When Aaron Small faced the Red Sox in Spring Training, he was essentially a stand-in for Randy Johnson, as the Yankees didn't want the Red Sox to get a look at the Big Unit less than a week before the season opener.

On Friday, Small will take on the Sox again, only this time, the stakes are much higher. Yankee Stadium in September is much different than Legends Field in March, and this start has the potential to set the tone for the three-game weekend series.

"I'm looking forward to it," Small said. "It's going to be a neat experience, but I have to do my job and not get caught up in the rivalry.

"They're a great lineup. I have to just try to get ahead, work fast and change speeds. I don't want to do anything different than what I've been doing, which is to keep the ball down."

Easier said than done.

Small and the Yankees enter the weekend trailing the Red Sox by four games in the American League East, with six of their 23 remaining games against Boston. New York also trails in the Wild Card race, as Cleveland took a half-game lead on Thursday.

Unlike previous years, when the Yankees were protecting a lead in the division in September, New York is now the team doing the chasing.

"We're still interested in winning the division. That's our No. 1 priority," said manager Joe Torre. "After this weekend, we only play [the Red Sox] three more times, so unless we do well this weekend, we don't control our own destiny anymore."

"We've been this way all year, so it's not something that all of a sudden just happened to us. It's been a battle," added Torre. "It's all about winning games. It's about putting enough numbers on the left side and as few as possible on the right side."

The Yankees dropped two of three to the Devil Rays this week, while the Red Sox won two of three against the Angels.

"You have to be able to forget things; you have to have a short memory," said Derek Jeter. "It's two completely different teams. Hopefully, we'll play a little bit better."

This weekend will mark the first time on the New York side of the rivalry for Mark Bellhorn and Alan Embree, two players released by Boston earlier this season who were picked up by the Yankees.

"These are always big games," Bellhorn said. "I've been looking forward to this ever since I signed. As it gets closer, I get a little more antsy."

Former Yankee David Wells will take the mound for the Red Sox, looking to put another dagger into New York's postseason hopes.

"When we go into an atmosphere like New York, tensions are going to be high," Wells said. "It's going to be crazy. It's going to be like it has been for many, many years. It's going to be crazy, and anything can happen in that series. We just have to be the best, obviously, that we can be and play the game and not get caught up in the elements."

Pitching matchup
BOS: LHP David Wells
• 12-6, 4.24 ERA in 2005
• 2-1, 3.20 ERA vs. NYY in 2005

NYY: RHP Aaron Small
• 6-0, 2.42 ERA in 2005
• Has not faced BOS in 2005

Player to watch
Alex Rodriguez has stood in against Wells 65 times and produced 22 hits. Half of those (four doubles and seven home runs) have gone for extra bases. A-Rod has amassed 17 RBIs along the way.

Quotable
"I'm going to attack guys the way I always have done. And when I'm right, I bet on me. I don't mean that as a slam on David, because he's a tremendous hitter. It's just that the averages are he's a .300 hitter. Hopefully, I fit into the category when he's in that seven at-bats in between." -- Alan Embree, on a likely lefty-lefty matchup against former teammate David Ortiz this weekend

On the Internet
 MLB.TV
 Gameday Audio
•  Gameday
•  Official game notes

On television
• BOS: UPN-38
• NYY: UPN-9

On radio
• BOS: WEEI 850 AM; WROL (Español)
• NYY: WCBS 880 AM; WKDM 1380 AM (Español)

Quick hits
The Yankees have tied a franchise record by using 50 players this season. They will break that mark if recent callup Mike Vento gets in a game. ... The Yankees lost six games at home to Tampa Bay this season, matching the total from the last four years combined. ... The Yankees have not allowed an unearned run in their last 20 games. ... New York is 7-6 against Boston this season.

On deck
• Saturday: vs. Red Sox, 1:20 p.m. ET
• Sunday: vs. Red Sox, 1:05 p.m. ET
• Tuesday: vs. Devil Rays, 7:15 p.m. ET