Though his first start against New York was “ugly,” in his words, Crochet dominated the Yankees when they visited Boston in mid-June; he nearly pitched a complete-game shutout, striking out Aaron Judge three times before Judge crushed a ninth-inning solo homer.

Garrett Crochet struck out 11 in seven innings and the Boston Red Sox easily extended their winning streak over the host New York Yankees to eight games in a 12-1

Has the reduction in divisional play impacted storied rivalries such as this one, or Dodgers/Giants, which dates to the 19th century – older than the entire American League – and which shaped westward expansion when they jointly moved to California in 1958?