In a nail-biting turnaround, the New York Yankees clawed back from the brink Tuesday night, defeating the Boston Red Sox 4-3 in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series. After dropping the opener 3-1 the previous day, the Yankees refused to fade quietly, pushing the age-old rivalry to a winner-take-all Game 3 on Thursday at Yankee Stadium. Indeed, this series has already delivered the drama fans crave, with both teams trading blows in a postseason that feels as heated as ever.
Game 1 saw Boston's ace Garrett Crochet dominate, striking out 11 over 7 2/3 innings while allowing just one run on Anthony Volpe's solo homer. Max Fried matched him pitch for pitch for New York, tossing 6 1/3 scoreless frames, but a seventh-inning rally—capped by Masataka Yoshida's go-ahead single—proved decisive. The Red Sox bullpen, anchored by Aroldis Chapman, held firm, slamming the door on any Yankee comeback. Crochet's 117-pitch effort, topping out at 100.2 mph on his final strikeout, underscored Boston's pitching depth, a quiet strength that's carried them through a gritty 89-73 regular season.
However, Game 2 flipped the script. New York's bats finally awakened against Boston's rookie lefty Payton Tolle, with Austin Wells delivering the game-winning single in the eighth to score Jazz Chisholm Jr. from first. Trent Grisham's bases-loaded groundout earlier kept the pressure on, while the Yankees' relief corps, including David Bednar, navigated a tense ninth for the save. The Red Sox, who had won seven of nine regular-season meetings, couldn't quite muster the same magic this time. Moreover, Boston's offense sputtered again, managing only three runs despite chances— a familiar frustration in these high-stakes tilts.
The Yankees, seeded higher at 94-68, now lean on rookie Cam Schlittler to start Game 3 against Boston's Connelly Early. Aaron Boone's squad, already facing elimination once, showed resilience that borders on defiance. Yet, with the Red Sox's momentum from that commanding opener, nothing seems certain in this Bronx showdown. As these storied foes prepare for the finale, one can't help but ponder how deep this rivalry's fire still burns.