Boston (25-9) and New York (24-10) carry the two best records in the big leagues, making Tuesday's 7:05 p.m. first pitch the first of its kind since June 2, 2002.

By Bill Koch Providence Journal

NEW YORK — The season-long quest for supremacy in the American League East resumes on Tuesday night.

 The banks of the Harlem River will be the setting this time, with the Red Sox and Yankees renewing hostilities in the Bronx. Their crackling opening series three weeks ago at Fenway Park left any casual baseball fan wanting more, let alone the diehards who loyally support two of the sport’s most storied franchises.

 Boston (25-9) and New York (24-10) carry the two best records in the big leagues, making the 7:05 p.m. first pitch the first of its kind since June 2, 2002. Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez and those Red Sox won 93 games while missing the playoffs. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera and those Yankees won 103 games but were dumped out of the postseason by the eventual World Series champion Anaheim Angels.

 Boston took two out of three in April’s initial skirmish, a series marked by a pair of bench-clearing incidents in the middle game. New York’s Tyler Austin spiked Red Sox infielder Brock Holt on a hard slide into second base and paid the price a few innings later, drilled in the back by a fastball from Boston reliever Joe Kelly. There was no peace to be made the second time both teams left the dugouts, with punches thrown, tempers flaring and suspensions eventually doled out.

 It’s the kind of matchup that can excite players who are mentally geared for the long haul. Playing 162 games over six months requires a certain mindset, one that was so often set aside when the two teams were both at their peak in the early 2000s. Consider the post-game thoughts of Red Sox ace Chris Sale after Sunday’s 6-1 victory over the Rangers, a dominant start that sets his next turn for the weekend series at Toronto.

 “It’ll be fun,” Sale said. “They’re rolling. We’re catching our stride again. This will be our first time going up to New York. I wish I was getting the ball in one of those games.”

 Each team has enjoyed a blistering extended stretch of baseball in the early going. Boston logged the best start in franchise history by jumping out to a 17-2 record and leveling off a bit from there. The Yankees staggered a bit early but enter having lost only one of their past 16 games, their first such run since September 1980. Their latest victory was a 7-4 rally past the Indians on Sunday, with Gleyber Torres walking it off in the bottom of the ninth thanks to a three-run homer to center.

 It’s no coincidence two of the best players in baseball to date are driving the Red Sox and New York. Mookie Betts is rewriting the history books for Boston, leading the AL in runs scored, home runs, batting average and slugging percentage. Shortstop Didi Gregorius ranks in the AL top five in runs scored, home runs, RBI and slugging percentage for the Yankees.

 Drew Pomeranz opposes Luis Severino in Tuesday’s series opener. The Red Sox' left-hander allowed three runs over six innings last time out in a win over the Royals while the New York right-hander fired a five-hit shutout at the defending champion Astros. Pomeranz was on the disabled list with a flexor strain during the first series with the Yankees while Severino was hammered for five earned runs in a 14-1 loss to Boston on April 10.

 David Price matches up with Masahiro Tanaka on Wednesday and Rick Porcello duels with C.C. Sabathia in Thursday’s finale. Price lasted only one inning in his previous start against the Yankees this season, exiting a 10-7 loss to Tanaka after feeling a sensation in his pitching hand. Porcello was sharp over seven shutout innings in the finale, allowing only two hits while paving the way to a 6-3 victory.