NEW YORK — The New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 on the road Wednesday night, a divisional win that carries extra weight with the regular season entering its final stretch. Games against rivals like Baltimore are worth more in the standings. With the playoff field still taking shape, every result now factors into seeding and the wild-card math. The Yankees have spent the season balancing a potent lineup against questions about pitching depth — the same equation that tends to decide October baseball. Closer to home, the Portland Sea Dogs, the Boston Red Sox's Double-A affiliate, won 7-5 at Hadlock Field this week. The night drew extra attention because Red Sox prospect Roman Anthony appeared in the lineup on a rehab assignment and homered in his return. Rehab stints send injured major leaguers to the minors for a few games to rebuild their timing before rejoining the big-league club. For fans, they offer a close-up look at a top prospect who would normally be out of reach.
For a Maine baseball family, the two games capture late summer: a pennant race followed nightly from afar, and a future star passing through a ballpark an hour up the road.
Why it matters: For a Maine family that follows the Yankees, the pennant race is the daily drama of late summer. For the same kids, Portland is where they can watch tomorrow's stars in person for the price of a minor-league ticket — even if those stars wear Boston red.
What to watch: Whether the Yankees hold their playoff position down the stretch, and how long Anthony stays in Portland before Boston calls him back up.