MLB

Yankees face Red Sox for first time looking to spoil party

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After eight years of facing Terry Francona’s Red Sox in the regular season and playoffs, the Yankees meet their new villain this afternoon: Bobby Valentine.

The Rivalry returns when the Yankees and Red Sox clash today at Fenway Park in the teams’ first meeting of the season. Because of Valentine, there will be a new managerial dynamic, and it will be a bit different from what the Yanks have seen from the Sox for most of the last decade.

“Terry Francona was definitely more of a laid-back kind of a guy — he wouldn’t stir up any confrontations,” Mark Teixeira told The Post yesterday. “Bobby likes to have a little more fun. He’s an entertainer.”

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The Yankees have faced Valentine before. He was the Mets manager from 1996 through 2002, when the Yankees battled the controversial Valentine in the first regular-season interleague series and during the 2000 World Series, beating him in five games.

Now they oppose Valentine again in the first three of 18 clashes this year between the hated rivals.

“It’ll be strange not seeing

Terry,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “I’m sure it was strange for Terry not seeing Joe [Torre].”

Valentine’s Red Sox hardly have impressed. They are 4-8 on the season, mired in last place in the AL East, with an ailing pitching staff (6.20 team ERA), a Valentine-Kevin Youkilis flap and injuries to outfield speedsters Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford.

Ellsbury’s absence in particular could be an enormous factor this weekend. In the 18 games last year against the Yankees, the center fielder was a monster, hitting .375 with six homers, 20 RBIs and four steals.

“Those are two pieces that when they’re healthy, they’ve proven they can be pests,” catcher Russell Martin said.

Teixeira pointed out how the Red Sox rebounded last year from a slow start, and Boston beat the Yankees in 12 of 18 games in 2011.

“I don’t take their slow start to really mean much,” Teixeira said.

The Yankees will be hoping last season’s starting-pitching results versus the Red Sox mean little, too. This weekend they throw Ivan Nova (6.75 ERA last year against the Sox), Freddy Garcia (4.74) and CC Sabathia (6.39). The Sox counter with Clay Buchholz, Felix Doubront and Daniel Bard.

The series opens today with a celebration for the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park. Both teams will wear throwback uniforms, and the Yankees’ are inspired by the 1912 New York Highlanders.

Asked if he knew much about the Highlanders, Derek Jeter said jokingly, “Ask Ibanez,” referring to the team’s soon-to-be-39-year-old DH.

In any clothing, it’s Yankees-Red Sox, facing off for the first time in almost seven months.

“I love it, man. I was able to experience the best rivalry in college sports in Ohio State-Michigan,” said Nick Swisher, a former Buckeye. “Now I’m able to experience the best rivalry in pro sports, in my mind.”

mark.hale@nypost.com