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CHICAGO — Don’t attempt to sell the Yankees that three games against the Red Sox in Fenway Park starting tonight are diminished because the blood rivals are likely to reach the postseason.
“It’s going to be a good weekend,” Mariano Rivera said. “First place.”
Because the Yankees beat the White Sox last night to extend their winning streak to seven and the Red Sox fell to the Indians, the AL East standings read this way: Boston 68-42. New York 68-42.
VIDEO: BATTLE FOR FIRST AT FENWAY PARK
“It’s fitting,” Mark Teixeira said of being tied with the Red Sox. “There is supposed to be a battle going.”
A year ago, the Yankees finished second to the Rays in the East and entered the postseason through the wild card and were eliminated in the ALCS by the Rangers.
Though tied with the Red Sox, the Yankees are 1-8 against them this year. So it’s obvious if the Yankees want to get by the Red Sox, they have to start beating them.
“It doesn’t matter,” Nick Swisher said of losing eight of nine. “We are all excited to see how the match up goes.”
Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester opens the series against Bartolo Colon. The Yankees are 24-9 in games started by a lefty, but Lester is 11-4 overall with a 3.17 ERA. He is 2-0 this year against the Yankees, but with a hefty 5.25 ERA.
Tomorrow’s matchup, considering CC Sabathia (16-5; 2.55 ERA) is pitching as well as any hurler in baseball and John Lackey is (9-8; 6.32 ERA) mired in a deep funk, appears to lean toward the Yankees. Nevertheless, Sabathia is 0-3 with a 6.16 ERA against the Red Sox. Lackey is 1-0 with a 10.80 ERA vs. the Yankees.
Sabathia, who has won nine of 10, recognizes he is rolling but remembers what happened on May 14 at Yankee Stadium.
“I was throwing the ball well through six innings and they hit me in the seventh,” said Sabathia, who gave up two runs and four hits through six frames and finished with six runs and seven hits in 62/3 innings of a 6-0 win while facing Josh Beckett. “They have a tough lineup. You have to make sure you are on top of your game.”
Beckett (9-4; 2.20 ERA) has dominated the Yankees in three games, going 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA. He will be opposed Sunday night by Freddy Garcia, who is 0-2 with a 10.13 ERA against the Red Sox.
“You don’t set out to finish second, at least I never do,” Derek Jeter said. “The number one step is to win the division.”
Two years ago, the Yankees started 0-9 against the Red Sox and finished 9-9. That means nothing now. But still . . . 1-8?
“They played better than us,” Jeter said. “They are a good team and if you don’t play well they will beat you. It’s not surprising.”
Jeter recalls pulling into Fenway in April when the Red Sox were 2-10 and listening to noise about New England’s team’s season being finished.
“I told you at 2-10 they had a good team,” Jeter said.
Now, they share the top spot with the Yankees, a team that is 17-7 without cleanup hitter Alex Rodriguez.
“I think it will be a big weekend, I think it’s important enough to be a big weekend,” Girardi said.
How can it not be? First place on the line with the two best teams in the AL playing three games in a sold out Fenway.
george.king@nypost.com