What is also bothersome is that since the Yankees routed the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium on July 1 to move into a first-place tie, the Yankees have won 14 of 25. Which is pretty decent. But during the same stretch, the Red Sox have won 19 of 24. Which is a lot better.

“You wonder what their record would be if they weren’t playing us,” said Cashman, whose team has won five of nine games against the Red Sox this season. “Because when we go head-to-head we do some damage against them and it doesn’t seem like anybody else is capable the way they’re rolling. They’re doing a great job.”

That would extend to the Red Sox front office, where the president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, made three roster additions in July, all of which seem well-suited to fill a particular need on the team. Steve Pearce, a first baseman and designated hitter, has brought right-handed thump to the Boston lineup to offset some modest struggles against left-handed pitching. Eovaldi, who relies on high fastballs — something that teams try to beat the Yankees with — helps balance out a lefty-heavy Red Sox rotation. And Ian Kinsler, acquired Monday night, provides Boston a steady presence at second base given the increasing likelihood that Dustin Pedroia is out for the season.

The Red Sox may still want to fortify their bullpen, and there figures to be some relief help on the market via waiver deals. If not, starters Eduardo Rodriguez (currently on the disabled list) or Drew Pomeranz could be slotted into the bullpen.

The major fix for the Yankees is not so simple.

Their rotation has been in need of bolstering since last October, but Cashman passed up a chance to acquire Gerrit Cole from Pittsburgh over the winter, figuring there would be ample arms available this summer. As it turned out, the market was not as attractive as he anticipated.

Cashman did his best to improve the starting five by acquiring Happ and Lance Lynn, and further strengthening the bullpen with Zach Britton. But it is hard to see how these are difference-makers the way that Justin Verlander was for Houston after the Astros acquired him in a waiver deal last August.