It all comes down to this. After the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 4-3 in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series on Wednesday night , the two teams will meet again in a series-deciding Game 3 matchup between two rookie pitchers on Thursday night.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after Wednesday's game that 23-year-old rookie Connelly Early, who has made four major league starts, will start Game 3.

Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. WATCH HERE

“It comes down to this game, and I’m excited to get out there," said Early, who learned of the news from pitching coach Andrew Bailey right around the time Cora announced it. "I’ve stuck to all my preparation and feel pretty good, so I’m ready to go out there and do it.”

Early is the first pitcher to start a winner

See Full Page