NEW YORK (AP) — Going into the playoffs without a couple of their best young players and two starters, the depth-depleted Boston Red Sox turned to a rookie with four games of major league experience to pitch on the road in a winner-take-all situation.

Connelly Early handled the stage plenty well until his defense let him down and the New York Yankees' bats wore him down, eliminating Boston by winning Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series 4-0 on Thursday night. The Red Sox became the first team to lose in the best-of-three round after winning Game 1 since the expanded format came into existence in 2022.

“This is brutal,” third baseman and veteran leader Alex Bregman said. “We just didn’t get the job done.”

Not having right-handers Lucas Giolito and Tanner Houck available and losing Mar

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