New York's iconic Yankee Stadium prepares for a high-stakes postseason clash this Wednesday night as the American League Wild Card Series continues. Following their decisive Game 1 victory, the Boston Red Sox stand poised to advance, while their storied rivals, the New York Yankees, face an elimination scenario, battling to extend their playoff run.
The pitching mound will feature a critical duel between Carlos Rodón for the Yankees and Brayan Bello for the Red Sox. Historical statistics heavily favor the Game 1 victor; in the best-of-three Wild Card Series format, the team that wins the opening game has progressed in 18 out of 20 instances (a 90% success rate), with 16 of those series concluding in a sweep.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora expressed optimism about maintaining their momentum, acknowledging the formidable challenge ahead. 'We hope to continue our strong play,' Cora stated, highlighting Rodón's impressive season and the Yankees' likely left-handed heavy lineup. He also voiced confidence in Brayan Bello, noting his comfort and past success pitching at Yankee Stadium, anticipating another tightly contested game.
Adding another chapter to baseball's most enduring rivalry, Boston holds a significant postseason edge, having ousted New York in their last three playoff encounters: the 2004 AL Championship Series, the 2018 AL Division Series, and the 2021 Wild Card Game. For the Yankees, the objective is stark: secure a victory or see their season end.
Yankees captain Aaron Judge remained resolute despite the Game 1 loss. 'We'll stick to our approach,' Judge affirmed, emphasizing the team's strong form entering the postseason, citing a cohesive offense, reliable bullpen, and elite starting rotation. His message underscored a focus on their own performance.
Fans eager to catch the action can tune into ESPN for Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series, scheduled for a 6:08 p.m. ET first pitch. Live streaming is also accessible within the US via MLB.TV for subscribers with a participating Pay TV provider, and internationally, excluding Canada.
For the Red Sox, Brayan Bello (11-9, 3.35 ERA) will make his inaugural postseason start, a crucial assignment given Lucas Giolito's projected absence for the remainder of the playoffs. While Bello enjoyed a career-best regular season, his recent outings saw him post a 0-3 record with a 5.79 ERA over his last three starts, adding pressure to his performance in this pivotal Game 2. Historically, Yankee Stadium has proven to be a favorable venue for Bello, where he boasts an impressive 3-1 record and a 1.44 ERA across five career starts, including a masterful seven-inning shutout against Max Fried on August 22nd.
Across the diamond, the Yankees will hand the ball to Carlos Rodón (18-9, 3.09 ERA), who enters the game after his most successful season as a Yankee, setting new personal bests in wins, starts, and innings pitched (195 1/3). Rodón recently discussed his improved composure on the mound, a skill he developed with guidance from pitching greats Andy Pettitte and Gerrit Cole. Rodón's regular season record against the Red Sox stands at 1-2 with a 5.74 ERA over three appearances. His strongest performance against Boston came on August 24th at home, where he limited them to two runs through 5 2/3 innings in a Yankees victory.
Regarding the lineups, Boston's offense struggled against Fried in Game 1 but managed three runs off New York's bullpen. Manager Alex Cora is expected to strategically adjust his lineup, emphasizing platoon advantages against the left-handed Rodón. For the Yankees, facing a right-handed pitcher in Bello, manager Aaron Boone will likely deploy his standard lineup, reinstating Ben Rice and Jazz Chisholm Jr. into starting roles. The Yankees' potent offense recorded 274 home runs in the regular season, ranking second only to the 2019 team's franchise record of 306.
Both bullpens are prepared for heavy usage, particularly in this critical Game 2. For the Red Sox, despite closer Aroldis Chapman throwing 24 pitches while securing more than four outs for only the second time this season in Game 1, he is anticipated to be available. With Garrett Crochet and Chapman handling all 27 outs in the opener, Boston's other relief arms remain fresh, with Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten expected to be key contributors in high-leverage situations. The Yankees, facing elimination, will activate an 'all hands on deck' strategy. Their bullpen saw action from David Bednar (15 pitches), Luke Weaver (14), Fernando Cruz (14), Devin Williams (11), and Tim Hill (4) in Game 1, indicating a readiness to utilize all available arms.
On the injury front, the Red Sox are without veteran starter Lucas Giolito (right elbow), a significant blow. Additionally, promising rookie Roman Anthony (left oblique strain) is still rehabilitating and not yet participating in baseball activities. The Yankees are managing several lingering issues; captain Aaron Judge dealt with a right flexor tendon strain in July, affecting his outfield play until September 5th, and while his throwing has improved, Boston's Game 1 tactics suggested they perceived him as less than 100%. Jazz Chisholm Jr. was hit by a pitch on his left forearm recently but saw late-game action, and Giancarlo Stanton continues to play through bilateral tennis elbow, though it seems to be under control.
Assessing player performance trends, Alex Bregman showed promising signs for the Red Sox in his 100th career postseason game, collecting two hits despite a September slump and a recovery from a severe quad injury. Trevor Story also contributed two hits after a quiet end to the regular season, while Jarren Duran, Boston's only lefty in Game 1 against Fried, had a .233 batting average and .692 OPS in September, often sparking the offense when in form. For the Yankees, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, and Ben Rice entered the playoffs with hot bats, and Anthony Volpe delivered a two-hit, one-homer performance in Game 1. Relief pitcher Devin Williams has been sharp over his last six appearances, including a scoreless inning in Game 1. Conversely, Paul McMahon has struggled since his July acquisition, batting only .208 with four home runs.
Additional notable facts for fans include Alex Cora's impressive 19-8 managerial record in postseason games. Masataka Yoshida's decisive two-run pinch-hit single in Game 1 marked only the fourth instance in franchise history a Red Sox player achieved a go-ahead pinch-hit in the postseason, the most recent being Rafael Devers in the 2018 World Series. Furthermore, Alex Bregman joined an elite group of eight MLB players, including Derek Jeter and Jose Altuve, to appear in 100 career postseason games, having made the playoffs in nine of his ten professional seasons.
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Originally published at: https://www.mlb.com/news/red-sox-vs-yankees-al-wild-card-series-game-2-starting-lineups-pitching-matchup
