Yankees just handed Red Sox a rivalry gift they definitely didn't need

The New York Yankees have been on fire as of late, holding a five-game winning streak after two series sweeps. Next up on the schedule was a four-game set with the Boston Red Sox, who are also fighting for a playoff spot. Thursday was the Yankees best chance to show the baseball world and their hated division rivals that the summer slump was behind them.

The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is one of the most storied in all of professional sports. But in recent years, it feels like it has cooled off a bit. There is no real antagonist like there were years ago. Not to mention, there has been a lack of head-to-head matchups in recent years, until now. That was a point that FanSided editor Chris Landers made in an article.

"Luckily, though, that's all about to change in a big, big way," writes Landers. "As Boston descends on the Bronx for a four-game set at Yankee Stadium beginning on Thursday night, there's more electricity in the air than we've had in quite some time. And that's because there's more than just Wild Card positioning on the line — for the first time in a long time, there are legacies to be made, the sort of urgency and rabidity that once made the rivalry so singular."

Unfortunately for the Yankees in the Aaron Boone era, they faltered under the bright lights...again. The Yankees lost 6-3 and allowed the Red Sox to have that moment.

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Yankees' errors cost them again in pivotal Red Sox matchup

One of the main complaints directed towards the Yankees was their propensity to make errors on routine plays, whether it was fielding or running on the base paths. The Yankees and Boone have argued that they are not as bad as fans and media ridiculed them. Yet here we are, the Yankees lost after committing four errors on the night.

The Yankees committed three errors in the second inning. There was a fielding error by starting pitcher Luis Gil followed by Jazz Chisholm Jr. overthrowing Paul Goldschmidt at first base on a potential double play. To follow that up, catcher Ben Rice tried to throw out David Hamilton at second base, but overthrew Chisholm, allowing Ceddanne Rafaela to score at home to give Boston a 1-0 lead.

The fourth error by the Yankees would not arrive until the ninth inning, where Goldschmit bobbled a ground ball by Hamilton, allowing him to reach first base. Two batters later, Red Sox rookie Roman Anthony had his moment in the rivalry, crushing a two-run homer to extend their lead over the Yankees to 6-3.

The Yankees watched the Red Sox trade away Rafael Devers, who tormented them for years. Now, it appears Anthony could take his place in the rivalry.

This is not the statement the Yankees had in mind. Instead of showing they should be feared as contenders in the American League again, they showed that they are incapable of playing a clean game, especially when the stakes are high.

This year, the Yankees have three games with four-plus errors committed, the most in all of baseball, according to Katie Sharp of Sports Reference. Additionally, among the 74 errors the Yankees committed this year, 25.7 percent of them came in 17 games against both the Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, according to Ryan Garcia of Empire Sports Media. That's not ideal, especially since both teams are among their main competition to clinch a playoff spot.

With a chance to extend their winning streak to six games, the Yankees lost in embarrassing fashion.