The Yankees crushed Boston by playing the exact brand of October baseball fans have been demanding for years. They mixed timely contact, aggressive baserunning, hustle and small ball with dominant pitching, while the Red Sox made costly mistakes and repeatedly overmanaged their starters.

Max Fried battled through shaky command to deliver six strong innings, and young players like Spencer Jones and Luis Garcia Jr. injected speed, energy and confidence into the lineup. Evan Roberts, Tiki Barber and Shaun Morash point to the Yankees’ newfound killer instinct and pitching depth as the biggest reasons this team feels different. Now Aaron Boone faces a fascinating decision with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón both in the mix to start Game 1.