In a matchup dripping with that old-school rivalry heat, the New York Yankees clawed back from the brink Tuesday night, edging the Boston Red Sox 4-3 in Game 2 of their American League Wild Card Series. The win, coming at Yankee Stadium, sends the series to a winner-take-all Game 3 today, keeping New York's season alive while putting Boston's postseason dreams on the line. Indeed, after the Red Sox's crisp 3-1 victory in the opener on Tuesday—where starter Brayan Bello held the Yankees to just one run over two-plus innings—the momentum seemed firmly in Boston's corner.
But momentum shifts fast in October, doesn't it? Yankees catcher Austin Wells delivered the go-ahead single in the eighth, plating the decisive run off Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock, who had been stretched thin after a multi-inning stint. Whitlock, typically a short-leverage arm, faltered just enough, walking Jazz Chisholm Jr. before Wells' hit sealed Boston's late collapse. Manager Alex Cora's bullpen gambit—yanking Bello early and leaning on lefties like Justin Wilson and others—worked for stretches, stifling New York through five innings. However, the strategy unraveled, exposing vulnerabilities in a pen that had carried the Red Sox down the stretch.
Across the league, the Dodgers punched their ticket to the NLDS with a dominant sweep over the Reds, whose scoreline Tuesday read a lopsided 6-2 loss. Cincinnati's bats went quiet again, mirroring their Game 1 shutout. Back in the Bronx, today's 7 p.m. ET showdown features the Yankees hosting once more, with their rotation TBD but whispers of a bullpen game swirling. Boston, meanwhile, eyes a quick upset to advance, leaning on their wildcard grit.
Moreover, this series revives the Yankees-Red Sox feud that's defined eras, from endless September skirmishes to those epic ALCS clashes. The Yankees' schedule now hinges on this do-or-die, while Red Sox fans cling to Cora's tactical wizardry. Yet, as these two storied franchises collide once more, one can't help but ponder if history's ghosts will tip the scales in Game 3.