New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox: Jaime Garcia vs. Eduardo Rodriguez

It's no exaggeration to call this battle with the Red Sox the most important series of the season. At least to date, that is. This series has enormous implications for the AL East race. The Yankees currently sit 4.5 games behind Boston. A strong showing could propel them to the top. A disaster would likely bury the Bombers, essentially condemning them to Wild Card status. Let's hope for the former.

To get things going, the Yankees will send Jaime Garcia to the mound. His first start for New York was unimpressive, having allowed five earned runs over 4.2 innings. A strong outing would go a long way considering the lineup-wide slump. For Boston, Eduardo Rodriguez gets the ball. He's pitched to a 4.08 ERA (4.15 FIP) over 81.2 innings this season. He's notably struggled in the second half, owning a 5.66 ERA (4.44 FIP) across his last four starts. Maybe that will play into the Yankees' favor.

First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM and you can watch on YES or the MLB Network.