The Red Sox had history on their side as they entered Wednesday’s Game 2 showdown against the Yankees.
They had won eight consecutive potential series-clinching postseason games, dating back to 2013.
Boston was also 9-1 in its last 10 playoff games against the Yankees.
Teams that have won Game 1 are 12-0 in series since the current wild card format began in 2022.
But history means nothing in the playoffs, where anything can happen in general, and especially when the Red Sox and Yankees clash.
In the latest instant classic between the two rivals, New York pulled out an intense 4-3 victory to force a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday.