Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
First pitch: 8:00 p.m. ET
TV/Streaming: NBC / Peacock
The Yankees lead the best-of-three series after a dominant 9-0 shutout in Game 1 on Tuesday. Cam Schlittler (6.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 10 K) and Ben Rice (4-for-5, 2 HR including a grand slam, 6 RBI) powered New York. Boston managed just three hits. The Yankees can clinch a berth in the ALDS (likely vs. Tampa Bay) with a win; the Red Sox must force a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday (also 8:00 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium).
Starting Pitchers
Red Sox: RHP Sonny Gray (18-5, 2.72 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 149 K in 169 IP). Strong season with Boston (tied for MLB lead in wins). Career postseason: mixed results (roughly 1-3, 3.26 ERA in prior starts). Solid vs. Yankees this year in limited action (1-0, 1.98 ERA in two starts). Last outing: 6 IP, 0 ER vs. Cleveland. Making his first postseason start since 2023.
Yankees: LHP Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 104 K in 112.2 IP). Limited to about 20 starts due to elbow issues earlier in the year but effective when healthy. Strong control and low WHIP. Has postseason experience against Boston (including a strong prior outing). Last start mixed but overall solid form.
Current Rosters / Expected Lineups
Red Sox key players: Trevor Story, Willson Contreras, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu, Adley Rutschman, Roman Anthony (hand concern after Game 1 exit), Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and supporting cast.
Yankees key players: Ben Rice (hot), Cody Bellinger, Austin Wells, Anthony Volpe, Paul Goldschmidt, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Trent Grisham, George Lombard Jr., Giancarlo Stanton (activated for series after long absence), and others. Aaron Judge (calf) is not on the Wild Card roster.
Weather Forecast (Yankee Stadium / Bronx area)
Mostly sunny to partly cloudy. High around 70–75°F; overnight low mid-60s. Light winds (NW/SW around 5 mph or less). Low precipitation chance (~0–10%). Comfortable evening conditions for a night game; first-pitch temperature likely in the upper 60s to low 70s°F. No significant weather impact expected.
Injury Reports
Red Sox: Roman Anthony (hand, aggravated in Game 1 and exited); Masataka Yoshida (10-day IL); others including Johan Oviedo, Zack Kelly (longer-term). Garrett Crochet recently activated from IL.
Yankees: Aaron Judge (right calf strain — moderate, left off Wild Card roster entirely; aiming for potential later rounds if they advance); Ryan Weathers and Clarke Schmidt (arm issues); Fernando Cruz (knee). Stanton and Grisham available after absences.
Key Player vs. Player Matchups
Gray vs. Yankees hitters: Mixed career samples. Rice has shown power against him in limited ABs; Goldschmidt has struggled historically in some data; others like Grisham and García have positive marks. Gray’s ground-ball tendencies could neutralize some power.
Fried vs. Red Sox hitters: Favorable samples in prior meetings. Story, Rafaela, and others have limited success; lefty-heavy Boston lineup faces a tough matchup against the left-hander.
Rice (riding high after Game 1) and Wells are key Yankees threats. Boston needs production from the middle of the order (Contreras, Story, Duran) after being shut out.
Recent Team Forms
Red Sox: Mixed late season (around .500 in recent stretch); strong overall pitching (team ERA ~3.54, top-tier). Road record solid (~46-35). Offense quiet in Game 1 after a competitive regular season (87-75).
Yankees: Stronger late form and home dominance. Led MLB in ERA. Powerful offense (223 HR) even without Judge. Excellent home record (~46-34) and dominance when scoring 5+ runs. Momentum from Game 1 shutout.
Series History
Classic AL East rivalry with extensive postseason history. Yankees led the 2026 regular-season series. Last year’s Wild Card featured drama (Yankees advanced after dropping Game 1 in some historical notes, but current format favors the 1-0 leader heavily). Red Sox are 13-15 all-time vs. Yankees in postseason in some tallies. Short series and home field give New York a clear edge.
Betting Trends
Trends: Low totals common with these pitchers; Yankees strong at home and after big wins; Red Sox have shown road resilience and under trends in recent games. Public leans heavily toward New York after the Game 1 blowout.
Game Odds
Boston Red Sox 6.5
New York Yankees – 133
Odds Courtesy of Sports Odds Direct as of Tuesday, September 29, 2026
