ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Red Sox first will try to complete a sweep of the Rays here Wednesday. Then they return to Boston for a crucial four-game series against the Yankees beginning tomorrow (Thursday).

The Yankees are 65-35 and on a 105.3-win pace.

New York has owned the Red Sox so far in 2019, winning six of seven games and outscoring them 56-36.

“They’re playing well,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said here at Tropicana Field on Wednesday. “We can’t hide it. It will be fun this weekend.”

New York leads the Red Sox and Rays both by 10 games in the AL East standings.

The biggest difference Cora sees between the 2018 Yankees and 2019 Yankees?

“DJ’s a game-changer for them,” Cora said, referring to DJ LeMahieu who New York signed to a two-year, $24-million contract this past offseason.

“The approach, put the ball in play, going the other way, playing defense,” Cora added about LeMahieu. “I got to meet the guy in the All-Star Game. He’s very professional. Very quiet. You can tell that he understands the game. It’s one of those signings that not too many people talk about. But I think it changed the way they approach their at-bats.”

Cora is close friends with Yankees manager Aaron Boone from their days together as ESPN analysts. But Cora didn’t text Boone to ask him about his epic “savage” rant while arguing balls and strikes recently with home plate umpire Brennan Miller.

"My guys are (expletive) savages in that (expletive) box and you’re having a piece of (expletive) start to this game,” Boone told Miller on sound picked up on YES Network.

“Nah, nah, nah. I haven’t. I’ll ask him tomorrow, yeah," Cora said, smiling.

How would Cora describe his own hitters in the box?

“I don’t know, man,” Cora said. “How many runs do we have? I don’t know. We’re good.”

This weekend marks the first time Boston will host New York at Fenway Park this season. The Sox played two games against the Yankees in London that were considered home games for Boston.

The Red Sox, therefore, will forfeit two Fenway Park games against the Yankees. Of the 18 regular season games between the two rivals in 2019, nine games are at Yankee Stadium, seven games are at Fenway Park and two were in London.

“Honestly, man, I’m looking forward to today and finish this off,” Cora said. “We won two. We have a chance to sweep them. We know what’s coming over the weekend. It should be fun. It’s going to be long. Hopefully, no rain delays, whatever. Finally we see them at home. It’s kind of weird but let’s take care of business today, play well and finish it off.”