Yankees vs. Red Sox blog: It's a wild-card sweep

Celebration photos from the Yankees' AL Wild Card Series win over the Red Sox

The champagne was flowing in the Yankees' clubhouse following their 9-2 win over the Red Sox in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series on Wednesday night.

Here are some of the best photos of the celebration at Yankee Stadium:

SEE PHOTOSPhotos: Yankees celebrate AL Wild Card win over Red Sox

Yankees rout Red Sox again to win AL Wild Card Series, advance to ALDS

After throttling the Red Sox over 6 1/3 innings Tuesday night, Cam Schlittler didn’t luxuriate in the Yankees' Game 1 victory for long.

“The job’s not done,” Schlittler said.

Max Fried, and a second straight explosion from the Yankees offense, finished it Wednesday night.

Getting six strong innings from Fried and home runs from Luis Garcia Jr. and Cody Bellinger that highlighted a 14-hit attack, the Yankees swept the Red Sox out of the AL Wild Card with a 9-2 victory in front of a thunderous sellout crowd of 49,004 at the Stadium.

For more on the Yankees' series win over the Red Sox, check out Erik Boland's game story.

Bellinger goes boom and sends Yankee Stadium into a frenzy

Cody Bellinger made the Red Sox pay, in a big way.

With reliever Garrett Whitlock on the mound, Boston chose to walk Ben Rice with a runner on second and first base empty. That decision proved to be a bad one.

Bellinger launched a changeup on the second pitch of the at-bat high in the air to rightfield and into the seats for a three-run home run to give the Yankees an 8-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth. The Yankees scored seven runs in the inning after the Red Sox cut deficit to 2-1 in the top of the inning.

Red Sox throw a punch but the Yankees punch right back

Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras quieted the Yankees' crowd in the top of the sixth with a solo home run off Max Fried to bring Boston within, 2-1.

But the Bronx faithful wouldn't stay quiet for long.

In the bottom of the frame, the Red Sox brought in star lefthander Garrett Crochet, a starter who hadn't pitched since April due to injury. Crochet struck out Spencer Jones to lead off but the ball got away from catcher Adley Rutschman. Jones racing down the first-base line was initially called out but the Yankees challenged the call. The ruling on the field was overturned and Jones reached first on the dropped-third strike.

With George Lombard Jr. at the plate, Jones took off for second. Rutschman threw the ball into centerfield and Jones raced to third. Later in the at-bat, Lombard laced a single to right to drive in Jones to make it a 3-1 game. Crochet then allow a single to Jazz Chisholm Jr. and an infield bunt single to Trent Grisham before being taking out of the game

Yankees strike first once again, then tack on

Luis Garcia Jr. led off the bottom of the fourth inning by launching a breaking ball from Red Sox pitcher and former Yankee Sonny Gray into the seats in right-centerfield to put Yanks up 1-0.

Cody Bellinger hit a two-out single in the fifth to drive in Austin Wells to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead. Gray was replaced by lefty reliever Erik Miller to face Bellinger. Miller served up a home run to Ben Rice last night .

Boone explains why Judge wasn't introduced with rest of Yanks before Game 1

Nothing to see here.

That was essentially response by Yankees manager Aaron Boone on Wednesday afternoon to this question:

Why was Aaron Judge not a part of pregame introductions before Tuesday night’s Game 1, while fellow injured players such as relievers Ryan Weathers and Fernando Cruz were?

“He was getting treatment stuff,” Boone said before Wednesday’s Game 2.

Social media was aflame Tuesday night into Wednesday with speculation on the reason, or reasons, Judge was not a part of the pregame introductions as both Yankees and Red Sox players lined up on the field.

The three-time AL MVP, who multiple times made clear his desire to be a part of the series, took part in a live batting practice session Monday night but, Boone said on Tuesday, ultimately “just felt like he’s not quite there yet.”

Boone said on Wednesday that Judge spent the afternoon in Somerset, home of the Yankees Double-A affiliate, taking live BP. He was expected to return to the Stadium in time to be in the dugout for the start of Game 2 as the Yankees try to close out the Red Sox and advance to the best-of-three Division Series against the AL East champion Rays. That series would begin Saturday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

“Too early to tell,” Boone said of Judge possibly being ready to play in ALDS, should the Yankees advance.

Boone said he took it as significant that Judge, placed on the IL on Sept. 19 with the calf strain, was even able to participate in the live BP Monday night.

Even the least severe calf strains – the Yankees haven’t disclosed the grade of the strain, saying only that it is a “moderate” one – typically take at least three weeks to heal.

“I think it's been encouraging that a couple nights ago for the workout he was able to get out there for live BP,” Boone said. “Again, that wasn't just, he's just going out for live BP. He had to check a lot of boxes for the trainers and the strength guys to say, okay, you're ready for that, you can go do that. He's getting live at-bats in Somerset today. So I feel like in the couple weeks since the injury, he's made real strides and significant improvements. And hopefully we're in a position to make another decision in a couple of days.”

Red Sox replace Roman Anthony (hand) with Curtis Mead on Wild Card roster

It was an ominous sign for the Red Sox when Roman Anthony was removed from Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series with the Yankees for a pinch hitter in the sixth inning due to discomfort in his right hand.

What was feared became reality in the hours between Boston’s 9-0 loss and first pitch of Wednesday’s Game 2.

Anthony was not in the lineup when it was announced and will be replaced on the playoff roster by Curtis Mead. By rule, Anthony will not be allowed to play in the ALDS should the Red Sox make it there. An injury to the same hand put Anthony on the IL for 101 games this season and this one could end his season even if Boston were to advance.

Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said the club sent him back to Massachusetts for imaging after the loss and that it revealed “additional damage to some muscles in his wrist that weren't there before.”

Tracy added that the paperwork had been submitted to replace Anthony on the roster and the organization was deciding on who might take his spot.

“He's a really good player so certainly not something we wanted to happen,” Tracy said. “Having him in there is important. . . . (I) can't reiterate enough, we've dealt with things like this all year. And the show goes on. You've got to play tonight and go out there and win a ball game.”

Yankees' Garcia raves about postseason atmosphere in the Bronx

The Yankees’ Luis Garcia Jr. made the first postseason appearance of his seven seasons when he pinch hit in Tuesday’s 9-0 AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox at the Stadium.

The lefthanded-hitting Garcia is getting his first postseason start Wednesday in Game 2 against Boston righthander Sonny Gray, playing first base and batting third.

For his career, Garcia is 4-for-10 against Gray with one home run and six RBIs.

Asked about being a part of the postseason and sport’s biggest rivalry, Garcia replied through an interpreter, “Being able to go out there and be part of the playoffs, go out and represent the Yankees, it feels great. And just hoping that I'm able to go out there and do the little things that can help us keep winning.”

Garcia Jr. had an .873 OPS with 23 home runs and 76 RBIs in 104 with the Nationals when the Yankees acquired him on Aug. 3 to help lift an inconsistent offense. In the 43 regular season games with the Yankees, he had an .736 OPS with seven homers and 16 RBIs.

With a .864 OPS against righthanded pitchers this season, he has made for a very effective platoon with lefty-killer Paul Goldschmidt.

He wasn’t on the field much Tuesday, but Garcia was looking forward to being out there for Wednesday’s potential series clincher. Playing in the postseason was a topic since he got traded.

“There were all those conversations [but], actually, the experience is very different,” he said. “Just seeing the atmosphere around the ballpark, the fans standing from pitch one all the way to the end, was very different. . . You can feel the excitement in the air, if you will.”

Red Sox planning for a Game 3

The Red Sox, facing elimination on Wednesday night, are having their potential Game 3 starter Ranger Saurez take questions from the media before Game 2 because they hope a Game 3 will be needed on Thursday.

The Yankees, with a chance to end the series, are not having their potential Game 3 starter Gerrit Cole take questions from the media before Game 2 because they hope a Game 3 will not be needed.

The Sonny Gray factor in Yankees vs. Red Sox tonight

Yankees fans are probably going to be revved up to taunt Sonny Gray, the former Yankees bust who is starting Game 2 for the Red Sox on Wednesday night.

Gray admitted he never felt comfortable in New York when he was with the Yankees. His pitching as a Yankee was the worst of his career and he couldn’t wait to get traded.

Now, the Red Sox need Gray to pitch well in a hostile environment with their season on the line.

Hall of Famer CC Sabathia, whose No. 52 was retired by the Yankees over the weekend, is working for NBC for the pregame coverage on Peacock and NBCSN. Sabathia said Gray is actually not a shrinking violet and welcomes the chance to keep the Red Sox from being eliminated.

“This is what he wants,” Sabathia said. “He’s been the guy all year for them. He has 18 wins. The last time he went out against (New York), he dealt against the Yankees, so he wouldn’t want it any other way then having all of the pressure on him.”

The last time he faced the Yankees on June 28, Gray threw 7 1/3 shutout innings at Fenway Park in an eventual 5-4, 10-inning Yankees victory.

Earlier that month in the Bronx, Gray was the winning pitcher in a 5-3 Red Sox victory. He allowed three runs in 6 1/3 innings.

Former MLB first baseman Eric Hosmer, also on the pregame show, said of Gray: “When you sign with the Boston Red Sox there is a type of atmosphere that you’re going to pitch in and experience. So, for Sonny Gray, this is a great situation because the pressure is on (Red Sox manager) Chad Tracy. He has a lot of options to go to in that bullpen, Garrett Crochet being one of them. If Sonny gets in trouble early, I think Boston is going to try and get creative with that bullpen.”

Max Fried vs. these Red Sox

The players on the current Red Sox roster have not fared particularly well against the Yankees' Game 2 starter Max Fried. The lefthander has limited this set of Boston hitters to a .206 batting average over their careers.

Seven Sox have more than 10 at-bats against Fried. Of them, shortstop Trevor Story has faced him the most, 22 at-bats, and has two home runs and five RBI, both team highs. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has had some success against Friend, going 4-for-13 (.308), but isn’t in Boston’s Game 2 starting lineup.

Here’s the Red Sox lineup Fried is going against and how they've done against him:

• Jahmai Jones: 1-for-2
• Adley Rutschman: 0-for-10
• Willson Contreras: 2-for-11
• Wilyer Abreu: 1-for-5
• Ceddanne Rafaela: 2-for-18
• Caleb Durbin: 0-for-5
• Nick Sogard: 4-for-6
• Trevor Story: 5-for-22
• Nate Eaton: 3-for-6

Yankees-Red Sox lineups for Game 2

YANKEES STARTING LINEUP

1. Ben Rice, DH
2. Cody Bellinger, LF
3. Luis Garcia Jr., 1B
4. Spencer Jones, RF
5. George Lombard Jr., SS
6. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
7. Trent Grisham, CF
8. Austin Wells, C
9. Ryan McMahon, 3B

SP: Max Fried

RED SOX STARTING LINEUP

1. Jahmai Jones, DH
2. Adley Rutschman, C
3. Willson Contreras, 1B
4. Wilyer Abreu, RF
5. Ceddane Rafaela, CF
6. Caleb Durbin, 3B
7. Nick Sogard, 2B
8. Trevor Story, SS
9. Nate Eaton, LF

SP: Sonny Gray

Sonny Gray is back in the Bronx. How will he fare at the Stadium?

Sonny Gray is a very familiar name to Yankees fans, though not for the happiest of reasons. 

Gray, who will start Game 2 for the Red Sox tonight, had a disappointing season-and-a-half tenure with the Yankees. After joining the team as their big trade-deadline acquisition of the 2017 season, he never lived up to expectations as a top-end starter and eventually was demoted to the bullpen at the end of the 2018 season.

After joining the Red Sox via trade this offseason, he reportedly said that he "never" wanted to be a Yankee and that it "wasn't a good situation for me," adding that he waived his no-trade clause to go to Boston because "it’s easy for me to go to a place where it’s easy to hate the Yankees."

Will Gray continue his strong 2026 season (18-5, 2.72 ERA) and show the Yankees glimpses of what could have been, or will the ghosts of Yankee Stadium come back to haunt the 36-year-old? Here's a look at how Gray has fared at the Stadium in his career, both with the Yankees and as a visitor.

The Yankees' postseason grand slam club

Ben Rice broke open Game 1 of the Yankees' AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox on Monday with a grand slam in the eighth inning.

The homer, Rice's second of the game, was the 16th grand slam in Yankees postseason history.

Here's the club:

1. Tony Lazzeri, 1936, World Series, Game 2
2. Gil McDougald, 1951, World Series, Game 5
3. Mickey Mantle, 1953, World Series, Game 5
4. Yogi Berra, 1956, World Series, Game 2
5. Moose Skowron, 1956, World Series, Game 7
6. Bobby Richardson, 1960, World Series, Game 3
7. Joe Pepitone, 1964, World Series, Game 6
8. Paul O'Neill, 1997, ALDS, Game 3
9. Tino Martinez, 1998, World Series, Game 1
10. Ricky Ledee, 1999, ALCS, Game 4
11. Robinson Cano, 2011, ALDS, Game 1
12. Didi Gregorius, 2019, ALDS, Game 2
13. Giancarlo Stanton, 2020, ALDS, Game 1
14. Gio Urshela, 2020, Wild Card Series, Game 2
15. Anthony Volpe, 2024, World Series, Game 4
16. Ben Rice, 2026, Wild Card Series, Game 1

Game 2 pitching matchup: Fried vs. Gray

The Yankees will send Max Fried to the mound in a potential clinching Game 2 tonight, while the Red Sox turn to Sonny Gray to try to stave off elimination and force a deciding Game 3. Here are their numbers from this season.

NBC hits a home run with its Yankees-Red Sox Game 1 coverage

The best baseball broadcasts invite you to pull up a chair and listen to some pals talkin' ball.

That's what NBC did on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Yankees-Red Sox Wild Card Series.

The trick is to make sure the conversation doesn’t overshadow the action on the field. NBC’s booth accomplished that on Tuesday in a way its predecessor network in carrying the Wild Card Series didn’t with this same matchup last season.

NBC took over the wild-card round from ESPN this season and baseball fans are better for it. ESPN’s telecasts were about ESPN; its booths (with the exception of the excellent David Cone) had a hard time keeping the focus on the game on the field.

No such trouble with NBC’s three-man booth of Jason Benetti, Joe Girardi and Lou Merloni, which was really a four-man booth with Anthony Rizzo chiming in often as the “Inside the Pitch” analyst.

Benetti was a maestro in keeping the conversation flowing while also keeping an eye on the action.

The booth was a little slow early on to notice that Cam Schlittler was having a disagreement with the plate umpire -- apparently about the pitcher's request for a new baseball -- but Benetti brought the focus back to that odd moment just as it was ending.

Later in the game, NBC was on top of a funny moment when Yankees fans booed pitching coach Matt Blake when he went out to the mound, the fans apparently thinking it was Boone coming out to take out Schlittler. And Girardi called it a half-inning early that Boone was going to leave in Schlittler to start the seventh at 107 pitches in a 2-0 game.

All season long, NBC on “Sunday Night Baseball” has used one hometown analyst for each team along with Benetti as their No. 1 play-by-play man. For this series it's Girardi from YES Network and Merloni from NESN.

Merloni noted that Roman Anthony was wearing a wrap on his right wrist during the pregame and that he hadn't seen that in a while. Anthony left for a pinch hitter later in the game, likely because of injury. That's why you bring in local analysts.

Kudos to NBC because it had to be a lot of effort to find two new analysts almost every Sunday depending on the matchups. But it paid off for the most part during the regular season and led to a comfortable Game 1 broadcast with analysts who are knowledgeable about the teams they cover.

What was lacking were gimmicks. No in-game interviews. Very little use of sideline reporter Caroline Pineda.

NBC, unlike ESPN, let the game be the story. It was refreshing.

Some fans on X complained that there was too much talking from the announcers, but in general fans in New York and Boston had to be happy with the broadcast, even if one fan base was very unhappy with the result.

You know which city probably didn’t have happy fans over the switch from ESPN to NBC? Chicago. And it had nothing to do with the announcers.

Both the Cubs and White Sox playoff games were not on NBC but instead were streamed on Peacock and broadcast on NBC Sports Network, a cable channel that is not carried on all systems. It doesn’t matter how good the announcers are if you don’t have the streamer or cable channel that is showing the game and you have to pay more to watch.

Yankees' homegrown shortstop makes big impact in his first playoff game

George Lombard Jr. became the second youngest player in Yankees franchise history to start a postseason game when he manned shortstop in Tuesday’s 9-0 victory over the Red Sox in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series. Only Mickey Mantle was younger.

Lombard went into the contest at 21 years and 119 days. Mantle was 19 and 16 days short of his 20th birthday when he started in rightfield for the Yankees in the first game of the 1951 World Series against the Giants.

Lombard went 3-for-4 and scored two runs in his postseason debut. He scored the Yankees’ first run on Austin Wells’ two-out single in the second inning. He scored the first run in the five-run eighth on Wells’ sacrifice fly before Ben Rice’s grand slam made it a 9-0 game.

Lombard played 76 games at Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before joining the big league club on Aug. 4 as the starting shortstop.

Asked about hitting such a pinnacle at his age, Lombard replied, “It's definitely an honor and you don't have to pinch [yourself] every now and then, but we know what the goal is and we know we're all trying to do as a group. So it's easy to know just focus on that and continue to just get my get my work in and compete every day.”

Lombard said he really enjoyed the environment at the Stadium and isn’t letting the moment feel too big.

He said, “[It’s] just be prepared, put in the work and just let things handle themselves on the field."

Yankees' start to the playoffs couldn't have gone much better

To Bucky “Bleeping” Dent and Aaron “Bleeping” Boone – whose respective epic postseason homers immortalized them as forever enemies of the rabid New England fanbase known as Red Sox Nation – add Cam “Bleeping” Schlittler.

But instead of breaking those New England hearts at the plate, the latter continues to torture those fans, and his hometown Red Sox, from the mound.

The righthander, who grew up a part of Red Sox Nation in the Boston suburb of Walpole, Mass., on Tuesday night added another chapter to the one he started last year around this same time.

For more on Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, check out Erik Boland's game story.

Have a night Ben Rice! His 8th-inning grand slam caps monster game, win for Yanks in Game 1.

How Michael Kay called Ben Rice's HR in the 5th inning

Another Massachusetts native doing good things vs. Boston

Cam Schlittler was lights out once against the Red Sox.

The likely AL Cy Young award winner this season allowed two hits and one walk in six-plus innings, striking out 10. He threw 117 pitches and was taken out by Aaron Boone with a man on first with one out in the seventh inning.

Massachusetts native Ben Rice goes deep for Yanks

The Red Sox went to a reliever and the Yankees made him pay.

With two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning, Boston manager Chad Tracy removed lefthander starter Payton Tolle and brought in lefty Erik Miller to face Ben Rice.

Rice launched a fastball on the third pitch of the at-bat into Monument Park for a solo shot to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

Yankees strike first

Austin Wells' two-out single drove in George Lombard Jr. in the bottom of the second inning to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. Lombard led off the inning with a single in his first postseason at-bat. Anthony Volpe, starting in place of Jazz Chisholm Jr., also singled in the frame.

Yankees' starting rotation lines up nicely for Wild Card Series

Only one American League team had the benefit of using the presumptive Cy Young winner for their playoff opener, which is why it was good the Yankees finally came to their senses in finally naming Cam Schlittler as Tuesday’s Game 1 starter.

Then again, few clubs also counted someone of Max Fried’s caliber at the front of their rotation, or would even think of pushing Gerrit Cole, a future Hall of Famer, as far back as Game 3, a contingency the Yankees hope isn’t necessary to bounce the Red Sox in the Wild Card Series.

Rarely does a plan come together so perfectly for October, especially with such a fragile commodity as starting pitching, over the course of a six-month, 162-game season. But in the Yankees’ case, they couldn’t have teed it up any better, and that’s with a rejuvenated Carlos Rodon waiting in reserve for the ALDS (or maybe a high-leverage bullpen spot before then).

For more on Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series, check out David Lennon's full column.

Boone on leaving Judge off Wild Card roster: 'Ultimately I just felt like not quite ready to do it yet'

How close was Aaron Judge to making the Yankees' 26-man Wild Card Series roster?

Manager Aaron Boone, in his usual give-as-little-information-as-possible mode when it comes to injuries, all but punted on the question.

“I don’t know. Tough to say,” Boone said in his office before Game 1 on Tuesday night. “I think he’s had a good couple of weeks of, obviously, really grinding and doing everything he possibly can to be an option. Just felt like he’s not quite there yet. Hopefully, we’re able to move on and he spends, obviously, these next few days continuing to work his way back and we’ll see about being option moving forward.”

Judge, who missed three months of the season recovering from a right rib fracture before returning to the lineup on Sept. 8, lasted seven games after his return, landing back on the injured list on Sept. 19 with a right calf strain.

The Yankees declined to disclose the grade of the strain, with Boone instead characterizing it as “moderate.”

From the time he went on the IL, Judge insisted that he would do “everything” to return in time for the wild-card round.

“They make the decisions,” Judge said on Monday before taking the field for a live batting practice session. “They kind of run this. I voice my opinion, but that might be 1% of what goes into the final say.”

Boone watched Judge take live BP and did not say whether that session swayed him, or the organization, one way or the other regarding Judge’s availability for the Wild Card Series.

“I don’t know,” Boone said. “Look, it’s Aaron, so I wanted to see what he had. I was encouraged by what I saw, encouraged the fact that he’s back and doing those kinds of things and checked the necessary boxes he needed to with the trainers and the strength and condition [personnel] to be in a position to be able to do that. So that’s encouraging, but ultimately I just felt like not quite ready to do it yet.”

That was not the case when it came to Giancarlo Stanton, who did make the wild-card roster after participating in the same live BP session as Judge. Stanton, whom the Yankees see primarily as a pinch-hitting option in this series, has not played since April 24 when he suffered a calf injury. The DH had multiple setbacks during his rehab with his calf, including what GM Brian Cashman in July called a “new” injury, but had rapidly been increasing his baseball activity, which included running the bases and almost daily BP on the field, in recent weeks. Unlike Judge, Stanton was able to do some running after his live BP session on Monday night.

“Credit to G,” Boone said. “This has obviously been a trying year for him on the injury front, and having a couple of setbacks alone the way as he’s worked his way back, he’s never stopped going and stopped grinding… credit to him for putting himself in position to be an option.”

Sonny Gray and the Yankees 'bump'

Sonny Gray is having an exceptional season for the Red Sox – he’s 18-5 with a 2.72 ERA – and is Boston’s scheduled starter for Game 2 on Wednesday. It’s the kind of season the Yankees expected to get from him when they acquired him at 2017 trade deadline from Oakland for three prospects.

Instead, Gray – who’d been a front-of-the-rotation guy with the A’s – was so disappointing it still makes Yankees fans wince to hear his name.

He was 4-7 with a 3.72 ERA down the stretch of 2017, but his first full season was just plain bad. Gray ended up with an 11-9 record, but pitched 130 2/3 innings to a 4.90 ERA, lost his spot in the starting rotation and was left off the roster for the postseason.

“It's kind of like one of those things that you have a snowball . . . that kind of starts rolling down a hill,” Gray said of things not working out in New York. “If you don't ever stop it then the snowball just gets bigger and bigger and bigger and it picks up traction and it just gets more snow and it just continues to go down. The bigger the snowball gets, the harder it is to stop it or take a step back.”

While the season was unfolding, Gray often looked like a deer in the headlights when talking to the media after appearances. The Yankees traded him to the Reds after the season.

“It took me to get away and get myself into a different environment [to] reflect on those things . . . and that took some time,” Gray said. “I do know that playing here made me a stronger person, . . . a better pitcher, a better baseball player.

"There's a lot of players that can have one bump in the road and not get back on the tracks,” he added. “And for me, there's been bumps along the way and that may have been a little bit of a bigger bump than others.”

'I've been raking against lefties and I look forward to keep doing it'

With the Red Sox starting lefthander Payton Tolle in Game 1, the Yankees loaded their lineup with as many righthandered hitters as possible including rightfielder Heliot Ramos.

Acquired from San Francisco before the Aug. 3 trading deadline, Ramos was needed to balance a lineup that had become too lefthanded with Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton out with injuries. And it didn’t start well for him, hitting .1119 with one RBI over his first 20 games including a brutal 0-for-23 stretch.

But things started to turn around with an Aug. 30 home run off Sox lefty Ranger Suarez. In the 18 games since, he has batted .281 with four home runs and 11 RBI.

“When I faced Suarez and I took my first at-bat and it was a walk, I felt pretty good about it,” he said. “I was, like, ‘yeah, this is my time. I'm ready to go.’”

Ramos has never played in the postseason and to say he was excited about it would be serious understatement.

“Who would have thought I would have been here right now? It's crazy that, like, this is happening to me,” he said. “A lot of guys take trades to heart, kind of like in a bad way. . . . But at the end of the day, the New York Yankees wanted me and I'm here to help. I'm loving the experience. I'm loving where I'm at right now.”

For the season, Ramos has posted an impressive slash line of .297/.383/.525.

Asked about what he felt he might do against a Boston team with a lot of lefthanded pitchers, he replied, “This year I've been raking against lefties and I look forward to keep doing it.”

Max Fried ready for pressure of Game 2 start

Max Fried was tabbed to start Game 2 of this AL Wild Card Series against Boston and that means the lefthander will be pitching to either clinch the series or save the season. He knows plenty about being in big stakes games.

Fried was the starter for Atlanta in Game 6 of 2021 World Series against the Astros and threw six scoreless innings as it captured the title. He also was the starter for Atlanta when San Diego beat Atlanta in the 2024 in an NL wild-card series; he was charged with five runs in two innings.

Asked about potentially being in one of those positions again on Tuesday before Game 1, he said, “It's the same. Anytime I take the ball, whether it's the regular season or the playoffs, I have the feeling that we have to win today's game.”

Fried started 20 games this season – twice going on the IL with a bone bruise in his left elbow – and takes a 5-5 record with a 2.80 ERA int the game. Since he returned at the end of August, first facing the Red Sox and allowing one run in 3 2/3 innings, he has pitched 26 1/3 innings to a 2.73 ERA with 25 strikeouts and allowed only one run in four of five starts.

“I would say that the command has gotten a lot better,” Fried said. “I think just . . . getting back into it again I was a little bit rusty. But over my last couple (starts), I feel normal, I feel like the same me. I'm not really worrying about my health going into this start.”

Fried threw eight scoreless innings in his other start against Boston this season, back in April.

Yankees vs. Red Sox lineups: Volpe gets Game 1 start

Jazz Chisholm Jr. made his obvious displeasure known last year when, with the Red Sox throwing tough lefthander Garret Crochett in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, the Yankees chose to start the right-handed hitting Amed Rosario at second base.

Different tough lefty this year, but the same result for Chisholm.

With the Red Sox going with the hard-throwing Payton Tolle in Tuesday night’s Game 1, the Yankees went with Anthony Volpe at second rather than Chisholm.

Chisholm, a free agent after the season and all but certain to be playing elsewhere next season, batted .218 with a .650 OPS vs. lefties this season. That included going 1-for-5, though that hit was a home run, and two strikeouts against Tolle.

YANKEES STARTING LINEUP

1. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
2. Ben Rice, DH
3. Heliot Ramos, RF
4. Cody Bellinger, LF
5. George Lombard Jr., SS
6. Amed Rosario, 3B
7. Anthony Volpe, 2B
8. Spencer Jones, CF
9. Austin Wells, C

SP: Cam Schlittler

RED SOX STARTING LINEUP

1. Roman Anthony DH
2. Adley Rutschman C
3. Willson Contreras 1B
4. Wilyer Abreu RF
5. Ceddanne Rafaela CF
6. Nick Sogard 2B
7. Jarren Duran LF
8. Trevor Story SS
9. Caleb Durbin 3B

SP Payton Tolle

Payton Tolle vs. the Yankees

Payton Tolle gets the start for Boston in Game 1 of the WIld Card Series between the Yankees and the Red Sox on Tuesday night. 

The amusing and mustachioed lefty has faced the Yankees twice this season. Here are his numbers:

• Starts: 2
• Innings: 13
• R / ER: 1 / 1
• ERA: 0.69
• Hits: 4 
• HR: 1
• BB: 3
• K: 18

The four Yankees who got hits off Tolle were Ben Rice, Amed Rosario, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Spencer Jones. 

The Red Sox were 1-1 in Tolle's starts against the Yankees.

How Yankees hitters fared vs. the Red Sox this season

The Yankees went with 16 position players on their wild-card series roster against the Red Sox. Here's a look at how those players performed against Red Sox pitching this season:

Giancarlo Stanton is on the Yankees' roster for Wild Card Series

While Aaron Judge won’t be playing in the AL Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, Giancarlo Stanton is surprisingly available.

The Yankees decided that Stanton, who has not played since April 24 because of multiple calf issues, was worth a roster spot when it was officially revealed on Tuesday morning.

Stanton has shown positive signs as of late, recently running the bases and facing live pitching. His righthanded-hitting presence could be huge in the series with Boston’s lefty-heavy pitching.

The question now remains how much Stanton can contribute. He would be an intriguing pinch-hitting option for Aaron Boone in the late innings. Plus, Stanton’s mere presence at the plate instills fear in opposing pitchers.

Stanton has hit just three home runs on 24 games this season, but he has 18 career postseason home runs in 48 games for the Yankees.

Aaron Judge not on Yankees' Wild Card Series roster

It’s hardly a surprise that Aaron Judge was left off the Yankees' Wild Card Series roster, as a source confirmed Tuesday. Judge is just too limited as a player right now due to his calf strain, an injury that carries significant risk for bigger complications, especially if pushed too hard, too quickly.

While Judge repeated his desire Monday to play in the first round, his actions spoke louder than his words. He did take batting practice with the team and also faced Ryan Weathers and Elmer Rodriguez in the simulated game that followed. But Judge did not take any fly balls in rightfield or run the bases, as he’s clearly not ready for those activities yet.

Judge is far from performing like his three-time MVP self. He’s played a total of seven games since returning from his 3 1/2-month absence due to the rib fracture, then went right back on the IL again with the calf strain. Factor in the risk of doing more damage to himself, and it was near-impossible to rationalize Judge returning by Tuesday. Knowing that, I asked Judge on Monday if resting this week would help him be in better shape for the later rounds, which he apparently has penciled in the Yankees for already.

“That’s a great question,” Judge said. “But I haven’t really thought about that.”

Now that’s obviously the focus for both him and the Yankees.

Watch the Yankees' postseason hype video

Game 1 pitching matchup: Schlittler vs. Tolle

The Yankees will start Cam Schlittler in AL Wild Card Game 1, and the Red Sox will counter with Payton Tolle. Here are their numbers from this season.

A 'House of (Wild) Cards' at 30 Rock

NBC is hosting this year's Wild Card round, and to celebrate they are turning Rockefeller Center into a baseball-themed fan experience for two days.

The experience begins Tuesday and runs unil Wednesday. The centerpiece of the event: a 25-foot-tall “House of (Wild) Cards,” with six custom oversized trading cards that each highlight one of the four Wild Card matchups.

The Topps Truck also willbe in attendance giving out sample MLB trading card packs to fans, and there will be watch parties on both days so fans can catch the games. 

The Wild Card round begins Tuesday with the Phillies and Atlanta at 2 p.m. on NBC and Peacock. The Yankees and Red Sox kick off their best-of-three series at Yankee Stadium later that night at 8 p.m., also on NBC and Peacock.

Look who's taking BP for the Yanks

Rizzo: Judge is 'a game-changer' — if he's healthy

The status of Aaron Judge (right calf strain) remains in doubt ahead of the start of the AL Wild Card Series on Tuesday.

But his former teammate Anthony Rizzo, who will be the "Inside the Pitch" analyst on NBC Sports’ broadcast of the Yankees’ three-game series vs. the Red Sox, has no doubt that Judge will be impactful if he finds his way on the roster.

“I think he could be a big factor if he's on the roster, if he's healthy enough to be on the roster,” Rizzo said Monday afternoon on an NBC Sports conference call previewing the Wild Card Series. “I know he wants to be in there. It's Yankees-Red Sox. This is a massive rivalry. You cannot take any playoff game for granted, right? You don't know when you're going to be back. But if he's in the lineup, I expect him to be a huge factor.

“Aaron Judge standing in the batter's box is Aaron Judge standing in the batter's box. It doesn't matter if he's on one leg. It doesn't matter if he has one arm. He is a threat, and he will be respected by every pitcher that's facing him.”

Rizzo has experience wearing pinstripes and facing Boston in the postseason. The Red Sox defeated the Yankees, 6-2, in the 2021 AL Wild Card Game – a game in which Rizzo hit a solo homer.

As an “Inside the Pitch” analyst, Rizzo will be offering insight from the batter’s perspective and will be located outside the broadcast booth, likely near the dugouts.

“Hopefully for the game [Judge is] in there, and hopefully he's at whatever the full strength he's at and can stay healthy through the longevity of these playoffs,” Rizzo added. “But it's going to be, I mean, him being in there will be a game-changer, in my opinion.”

Cam Schlittler and his 'receipts'

Cam Schlittler drew some of his motivation before last season's dominant performance in the deciding third game of the AL Wild Card series against Boston from social media, talking afterward about some of the uglier posts from Red Sox fans that involved threats against his family.

Schlittler, on the eve of his start in Game 1 of this best-of-three series, indicated he has done the same in advance of Tuesday night.

“I wouldn't say I'm always on my phone looking for that stuff. At the same time, I don't really live under a rock as well,” Schlittler said Monday afternoon before the Yankees worked out at the Stadium. “Found ways to use that to my advantage. I think I'm good at keeping receipts. At the end of the day, I'm locked into going in there tomorrow and doing my job.”

So, a reporter asked, does Schlittler already have a “receipt” or two in tow for Tuesday night?

“Again, I don't live under a rock,” the 25-year-old righthander said. “I mean, there's always going to be motivation, fuel. At the same time, I'm not too worried about any of that. I feel like I did a good job proving that last year, and I expect to go out there tomorrow and do the same thing."

Is it safe to say that you’ve collected a few receipts in advance of the start?

“Close to the same question, but again,” Schlittler, smiling widely, said to laughter from the assembled reporters. “Yeah, we'll see. Again, my mind's on tomorrow and the game. I don't (have) to look too far to motivate myself, and I trust the guys in this locker room to go out there and compete to their best ability.”

Schlittler has done that through the season, going 14-6 with a league-low 1.95 ERA. He was especially tough on the Red Sox, going 2-1 with a 0.74 ERA in four starts.

From Chipotle to Yankee Stadium, what a year for Spencer Jones

On the eve of his first Yankees-Red Sox October showdown, Spencer Jones was asked where he was a year ago when the two teams clashed in the Wild Card Series.

“I was driving home from Scranton,” Jones said Monday, referring to the Yankees’ Triple-A outpost. “I was watching it on my iPad, my girlfriend and I, and we watched Cam pitch Game 3. So that was my experience in the postseason last year.”

Jones quickly pointed out that both he and his girlfriend were taking turns driving, so whoever was behind the wheel had their eyes primarily on the road.

“I remember we stopped at Chipotle and watched a couple of innings,” Jones said.

Jones wrapped up a solid rookie season, hitting .245 with 11 homers, 40 RBIs and a .742 OPS in 86 games. Perhaps most impressive, Jones showed that he wasn’t just a platoon player, batting .389 (21-for-54) with a 1.107 OPS against lefthanders.

“I think it comes down to the work that we’ve done behind the scenes in the cages,” Jones said. “The stuff that we talk about in meetings, conversations I have with other hitters. We have a lot of really good lefthanded hitters on this team and they’ve been able to help me refine my approach - just kind of go up there and be confident in what I got to do.”

Aaron Judge is in it for the long haul this postseason

Aaron Judge, out with a right calf strain, all but guaranteed to Yankees fans Monday they will see him at some point this postseason.

And if not in the upcoming wild-card round – something the three-time AL MVP still isn’t ruling out – then after. Which, in essence, was the club's captain stating unequivocably his belief the Yankees will be moving on to the ALDS.

“I think the most important thing is just making sure I’m healthy and ready to go for this long stretch, because we’ve got another month of baseball to play,” Judge said before heading out to the Yankee Stadium field to partake in a simulated game. “So I want to be ready for the long run we’re going to go on here for this next month. We’re all going to be smart, but I think they all know I want to be out there, especially in the first game.”

Judge missed three months of the season with a right rib fracture and appeared in all of seven games after his return on Sept. 8 before landing back on the IL on Sept. 19 with the calf strain.

The Yankees played reasonably well without Judge, unlike in past seasons when he’s missed extended time, going 45-39 while he recovered from the rib injury.

During that time, the Yankees brought up two of their heralded prospects, Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr., both of whom have, at least in the early going of their respective big-league careers, appeared to gain their footing at the sport’s highest level.

“That’s definitely the goal,” Judge said of returning. “I’m busting my butt in the back room to try to do everything I can to get ready and be prepared and be a productive player for the team…no matter what happens this first series, we’ve got a great ballclub. You know, I’ve been out for most of the year, and this team’s picked up the slack…the boys are going to be fine no matter what. But I’d love to be out there in the trenches with them.”

Jazz or Volpe at 2B? 'The platoon stuff is in play'

Last year, a visibly upset Jazz Chisholm Jr. was benched for Game 1 of the Wild Card Series, as manager Aaron Boone opted to go with the rigthy-hitting Amed Rosario against Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet.

On Tuesday, the Yankees will be facing another hard-throwing lefthander, rookie Payton Tolle, and Chisholm said before Monday’s workout that he hadn’t spoken with Boone about the lineup plans for the opener.

“We haven’t had that talk yet,” Chisholm said at his locker. “But I feel like with Boonie, he will come up to me and let me know what’s going on.”

Chisholm batted .218 with a .650 OPS vs. lefties this season, and is 1-for-5 with a home run and two strikeouts against Tolle. Boone could go with Anthony Volpe as a righty option for second base, and the manager said he’s open to the idea of a platoon at the position.

“It’s one of those things I’m considering,” Boone said. “Volpe’s very much in play. The platoon stuff is in play there. Obviously Jazz is just coming back from the thumb (sprain). He was able to get a couple games in. Would have liked another one or two, but the weather didn’t really cooperate this weekend. So Anthony’s put himself very much in the mix to be a part of the equation.”

Chisholm said he expects to be starting Game 1 but understands Boone’s matchup strategy, if that’s the way this plays out.

“It’s playoff baseball, so it’s different,” Chisholm said.

Still, the pending free agent believes in riding with your best players, no matter the time of year.

“That’s what I grew up watching and seeing, you know what I mean?” Chisholm said. “It’s always been that.”

Aaron Boone on Aaron Judge's health

'This guy's a pretty darn good pitcher'

Red Sox manager Chad Tracy, who managed Boston’s Triple-A affiliate Worcester from 2022 until taking over for the fired Alex Cora in late April, recalled seeing the Yankees' Game 1 starter Cam Schlittler a couple of years ago when the pitcher was with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

“My first impression was, this guy’s a pretty darn good pitcher,” Tracy said Monday afternoon.

Schlittler, the presumed AL Cy Young Award winner after going 14-6 with a league-low 1.95 ERA, went 2-1 with a 0.74 ERA in four starts against the Red Sox. All of that on the heels of his historic Game 3 performance against the Red Sox in last year’s wild-card round when he struck out 12 over eight scoreless innings in a 4-0 victory.

“For me, regardless of who you’re facing, your job is grind at-bats, grind at-bats,” Tracy said. “And if it’s an out and you’re able to see six pitches, fine. If it’s a line out, fine. If it’s finding a way to get two people on base, fine. And I don’t think that changes, regardless of who you face. That always plays, right? I just think it becomes even more prevalent when you’re facing really good pitching.”

Willson Contreras expected to be ready for Game 1

Red Sox manager Chad Tracy sounded confident that Willson Contreras, arguably the team's MVP this season, will be a full-go for Tuesday night's Game 1. The All-Star first baseman was dealing with a bruised right hand and finally played Sunday after missing the previous 10 days with the injury.

"You're always monitoring," Tracy said. "As far as this time of year, players are banged up. The adrenaline will kick in tomorrow and guys tend to go. But he's in a good spot ... I think he's ready to go."

Working around the weather

The Yankees planned today's workout time for 3:15 p.m. in the hope that the remnants from the nor'easter would be finished in the Bronx by then.

As for the Red Sox, they had two choices -- either before the Yankees or after -- and they decided to go in the earlier slot. As of now, the tarp is coming off the field, but it's unclear if it will be ready in time for Boston. Also, the Red Sox had Sunday's Game 162 vs. the Cubs moved to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, so their travel itinerary became a bit more complicated at the last minute.

"If we were able to get on the field, great," Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said. "If not, we did have a game yesterday, did a bunch of stuff yesterday and then played. Based on our travel, we left it up to (the players) what they they wanted to do and this is what they preferred."

Yankees-Red Sox ticket prices on the secondary market

Looking to head to the Bronx for the American League Wild Card Series between the Yankees and the Red Sox?

Here’s what ticket prices look like for each of the three games, according to TickPick as of noon Monday.

Game 1, Tuesday, 8 p.m.

Get-in price: $108

Average ticket cost: $360

Game 2, Wednesday, 8 p.m.

Get-in price: $113

Average ticket cost: $400

Game 3 (if necessary), Thursday, 8 p.m.

Get-in price: $112

Average ticket cost: $401

Red Sox set pitching rotation for series

Red Sox manager Chad Tracy announced early Monday afternoon that power lefty Payton Tolle will start Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, with former Yankee Sonny Gray set for Game 2. If a Game 3 is necessary, it will be Ranger Suarez.

Tolle, 9-6 with a 3.03 ERA in 26 starts this season, went 1-0 with a 0.69 ERA in two starts against the Yankees.

Gray, an AL Cy Young Award candidate, went 18-5 with a 2.72 ERA in 29 starts. He faced the Yankees twice, going 1-0 with a 1.98 ERA.

Suarez went 8-5 with a 3.22 ERA in 28 starts, including 0-6 with a 6.06 ERA in three starts against the Yankees.

The Red Sox were scheduled to work out on the Yankee Stadium field at 1 p.m. Monday but, as of 12:55 p.m., it was still raining in The Bronx and the tarp was on the field.

Yankees and Red Sox meet again in playoffs

The Yankees and Red Sox will square off in the best-of-three American League Wild Card Series a second straight season, with Game 1 scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday night at the Stadium.

Game 2 is Wednesday night with Game 3, if necessary, Thursday night.

All games will be played at the Stadium.

It is the first time the long-time rivals have met in back-to-back postseasons since the epic ALCS battles of 2003 and 2004.

The Yankees won in ’03, winning the pennant in a memorable Game 7 at old Yankee Stadium on a walk-off homer by current manager Aaron Boone. That game brought an end to Grady Little’s managerial tenure in Boston and his replacement, Terry Francona, would become a long-time tormentor of the Yankees. That started a year later in the ALCS when the Red Sox became the first, and still only, Major League Baseball club in history to come back from a three-games-to-none deficit to win a series.

Both the Yankees and Red Sox are scheduled to work out this afternoon in The Bronx, weather permitting.

The Red Sox flew to New York late Sunday night from Tampa, Florida. Because of the nor’easter that hammered the East Coast over the weekend, the Red Sox's regular season-finale against the Cubs was moved, as a precautionary move, to Tropicana Field, home of the Rays.

The Red Sox, who have not yet announced their Game 1 starter but will early this afternoon, are scheduled to work out at 1 p.m. The Yankees, who announced Cam Schlittler as their Game 1 starter Sunday afternoon, are scheduled to work out at 3:15 p.m.

Your radio and TV choices for Yankees vs. Red Sox

The Yankees-Red Sox series will be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock in NBC's first season as the TV carrier for all four Wild-Card series.

All season, NBC has used its own play-by-play announcers (with Jason Benetti as the No. 1) and analysts from each team for its MLB slate.

Benetti will call the Yankees-Red Sox series with Joe Girardi moving from the YES booth to the NBC booth as the Yankees-related analyst. The Red Sox will be represented by NESN's Lou Merloni. Former Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo will be the "Inside the Pitch" analyst, giving the hitter's perspective usually from a spot near one of the dugouts. Rizzo also will join Bob Costas from Yankee Stadium for NBC's pregame show.

On the radio side, Dave Sims and Suzyn Waldman will call the games as usual for WFAN. A new wrinkle for this series is Yankees TV play-by-play man on Michael Kay will be doing the national radio broadcast for ESPN. It will be heard locally on 1050 AM, with Game 2 also on 880. Kay will be joined by analysts Eduardo Perez and Tim Kurkjian.

The Yankees-Red Sox playoff history

The rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox began more than 100 years ago. And since MLB first added wild cards to its postseason format in 1995, the Yankees and Red Sox have met in the playoffs six times before this year's Wild-Card best-of-three series.

Here's how they went:

1999: Yankees win the ALCS, 4-1

Game 3 featured a legendary matchup of pitchers in Roger Clemens vs. Pedro Martinez. The Red Sox handled their business in that game, but the Yankees took care of the series in relatively smooth fashion. Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez was the ALCS MVP with two impressive starts, including the win in Game 5.

2003: Yankees win the ALCS, 4–3

Perhaps the pinnacle of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry over the last few generations of fans, at least from a New York point of view. This series had it all: bench-clearing brouhahas, players tossing coaches to the ground, players hopping outfield fences and fighting with the grounds crew. And that was just Game 3! Eventually, it got to a Game 7 at Yankee Stadium, a night that included three innings of scoreless relief by both Mike Mussina and Mariano Rivera, an eighth-inning rally against Pedro Martinez, and, of course, Aaron "Bleeping" Boone's walkoff homer in the bottom of the 11th inning to send the Yankees to the World Series.

2004: Red Sox win the ALCS, 4-3

The Yankees led this series, 3-0, before Boston made MLB history by becoming the first (and still the only) team to come back and win a postseason series after dropping the first three games. The Red Sox won the World Series that season, ending an 86-year drought and effectively ending "The Curse of the Bambino." 

2018: Red Sox win ALDS, 3–1

Masahiro Tanaka had the lone win for the Yankees in Game 2. But Game 3 saw the Yankees suffer their worst postseason loss in franchise history, a 16-1 drubbing at home.

2021: Red Sox win AL Wild-Card game, 1-0

The Wild-Card round was still just a single game playoff, and the Red Sox took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer off Gerrit Cole. The Red Sox never looked back.

2025: Yankees win AL Wild-Card series, 2-1

Cam Schlittler entered the chat. The Massachusetts-born and raised pitcher struck out 12 over eight innings in the Yankees' 4-0 win in Game 3 to beat his hometown team.

Pitching matchups for Yankees-Red Sox series

The Red Sox said they will wait until Monday to announce their pitching rotation for the three-game Wild-Card series with the Yankees.

The Yankees, however, released their rotation on Sunday. 

Game 1: Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95 ERA)

Game 2: Max Fried (5-5, 2.80)

Game 3 (if necessary): Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61)

Yankees vs. Red Sox wild-card schedule

All games in this best-of-three AL Wild-Card series will be played at Yankee Stadium and broadcast on NBC and its Peacock streaming platform.

Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 29, 8 p.m.

Game 2: Wednesday, Sept. 30, 8 p.m.

Game 3 (if necessary): Thursday, Oct. 1, TBD

The winning team will face the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS starting on Saturday, Oct. 3. That series will be shown on TBS and HBO Max.