The most important game of the Red Sox season is upon us

NEW YORK - What did we learn from the Red Sox's doubleheader split with the Yankees on Saturday? That Sunday is now really, really important.

We can pick through all the intricacies of the middle two games in this four-game set, starting with Jake Bennett re-emerging as a legitimate postseason-level pitcher thanks to six innings of shutout ball, Adley Rutschman's three hits and Nick Sogard's spot-on postgame quote following the visitors' 6-0, Game 1 victory.. ("It's always good to score more than zero," explained the infielder.)

Then there was the opposite end of the optimism spectrum, with the Yanks torching Brayan Bello and Raymond Burgos with a combined nine runs on the way to some payback via a 9-2 Game 2 win.

But at the end of the 5 hours and 59 minutes of baseball, all of it was immediately put in the rearview mirror.

Roman Anthony and Trevor Story had already started their journey to New York, and the Red Sox were already looking forward to waking with the kind of fork-in-the-road moment that will surely be remembered when recapping this 2026 season.

The headliners when it comes to Sunday's series finale are undoubtedly Story and Anthony, both of whom are being activated after short rehab stints with Triple-A Worcester.

For the shortstop, it will mark his first game action since May 14, having gone on the injured list thanks to sports hernia. Story managed just six hits in 35 at-bats, coming away with just one extra-base hit (a double). Anthony, who hasn't played since being sidelined by a torn tendon in his right hand, fared better in his time in the minors, totaling a .967 OPS with two homers between Worcester and Double-A Portland.

They're back. Now we find out if they are part of the solution when it comes to keeping this Red Sox train on the tracks heading into October.

Only the Brewers have won more games than the Red Sox since both Story and Anthony were deemed unavailable, with a cavalcade of players - Anthony Seigler, Andruw Monasterio, Sogard, and Mickey Gasper - all stepping up to provide production and good vibes. Now, two spots on this roster will look significantly different thanks to the return of the top two hitters in the Red Sox's Opening Day lineup.

While it might be tempting keep riding with this very same formula, the potential need for some additional pop in the lineup is undeniable. In the last six Red Sox losses at Yankee Stadium, they have hit a total of two home runs. It's an issue that Story and Anthony can both potentially help resolve.

Following Saturday's doubleheader, Willson Contreras summarized the Red Sox's new world perfectly.

"I think it's really important for us to get those guys back. We need them,” he said. “It's also important to recognize the job or the work that the whole lineup has been putting in for the last three months. I think those are tough decisions to make. I don't know what's going to happen [Sunday], but we do have to recognize the job that the guys are doing for this team, and we couldn't have done what we've done without them."

Then there is the here-and-now urgency that will come with Sunday.

The Red Sox and Yankees have both won six games in their season series so far, with one to play. What that means is that whichever club takes Sunday's matchup - which will pit Ranger Suarez against Will Warren - will own the tiebreaker if there is a deadlock at season's end. In other words, this game might very well determine if the Red Sox get to play their wild card games at Fenway Park.

Another reality of this game? If the Red Sox lose they will be four games in back of the Yankees (without the tiebreaker), compared to two backs back (with the tiebreaker) with a win.

As Aug. 30 games go, it really doesn't get much bigger ... or fascinating.