NEW YORK — For the third time in eight years, the New York Yankees-Boston Red Sox rivalry has invaded the postseason.
And this time, a showdown between Cy Young-worthy left-handed aces should decide the outcome.
New York and Boston will clash in a best-of-three American League wild card series beginning with Game 1 Sept. 30 at Yankee Stadium, with Max Fried – the Yankees’ $218 million ace – facing off against Red Sox lefty Garrett Crochet.
The star-studded opener is crucial: In the three years of the wild card series, the team winning Game 1 has advanced in all 12 matchups. Crochet led the major leagues with 255 strikeouts and ranked third in the AL with a 2.59 ERA. Fried was not far behind, with a 2.86 mark, and his 19 wins bested Crochet’s 18 to lead the majors.
The Red Sox won the past two postseason meetings between the clubs, dispatching the Yankees 3-1 in the 2018 ALDS on their way to a World Series crown. In 2021, Nathan Eovaldi outpitched Gerrit Cole at Fenway Park to win the wild card game.
Red Sox take 2-1 lead into the ninth
The book is closed on Garrett Crochet after 7⅔ innings and a career-high 117 pitches. He struck out 11 while allowing one earned run on four hits and didn’t walk a batter, throwing his last pitch of the night at 100.2 mph. Crochet retired the last 18 of the last 19 Yankees he faced before Anthony Volpe singled in the eighth. He struck out Austin Wells and then was relieved by former Yankee Aroldis Chapman.
Red Sox pounce on Yankees bullpen to take 2-1 lead
Luke Weaver replaced Yankees starter Max Fried in the top of the seventh and immediately walked Ceddanne Rafaela in an 11-pitch at-bat. Nick Sogard then doubled, Masataka Yoshida pinch-hit for Rob Refsnyder, and scorched the first pitch he saw from Weaver for a single to score two. Fernando Cruz relieved Weaver, striking out Trevor Story and getting pinch-hitter Nathaniel Lowe to fly out to end the inning.
Max Fried done after 6⅓ scoreless
Max Fried is done for the night after 102 pitches in 6.1 innings. He allowed four hits, walked three, and struck out six, leaving a runner on first as the Yankees cling to a one-run lead. Fried received a big applause was replaced by reliever Luke Weaver.
Crochet settling down, retired last 10 Yankees
Garrett Crochet isn’t doing too badly either, striking out eight, allowing three hits through five innings, but one of those hits went over the Yankee Stadium right field fence for a home run by Anthony Volpe in the second. Volpe’s 382-foot home run would have cleared the fences in every major league ballpark - except Boston’s Fenway Park.
Max Fried escapes trouble in 4th
Fried got the first two batters of the inning, but a walk and a double put two runners in scoring position. The major league leader in wins escaped any damage by striking out Jarren Duran to end the threat.
Anthony Volpe homer gets Yanks on the board
Volpe deposited a 97 mph sinker from Garrett Crochet into the right field to break a scoreless tie. It was Volpe's second career postseason home run. New York 1, Boston 0.
Yankees waste opportunity to strike first
Garrett Crochet allowed a lead off single to Paul Goldschmidt, and AL MVP candidate Aaron Judge did the same on the first pitch he saw. Crochet then struck out Cody Bellinger, before getting Giancarlo Stanton to ground into an inning-ending double play.
Red Sox go down in the first
On a nice 77-degree night in the Bronx, Yankees starter Max Fried got things started by sending the Red Sox down with relative ease, allowing only a single to Alex Bregman.
What time is Yankees vs Red Sox game today?
First pitch is scheduled for 6:08 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx.
How to watch Yankees vs Red Sox: TV channel, stream
Tuesday's game will air on ESPN and can be streamed with Fubo.
Watch Yankees vs Red Sox on Fubo
Update on Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito
NEW YORK - Red Sox manager Alex Cora said that Giolito is unlikely to pitch again this season because of an elbow injury, which will keep him off the wild card roster against the Yankees.
He is on his way back. I am not 100% sure where we are at. From everything I am hearing, there's no structural damage -- which is great. There's a slight chance he can pitch. Rule him out probably," Cora said.
I think from a personal standpoint, those are good news for him, right? Kind of like hard to have surgery going into the offseason, all of that. Hopefully that's right. I will talk with B and talk to him later, but that's the last I heard.
Boone explains lineup changes for Game 1
NEW YORK - Jazz Chisholm, the Yankees' regular second baseman, is sitting in Game One and will be replaced in the lineup by Amed Rosario. Yankees manager Aaron Boone explained his decision in the pre-game press conference. Rosario is 6-for-9, with one home run lifetime against Red Sox starter Garrett Crochet.
"Jazz is doing good. I wouldn't hesitate to use Jazz. He could be in this game early. But, yeah, obviously as tough as Crochet is, you know, he has been especially tough on lefties," Boone said. "There's no great matchup. Amed has good history with him. Hit him well, faced him a lot this year. Felt like I wanted that extra right-handed bat in there.
"But Jazz is good to go. Will be ready to go. Also with Max, want the strength on the left side with my defense, all those kind of things come into play."
Yankees-Red Sox postseason history
This is the sixth time the Yankees and Red Sox have met in the postseason (ALCS: 1999, 2003, 2004; ALDS: 2018; AL wild card Game: 2021).
The teams are 12-12 in the postseason, but Boston has won eight of the last nine playoff games against New York.
During the 2025 regular season, the Red Sox went 9-4 against the Yankees, which included an eight-game winning streak.
Red Sox lineup today
- Rob Refsnyder (R) DH
- Trevor Story (R) SS
- Alex Bregman (R) 3B
- Romy Gonzalez (R) 1B
- Carlos Narváez (R) C
- Nate Eaton (R) RF
- Jarren Duran (L) LF
- Ceddanne Rafaela (R) CF
- Nick Sogard (S) 2B
Yankees lineup today
- Paul Goldschmidt (R) 1B
- Aaron Judge (R) RF
- Cody Bellinger (L) LF
- Giancarlo Stanton (R) DH
- Amed Rosario (R) 2B
- Trent Grisham (L) CF
- Anthony Volpe (R) SS
- Austin Wells (L) C
- José Caballero (R) 3B
Yankees playoff roster for wild card series
NEW YORK — Yankees manager Aaron Boone and his staff have settled on a 26-player roster - 12 pitchers and 14 position players - for the best-of-three AL wild card series against the Boston Red Sox.
Pitchers Ryan Yarbrough and Luis Gil and right-handed hitting outfielder Austin Slater did not make the cut, while lefty-hitting catcher J.C. Escarra and right-handed pitcher Paul Blackburn were added. — Pete Caldera, NorthJersey.com
Yankees vs Red Sox betting odds
MLB playoff bracket 2025
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees vs Red Sox live updates: MLB's best rivalry invades playoffs
Reporting by Gabe Lacques and Scooby Axson, USA TODAY / USA TODAY
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