The Yankees have the Red Sox backed to the edge after a commanding Game 1 in the American League Wild Card Series, but the clubhouse knows a best-of-three set can turn quickly. New York will try to finish the job Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, with Max Fried taking the ball against Boston veteran Sonny Gray.
Game 2 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. Universo will carry Spanish-language television coverage, while Univision Radio will offer Spanish audio. ESPN Radio will have national postseason coverage.
Cam Schlittler set the tone in the opener, Ben Rice drove in six runs, and Boston never found much room to answer. Rice went 4-for-5 with two home runs, while George Lombard Jr. collected three hits in his first postseason game. Still, Yankees manager Aaron Boone made clear that one victory is only one victory.
“You take a moment to enjoy it,” Boone said. “Then you get back to work Wednesday, knowing you have an opportunity to finish the series.”
Boston right fielder Wilyer Abreu said the Red Sox remain convinced they can reverse the series despite entering Game 2 facing elimination.
“It’s a new day,” Abreu said. “We can come back and take the series. There are still two games available to us, and I feel very optimistic about this team.”
Gray and Fried take center stage
Gray, 36, gets the Game 2 assignment for Boston after a strong first regular season with the club. The right-hander led Red Sox starters with a 2.72 ERA and posted a 1.15 WHIP, piling up 20 quality starts to lead the rotation.
The Yankees are a familiar opponent for Gray, though they are also the former club where he had the least success during his career. In six postseason starts, Gray owns a 1-3 record and a 3.26 ERA. His most recent playoff outing came with Minnesota in the 2023 Division Series against Houston.
Fried will make his latest attempt to settle into October in pinstripes. One year earlier, on the same date as Tuesday’s Game 1, the left-hander threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings against Boston in a 3-1 Yankees loss. His next postseason start went poorly, as Toronto tagged him for seven runs.
His regular-season history against the Red Sox offers New York plenty of confidence. Fried carries a 1.93 career ERA against Boston over seven regular-season starts. This season, he limited the Red Sox to one run across 11 2/3 innings in two starts, including eight scoreless innings at Fenway Park on April 22.
His latest appearance against Boston came Aug. 29, when he threw only 63 pitches in his first outing back from the injured list following a left elbow bone bruise.
| Game 2 starters | Club | Throws | Notable figure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonny Gray | Red Sox | Right-handed | 2.72 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 20 quality starts |
| Max Fried | Yankees | Left-handed | 1.93 career regular-season ERA vs. Boston |
Anthony’s status could reshape Boston’s lineup
The biggest immediate Boston question is Roman Anthony. The leadoff hitter left Game 1 after two plate appearances because of discomfort in his right hand and wrist, an area that previously sidelined him for nearly four months this season.
Manager Chad Tracy did not have a firm update after the game.
“I don’t know the severity yet,” Tracy said. “We’re still working through it. The game just ended, but it became uncomfortable for him and we had to make a change. We’ll determine what comes next, but it was difficult.”
Facing a left-hander in Fried could alter Boston’s look even if Anthony is available. A projected Red Sox order has Jahmai Jones at designated hitter, Adley Rutschman catching, Abreu in right field, Willson Contreras at first base, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, Trevor Story at shortstop, Caleb Durbin at third, Nick Sogard at second and Nate Eaton in left.
New York is expected to return to a more standard arrangement against the right-handed Gray. Rice could again lead off as the designated hitter, followed by Cody Bellinger in left, Luis García Jr. at first, Spencer Jones in right, Trent Grisham in center, Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second, Lombard at shortstop, Austin Wells behind the plate and Ryan McMahon at third.
Chisholm is expected back at second after Anthony Volpe started Game 1. Boone indicated that Chisholm’s September wrist injury, combined with Volpe’s recent play, could lead to a situational split at the position. Chisholm was unhappy about sitting in the opener.
Fresh relief options on both sides
Boston used five relievers in Game 1, though none recorded more than four outs. Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock and Garrett Crochet were not used, leaving the Red Sox in solid bullpen shape with nine relievers on the series roster.
Chapman closed the regular season without allowing a run in his final five appearances. Whitlock did not surrender an earned run in eight September outings. Crochet is healthy again, but has not appeared in a game since April 25, leaving Boston to find out whether he can quickly shed the rust in a high-pressure spot.
The Yankees likewise avoided heavy work in the opener. Closer David Bednar was not needed, Paul Blackburn threw 18 pitches while getting five outs, and John Schreiber needed 11 pitches to complete the ninth. The rest of the group is well rested, aided by rainouts Saturday and Sunday against Baltimore to end the regular season.
Blackburn’s Game 1 work continued a remarkable run. Since June 21, including the Wild Card opener, he has posted a 0.83 ERA over his past 42 appearances.
Boston needs offense, while Rice stays hot
The Red Sox managed only three hits in Game 1, extending a concern that followed them into October. Over the final month of the regular season, Boston ranked last in Major League Baseball in runs per game, batting average and OPS.
The Yankees, meanwhile, have received a lift from Rice at precisely the right time. He hit six homers in September to finish the regular season with 41, then opened the postseason with a two-homer, six-RBI night. Lombard showed no nerves in his October debut, and Wells has carried a respectable September into a promising start to the playoffs despite modest season-long numbers.
New York remains without Aaron Judge, who is inactive for the Wild Card Series as he continues his recovery from a strained right soleus. Judge ran on the field before Tuesday’s game, his first on-field running since the injury, and also took live batting practice during Monday’s workout.
Left-hander Ryan Weathers was omitted from the Wild Card roster while rehabbing a left flexor strain. He has recently reached 96 mph and could become an option if the Yankees advance.
History leans heavily toward New York
The Red Sox have not scored in either of their past two postseason games, a drought reaching back to Game 3 of last year’s Wild Card Series. It marks the first time in franchise history that Boston has been shut out in consecutive playoff contests.
Wild Card Series history also puts the pressure squarely on the visitors. Clubs that win Game 1 of a best-of-three Wild Card Series have taken 21 of 24 series, an 88 percent rate, with 17 ending in two-game sweeps. Home teams that have gone ahead 1-0 are 9-for-9 in converting the series, including eight sweeps.
Those numbers do not throw a pitch Wednesday. Gray gives Boston an accomplished arm, Fried gives the Yankees a left-handed answer, and one club will either extend the fight or close the door under the Yankee Stadium lights.
