(Photo credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images)

The middle game of a high-stakes weekend series between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees will feature a high-tier pitching matchup on Saturday afternoon.

After another Aaron Judge homer and Luis Gil's six no-hit innings set the tone for New York's 4-1 win on Friday, the Yankees will hand the ball to Max Fried with a chance to clinch the crucial series and further cement an American League wild-card lead that stands at 1 1/2 games.

'It felt like a playoff atmosphere from the very first pitch and the boys came out swinging,' Judge said of the Friday game. 'That was a big-time game for us.'

While Gil and three relievers held the Red Sox to two hits, Judge set the tone at the plate.

The Yankees slugger hit his fourth homer in a four-game span and the 362nd of his career in the first inning, breaking a fourth-place tie with Joe DiMaggio on the franchise's all-time list.

'I feel like the last several days ... he's getting where he needs to fire properly and get good swings,' New York manager Aaron Boone said of Judge.

Fried (16-5, 3.02 ERA) looks to continue his best run since winning six consecutive starts in April and early May, having won and dealt seven innings in each of his past three outings. The left-hander allowed three runs on six hits but still beat the AL East-leading Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday.

New York (82-65) is just 2-2 since, but the wins have come back-to-back after salvaging the finale of a three-game set against the Detroit Tigers with a 9-3 victory on Thursday.

Fried is 2-1 with a 2.16 ERA in four career starts against the Red Sox, including a 13-strikeout performance in June 2024. This year, he is 0-1 despite a 1.38 ERA in two starts vs. Boston.

The three-time All-Star almost certainly won't have Anthony Volpe in the field behind him. The New York shortstop has missed three consecutive games after receiving a cortisone shot in his left shoulder. He is now unlikely to start in this series.

'We'll probably do a little bit more each day and have him in some way for an emergency at some point,' Boone said.

The Red Sox (81-67) will look to break an up-and-down stretch -- two consecutive losses and a 6-7 record in their past 13 games -- when Brayan Bello (11-6, 3.12 ERA) takes the mound on Saturday.

Fried will provide another tough test, but Boston will need to wake up the bats in order to claw back in the series. Despite putting traffic on in four of Gil's six frames, the no-hit bid was not broken until Nate Eaton belted a solo homer with two outs in the seventh.

'We couldn't do much,' Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. 'In any game, you have to cash in. It doesn't matter who you're playing. The last few days, we've been lacking production with men in scoring position. We've just got to be better.'

Bello, who has not lost since Aug. 10, took a no-decision on Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks after allowing three runs on four hits in six innings.

Bello has had a dominant season against the Yankees. He fired seven shutout innings while holding New York to just three hits on both June 15 and Aug. 22, striking out a total of 13 and walking four.

In 10 career starts against New York, the 26-year-old is 5-3 with a 1.95 ERA.

The Red Sox beat their archrivals in eight straight times between June and August, but now they have lost back-to-back meetings.

'You flush (Friday) and focus on the next pitch,' Boston third baseman Alex Bregman said. 'We've been talking about that for the last month or so down this playoff push.'

--Field Level Media