NEW YORK -- What a difference a year can make.

Not only has the Yankees' exhaustive, unenviable list of injuries been a change from last season, but the Red Sox overall haven't been the same team that ended 2018 hoisting the championship trophy. Slow offensive starts and pitching inadequacies have the defending World Series champions more than a half-dozen games behind a surprising, mostly patchwork group of Yankees in the AL East race.

This weekend, the teams meet for a second time this season (New York swept an early two-game series in the Bronx). As they square off in a four-game set at Yankee Stadium, we look at what has defined each of their seasons to this point.

1. The Red Sox rotation is waking up

After a 17-2 start last year, the champs struggled out of the gate this season; Boston didn't go over .500 in 2019 until May 10. Ace Chris Sale was particularly rough, with a ghastly 0-5 record and a 6.30 ERA in his first six starts. The injury bug struck the starting rotation when Nathan Eovaldi went on the injured list and underwent surgeries to remove loose bodies from his right elbow. Lefty David Price spent a short stint on the IL, too, with elbow tendinitis.

But those early-season rotation concerns seem to be fading into the background. Since April 14, Red Sox starters have posted a 3.44 ERA, the fifth-best mark in baseball. Sale has a 2.23 ERA in May, and Rick Porcello has sported a 2.91 ERA over his past seven starts. The Sox are also striking out a lot of hitters, setting down 9.5 batters per nine innings this month, good for the fifth-best mark in the majors. -- Joon Lee

2. Pinstripe production is coming from unexpected places

No Aaron Judge. No Didi Gregorius. No Giancarlo Stanton. No Miguel Andujar. No Luis Severino. No Dellin Betances. If we'd known at the onset of spring training that the Yankees would be missing a large collection of their stars for virtually all of the first half, it would have been hard to envision them winning a division title this season. Yet here they are, currently leading the AL East with the core of an All-Star team languishing on their 14-man injured list.

Because of what they've been missing throughout the year, the No. 1 storyline surrounding these stunningly strong Yankees is the production they've gotten from a bevy of unexpected heroes. From Gio Urshela's clutch hitting and smooth defending at third base to Domingo German's savvy ace-like pitching to Thairo Estrada's steady, consistent play, the Yankees have benefited from performances few saw coming.

Eighteen players have spent time on the Yankees' IL this year, and, since the final days of spring training, the team has called up 14 players from Triple-A and pulled off three trades to stay afloat. -- Coley Harvey

3. Devers and Chavis are breaking through in Boston

When Rafael Devers reached the majors two years ago, it was natural to wonder what the Red Sox ultimately would do with 2014 first-round pick -- and fellow third baseman -- Michael Chavis. Losing Dustin Pedroia to the IL for the third straight season this year, the answer became clear: Just have them mash in the same lineup by moving Chavis over to second base. Through the first two months of the season, Devers (2.0) and Chavis (1.2) rank third and fifth among Red Sox position players in wins above replacement.

Devers, who's more than a full year younger than Chavis, came into the season facing increased expectations. Assistant hitting coach Andy Barkett said the third baseman was pressing through the first month of the season while trying to match the hype, but has since settled in, hitting .360/.393/.640 with seven homers in 100 at-bats in the month of May.

Chavis, meanwhile, has become the everyday second baseman, occasionally hitting leadoff in manager Alex Cora's lineup. When the Red Sox struggled to put runs together through much of May, the 23-year-old provided a jolt, smashing 10 homers in 33 games while hitting .280/.379/.536. He's also the clubhouse runaway leader in dropping "Dude" during news conferences with reporters. -- Lee

4. Yankees keep making all the right moves

Including players who have been called up or sent down multiple times, the Yankees have made nearly 40 transactions since acquiring outfielder Mike Tauchman on the penultimate day of spring training. It has been a dizzying set of roster moves. But based upon the way this team has played amid all of them, they've clearly been the right ones.

As much as Tauchman's acquisition in a trade with Colorado for prized young southpaw Phillip Diehl raised eyebrows in late March, it paid off. Tauchman isn't currently with the big league club, but he gave the Yankees just enough outfield depth -- with his occasional power -- through the first month of the season. And even while the .204-hitting Tyler Wade added little at the plate while he was on the major league roster, his speed contributed to a few timely runs in wins that helped spark the Yankees. Since Wade scored a ninth-inning, eventual game-winning run April 24 in Anaheim, the Yankees are 22-9.

One of the savviest moves the Yankees made early this season came during that same series in Anaheim. With a few late-night calls on the East Coast after Clint Frazier was forced to make a brief IL stint with an ankle injury, general manager Brian Cashman worked out a deal with Cleveland that brought Cameron Maybin to New York. Grateful for a chance to be back in the big leagues, and happy about finally playing in pinstripes at Yankee Stadium -- site of his first career homer -- the 32-year-old Maybin has taken full advantage. Through 27 games, he is batting .282 with a .386 on-base percentage, 12 runs scored and one memorable home-run robbery.

There has seldom been a peep made about Aaron Boone's in-game management this season. He has brought in pinch hitters in situations where he might not have a year ago. Instead of giving Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez full days off last Thursday in Baltimore, for example, he had both of them come off the bench with two outs in the ninth inning. The duo sparked a rally that ultimately led to a Yankees win. And then there's the bullpen: Boone has more expertly navigated pitching changes than he did in his rookie season as skipper. His relievers lead all bullpens with 10.67 strikeouts per nine innings. -- Harvey

5. Boston's bullpen remains a question mark

Complaining about the state of the bullpen is an easy thing to do, especially when considering how fickle relievers can be. When Boston let Craig Kimbrel sit in free agency this offseason, questions arose about whether the team would go out and find a closer or name one of the current relievers the man to finish off games. Instead, the team has done neither. Five relievers -- Ryan Brasier (six saves), Matt Barnes (three saves), Heath Hembree, Brandon Workman and Marcus Walden (one save apiece) -- have finished off wins for Boston this season, and Cora has not shown any indications the team will deviate from that plan in the near future.

The relieving crew has been a strong group collectively this season, striking out 10.22 batters per nine innings (fourth in MLB) while leaving 76.3 percent of runners on base, good for sixth in the majors. But the team ranks fifth in the American League in blown saves with eight. If the Red Sox really wanted to sign Kimbrel, a deal would have been worked out by now; the former Boston closer awaits the 2019 draft, when he will no longer be tied to draft pick compensation. Boston could add a relieving piece at the deadline, and the Yankees series could serve as a barometer for whether this relief crew can work through the rigors and stakes of October baseball. -- Lee

6. The schedule has helped the battered Bombers

The Yankees' schedule has been quite favorable in the early going. The moves they've made and the production they've gotten while going through their injury storm have been key, but a comparatively smooth path while riding out the storm has helped.

Entering Wednesday's series finale victory against San Diego, the Yankees had the third-most favorable strength of schedule in the majors. Their opponents had a combined .479 winning percentage. Only the White Sox and A's have had it easier.

Through their first 55 games, the Yankees have played 36 times against teams that currently have sub-.500 records. The whopping dozen games they've played against lowly Baltimore helps tip that scale, as do the seven they've already had against last-place Kansas City. Despite some early struggles against the Orioles, Tigers and White Sox at the very beginning of the season, the Yankees have gone 26-10 in games against some of baseball's worst teams. -- Harvey

7. This weekend: The momentum is on New York's side ... for now

We might have to wait until next month in London to get the sort of division-defining battle we saw between the teams at times last year. Although the Red Sox have shown glimpses of late that they might be awakening from their early-season slumber, they do still trail the Yankees by a hefty margin. Plus, beginning with their last series against the Red Sox, the Bronx Bombers have won 16 of their past 21 games at Yankee Stadium, and each of their last nine series (of at least three games) there. Expect them to add to that total. -- Harvey

This series and beyond, it'll be exciting to watch all of the new major contributors factor into the rivalry. For Boston, Chavis will get his first glimpse of the Yankee Stadium spotlight. The Red Sox bullpen will face another test in the Yankees lineup, and, along with the Astros series, this could serve as a measuring stick for the state of the relief corps. Between Torres and Frazier, the Yankees are bringing a lot of emerging power to the table. The intensity in the rivalry hasn't come close to the astronomical highs of 2003 and 2004, and might not for a long time. But the rivalry continues to evolve, especially with a new generation of stars leading the way. -- Lee

Manchester United have told Inter Milan it will take £80 million to sign Romelu Lukaku, sources have told ESPN FC, as the striker is the top summer target for Antonio Conte, who is set to be announced as Inter's new manager imminently.

Luciano Spalletti was sacked by the Serie A side on Thursday.

Conte has asked Inter to pursue Lukaku this summer after failing to land the Belgium international in 2017 when he was in charge of Chelsea.

Inter, who will play Champions League football next season, have expressed their interest in taking the 26-year-old on loan next season with an obligation to buy in 12 months, but he is not a player Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is actively looking to sell and United will demand a large fee before allowing him to leave.

Lukaku arrived at Old Trafford from Everton for an initial £75m in 2017 but that has since risen to closer to £90m after a series of add-on clauses were met.

United are under no pressure to sell because he is under contract until at least 2022. Lukaku is open to a move after failing behind Marcus Rashford in the pecking order since Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho in December.

Lukaku has scored 42 goals in 96 games during two seasons at United but was left out by Solskjaer for key games including the Champions League quarterfinal second leg with Barcelona and the derby with Manchester City in April.

His season ended early after suffering a hamstring injury during the 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Apr. 28.

Real Madrid Sergio Ramos has ended speculation regarding his future after he said he wants to "retire" at the Bernabeu during an impromptu news conference on Thursday.

Club president Florentino Perez recently said Ramos had asked to leave Madrid after receiving an offer from a Chinese Super League side, but that request was turned down.

And Ramos has said he will not be leaving the club he joined in 2005 from Sevilla.

"There was an offer, but I wouldn't leave Madrid for a transfer fee or for free. I love this club and I want to retire here," Ramos said.

"I don't want to leave Real Madrid, I always said my dream was to retire here. A lot of stories have come out about me, so I wanted to clear up any doubts about my situation."

At Madrid, Ramos has won four La Liga titles, the Champions League on four occasions -- having scored in two finals -- and numerous other domestic and European honours.

They are on the cusp of winning the biggest prize in club football, but Tottenham Hotspur might also be on the brink of losing the man who made it all possible.

Mauricio Pochettino has had plenty of opportunities to ease the fears of chairman Daniel Levy and every Spurs supporter that Saturday's Champions League final against Liverpool in Madrid will be his last game as manager. But so far, he has skilfully avoided doing so. One thing for certain is that Pochettino knows what his future holds. After all, he's been laying down markers for his next chapter for longer than many would acknowledge.

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Pochettino was quick to talk up his Italian ancestry when he was preparing to take his Tottenham team to face Juventus in February 2018. The Argentine's great-great-grandfather emigrated to South America from the Piedmont region of Italy in the early 19th century, and Pochettino, who was discussing the prospect of an "amazing game" against Juve, didn't hide his excitement that he would finally "get to breathe the Turin air." He repeated his admiration of Juventus and sense of feeling at home during the prematch news conference in Turin. Perhaps he was merely being polite to his audience, but that would risk underestimating the 47-year-old's awareness of his reputation as the next big thing in coaching at the elite end of the game.

He has also spoken positively about Real Madrid and Manchester United in the past, with only Barcelona prompting a "not for me" response from him due to his time as a player with Espanyol. But by talking so effusively about his connection to Turin, Pochettino was making an investment in his future. If Juventus ever needed a new coach, well, he was almost one of their own.

"Mauricio has given everything to Tottenham and that has been obvious over the past five years," a source who knows the Spurs manager told ESPN FC. "But he's also extremely ambitious and he knows he would could walk into virtually any job in the world after what he has done at Spurs.

"No matter what happens against Liverpool in the Champions League final, he will be at the top of every club's wanted list and he knows that. He's very smart."

Juventus are now looking for a new coach following Massimiliano Allegri's departure earlier this month and Pochettino's name is up there alongside those of Maurizio Sarri and Jose Mourinho in the list of leading candidates for the job. With a Champions League final on the horizon, Pochettino could kill the speculation instantly by insisting that he is committed to Tottenham but instead, the only message coming from the Spurs boss has been that of a man who is keeping his options open.

"Today, nothing is more important than the game we have ahead," Pochettino said on Monday, when asked whether his future was 100 percent committed to Tottenham. "To think about individual things is a little bit embarrassing and a shame. I am not important.

"It is not important what happens in the future with me. I think we have bigger things ahead to think about. I am not important more than the Champions League or the possibility to win a trophy. Rumours are rumours.

"After the final, we will have time to talk, but today, my commitment with Tottenham is 100 percent."

Having guided Spurs to their first Champions League final this season, Pochettino is in a position of strength that enables him to play the guessing game. He's consistently guided the club to a top-four finish in the Premier League since arriving from Southampton in 2014 and, although he has not yet been able to win a trophy with Spurs, his success in moulding a young team into one of Europe's best has been his real achievement.

Due to the rocketing costs of financing the club's new stadium -- it's now reportedly costing in excess of £1 billion, having initially been priced at £400m -- Spurs have been massively outspent by their domestic rivals and have not even signed a player since acquiring Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain in January 2018. Pochettino has had to turn Spurs into a force, and keep them competitive, with his hands tied in the transfer market. His ability to succeed regardless is what has caught the eye of Europe's top clubs such as Juventus, United and Real.

Pochettino was on a three-man shortlist, alongside Mourinho and Ryan Giggs, when United searched for a replacement for Louis van Gaal three years ago -- the Spurs boss was photographed having lunch with Sir Alex Ferguson in London just a week before Van Gaal was dismissed -- and he'd been the only candidate to succeed Mourinho when he was sacked last December.

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But the freakishly good start by caretaker-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prompted United to hand the Norwegian a permanent three-year contract rather than stick to Plan A of recruiting Pochettino. It remains to be seen whether or not that decision will return to haunt the Old Trafford hierarchy.

Yet even though he is contracted to Spurs until the end of the 2022-23 season, the Champions League final is beginning to look like a crossroads moment for Pochettino. His recent comments have more than hinted at a sense of disillusionment with the financial restrictions that come with managing Tottenham and, win or lose this weekend, it's difficult to escape the sense that this is as good as it can get for Spurs at a time when paying for the stadium will impinge on his determination to improve the squad.

Is now the time to stick or twist? Pochettino appears to be torn by that dilemma. His detractors would suggest that he has yet to win a trophy and that his teams always seem to fall short when the pressure is on or a prize is within reach. But one former player told ESPN FC that Pochettino -- who was ranked No. 7 among the world's managers in last year's ESPN FC 100 -- cannot be judged on trophies alone.

"He makes players better, it's as simple as that," the ex-player said. "Top players want coaches to improve them and he has done that with virtually every player he has worked with at Spurs, and prior to that, at Southampton.

"He is similar to Jurgen Klopp in that. And also like Klopp, he is a positive character and players love to play for managers who don't spend all their moaning and complaining."

But for all of Pochettino's qualities, a trophy would not go amiss on his CV and there is no bigger prize in club football than the European Cup. He is just 90 minutes away from lifting it with Tottenham. If that happens, he knows he can choose what happens next and whether his future is in North London and Turin, Manchester or Madrid.

Pochettino already knows he is on to a good thing, no matter what happens. His reputation has been forged by what he has done to this point -- the question now is who he is with when he takes his place in the next level.

Glamorgan 186 (Selman 76) and 466 (Labuschagne 182, Selman 99, Wells 5-63) drew with Sussex 420 (Brown 131, Salt 103) and 47 for 1

Marnus Labuschagne made a career-best 182 to help Glamorgan maintain their unbeaten record in the Specsavers County Championship as they drew with Sussex at Hove.

The Australian reeled off his third Championship century since joining the county at the start of the season as he posted a new county record of 291 for the second wicket with Nick Selman, who was out for 99.

After their departures, wickets fell regularly with leg-spinner Luke Wells finishing with a career-best 5 for 63 as Glamorgan were eventually bowled out for 466 just after tea. That left Sussex 27 overs to score 233 at 8.03 runs an over.

Sussex had nothing to lose but Phil Salt, the one batsman who could have given them hope of chasing their unlikely target, was caught off the splice when Marchant de Lange dropped short. Wells and Harry Finch took their score to 47 for 1 when the players shook hands on a draw with 14 overs remaining.

Glamorgan had begun the final day on 218 for 1 and Labuschagne and Selman quickly passed Glamorgan's previous second-wicket record of 252, set by Matt Maynard and David Hemp against Northamptonshire in Cardiff in 2002.

Labuschagne batted for just under five hours until he got a thin under-edge to wicketkeeper Ben Brown to give Wells his first wicket. He hit 31 fours and faced 244 balls.

Selman had played the sheet anchor role to perfection but, within touching distance of his hundred, he was leg before to a full-length delivery just after David Wiese had taken the new ball. Selman, who had carried his bat in Glamorgan's first innings, batted for 343 minutes, faced 252 balls and hit ten fours.

Sussex claimed two more wickets before lunch. Billy Root edged Mir Hamza to slip and Wiese got some extra bounce and Kieran Carlson was caught behind.

But any hopes they had of ending Glamorgan's innings quickly disappeared in a flurry of attacking shots from Dan Douthwaite, who struck ten fours in making 63 off 55 balls, the first 50 coming off just 34 deliveries. He lost David Lloyd when Wells returned to the attack and turned one past his bat but Douthwaite had lodged his Championship best when he edged Wells to Brown.

The lead was 182 at that stage but Glamorgan's last three wickets added a further 50 runs with Tom Cullen finishing unbeaten on 28. Graham Wagg was taken at short fine-leg off a top-edged sweep at Danny Briggs before Wells completed his five-for after tea with de Lange and Timm van der Gugten both lbw playing back.

Sussex took 13 points from the match and Glamorgan eight.

Sachin Tendulkar wants Rashid Khan, one of the players he is "really looking forward to watching" at the World Cup, to look for wickets at all times and bowl as he would in Test cricket.

"I think he's going to be instrumental in creating those upsets in this tournament," Tendulkar, making his commentary debut on Star Sports, said on the first day of the tournament, at the innings break in the match between England and South Africa. "If I have to tell him something, I would say, 'Look, treat this like a Test match. Because even in the T20 format, you've been able to pick wickets because the batters have not read what you've done with your wrist. And you do that, back yourself, have an attacking field, and challenge batters to hit over mid-on and mid-off.'

"Of course deep midwicket has to be there in today's format. But I would say challenge the batters and you won't disappoint the Afghanistan fans."

Among other players Tendulkar was eager to see - apart from those in the Indian team - he picked one each from two of the other tournament favourites - Australia and England.

"It has to be David Warner, because I saw him in the IPL and he made a huge statement there," Tendulkar said when asked about the batsman he was most excited about watching. "He looked hungry, determined, focussed and fitter. Warner was anyway fit, but he looked unbelievably fit (in the IPL). In extreme conditions, he pushed himself and ran hard. He looks determined so I think he's the batter to watch out for.

"I am looking forward to Jofra Archer bowling for England because I know, in crunch moments, England are always going to look at Jofra Archer to bowl those tight overs. Or if you need a breakthrough, you need Jofra Archer to come and give that breakthrough."

"Look, treat this like a Test match. Because even in the T20 format, you've been able to pick wickets because the batters have not read what you've done with your wrist." What Tendulkar would tell Rashid Khan

Tendulkar knows a thing or two of playing at the highest level, and has been one of the star performers at the World Cup in his six appearances. He was the top run-scorer in the 1996 and 2003 editions, and was part of the side that made the semi-finals in 1996, the final in 2003, and became champions in 2011.

For the 2019 semi-finals, his thoughts were largely in line with the popular sentiment - India, England, Australia, and... "I'm slightly confused between New Zealand and South Africa, but just possibly New Zealand is ahead of South Africa".

India had a lukewarm start to their World Cup programme, losing their first warm-up game to New Zealand by six wickets, but then rode on centuries from KL Rahul and MS Dhoni to beat Bangladesh by 95 runs.

"I thought the game against New Zealand was a tough one. But Virat (Kohli) won the toss and batted first in spite of knowing that the wicket was on the greener side and overcast conditions. It was always going to help the seamers. He possibly wanted to get that practice of playing out the first spell and then slowly building an innings," Tendulkar said. "The second match, I think the batting looked good. KL Rahul and Dhoni made big statements there. So all in all, I think good preparation before a tournament like this."

The game against Bangladesh, however, was on May 28, and India's first game in the main tournament is only on June 5 - by which time every other team would have played at least one match each.

"The only thing is, they have to wait and watch. See the first match, India play South Africa. They would be watching this [England v South Africa] game. They would have figured out that, 'Okay, these are the bowling changes, and this is how they are going to chase the target'. All these strategies are being planned, and then you don't want to wait for too long, you know," Tendulkar said. "You ideally would want to play against them in literally two days, and say, 'Okay we are going to execute our plans, whatever we saw two days ago'. But when there is too much gap, I just hope they don't forget!"

Golden State Warriors center DeMarcus Cousins, sidelined since mid-April with a torn left quad muscle, will be active Thursday night for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, coach Steve Kerr said.

Kerr also said it was a "longshot" that All-Star Kevin Durant, rehabbing from a strained calf, would be cleared for practice before Sunday's Game 2.

Cousins was on the court at shootaround Thursday morning, getting up shots in preparation for what would be his NBA Finals debut.

"DeMarcus has done an amazing job," Kerr said Wednesday. "Coming back from the injury which we felt at the time was season ending. He's done an incredible job of rebounding, rehabbing. Now, here he is. He's scrimmaged a couple times this week. He's pain free."

When Cousins tore the quad on April 15 in Game 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinals against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Warriors had anticipated that he would be done for the season.

"I feel good," Cousins said Wednesday. "My quad is coming along. It's healed for the most part. Still whipping things into the shape. Building the muscle endurance needed to play at a high level. Everything is coming along well."

Will the Golden State Warriors coast to their third straight championship and fourth in five years? Will Kawhi Leonard take over and lift the Toronto Raptors to the franchise's first title? And which star will take home Finals MVP honors?

Heading into Game 1 at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday (9 p.m. ET, ABC), our NBA experts are making their picks for the series.

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NBA Finals

The case for...

Warriors in 5
Golden State has proved since its championship run started in 2015 that winning on the road and dealing with adversity is part of its DNA. That mental makeup is why the Warriors will steal a game in Toronto, take care of business at Oracle and finish off this series north of the border. -- Bobby Marks

Warriors in 6
A six-game series is the most likely for the lower seed to win. I think statistical models that either consider this matchup a toss-up or give the Raptors the edge are underrating how well the Warriors have played without Kevin Durant. And if this series is close and goes long, well, that increases the chances of Durant returning to help push Golden State over the top. -- Kevin Pelton

Warriors in 7
This is an extremely tough call, especially with Durant's status up in the air. Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry and the Raptors are a real threat, but the Warriors are still outstanding without Durant, have much more Finals experience and are very well rested for the first time in a while. The return of Durant could put a challenging defensive wrinkle in the middle of the series for Toronto. Stephen Curry has always played great against his dad's old team, too. Leonard's and Durant's health will factor in the outcome. -- Marc Spears

Raptors in 7
The Warriors have obvious championship pedigree, and they easily could win this series and get their three-peat. But the uncertainty about Kevin Durant's return -- coupled with the Raptors having home-court advantage, arguably the best player in the series in Kawhi Leonard and the best defensive unit that Golden State has seen during its dynastic run -- is enough to tip the scales in Toronto's direction to say the Raptors will win their first championship. -- Tim Bontemps

The Raptors are built to give the Warriors difficulties. They have an outstanding defensive front line that features three Defensive Player of the Year award winners plus a second-place finish spread among three players, none of whom were the best defender on the team this season -- that honor went to Pascal Siakam. The Raptors are top-10 in the NBA in 3-pointers made and 3-point percentage, and are also top 10 in fewest 3-pointers and lowest 3-point percentage allowed. They have the positional diversity to play every style from traditional big to small ball, with plus players at every position. -- Andre Snellings