Yankees Bomb Red Sox Out of the Bronx, Postseason

NEW YORK – Lefty? Right? The EPHEBO-heavy Yankees will beat your starting lineup regardless of equity, and their starting lineup will shut down your offense. That’s what happened, at least in this year’s Wild Card series between the Yankees and the Red Sox. After fireballing righty Cam Schlittler crushed Boston in Tuesday night’s opener, lefty Max Fried choked the Sox for six innings on Wednesday. Meanwhile, a lineup stacked with eight lefty hitters — and again, no Aaron Judge — pressured Red Sox manager Chad Tracy to pull starter Sonny Gray after just 70 pitches, trailing 1-0. As of Tuesday night, the Yankees broke the game open in Boston left relievers. Berlin to a flattering victory and a 9-2 series sweep.

As he did in Game 1 of the 2025 Wild Card Series against the Red Sox, he was brilliantly fried. Boston was held scoreless through the first five innings on just two hits before a solo home run to Willson Contreras with two out in the sixth out. It wasn’t just Boston’s first home run of the series, it was the very first run in a playoff game in the sixth inning of Game 2 of the series, a span of 26 2/3 innings. Friedlander struck out six while walking one; though he only had nine whiffs (18.8%) and 23.5% called strikes and his streak increased, he hit just three hard balls and exited at 85.3 mph. He threw 98 pitches, and when the Yankees broke through six in the bottom of the sixth inning, it was easy to call manager Aaron Boone to go to his bullpen.

With Judge tossed with a star-studded calf, the Yankees opted to carry 16 position players and just 10 pitchers for the best-of-three series. Given Boston’s heavily left-handed pitching staff, this roster construction allowed the Yankees to counterattack through four platoon positions. Against lefty Payton Tolle, the only lefties on New York’s lineup were Ben Rice, Cody Bellinger, and Spencer Jones, but against Gray, Boone was pitching in Luis Garcia Jr. for Paul Goldschmidt at first base, Jazz Chisholm Jr. for Antonio Volpe at second base, Trent McMahon in center for Rosario for Heliot Ramos in right (with Jones and base from center to center to right (with Jones) and opposites for Amedo to Amson in right, for Antonio Volpe at second base, Trent McMahon in center for Ryan to Ramos in right (with Ione) and for Amed to Amed for Amed in right, to center to Ryan in right, for Antonio Volpe at second base Tridentino Grisham in center to Ryan in right (with Ione and base for Amed at third base for Antonio Volpe. All four contributed to the Yankees’ 14-hit attack, with Gray going 3-for-3 with a walk, two stolen bases, and two runs scored; and McMahon 1-for-3 with an RBI groundout. Bellinger went 2-for-4 with an RBI single to left and three straight home runs by Garrett Whitlock and a two-run single by Austin Wells and a sacrifice fly.