7 things we learned from Yankees-Red Sox series

4. Bullpens may be overrated

There was a lot of talk coming into the series about how the Yankees’ bullpen might give them a big advantage over the Red Sox. The reality is neither team’s relief corps had anything important to do all weekend. That trend may not hold true come October, but it does showcase the high variance of how important a bullpen can actually be during a series.

Mainly, bullpens are only important in close games. Typically, that will require two starting pitchers to put in good outings in the same game. That didn’t happen this weekend. Sabathia and Luis Severino put in great outings for the Yankees, and Chris Sale was dominant for the Red Sox. The other three collective starts were pretty putrid.

This doesn’t mean both teams won’t look to strengthen their bullpens as the trade deadline approaches. Strengthening your club for the postseason is all about trying to fill as many holes in the roster as possible. Boston, in particular, will be on the lookout for a player capable of pitching in high leverage situations. Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly can’t do everything by themselves.

The Yankees, on the other hand, will only make a deal for a reliever if they find it to be a serious value. Aroldis Chapman, Dellin Betances and David Robertson give them a strong trio of trusted options to choose from late in games. Ideally, New York would like to acquire a left hander to replace Chasen Shreve, but that might prove too expensive ahead of the deadline.

In the end, bullpens can be important, but starters are always important. That’s an important lesson to take from this series.