and Donaldson back in the lineup, this team should hit with or without their captain. I predict they will jump out to an early lead against the inexperienced Boston starter Whitlock, giving Cole the run insurance he needs to lead the Yankees to victory.