Yankees Sweep Red Sox in AL Wild Card Series, Advance to Face Rays in ALDS

The New York Yankees swept the Boston Red Sox in a two-game American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium, clinching a 9-2 victory on Wednesday night to punch their ticket to the AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. For the second straight postseason, the Yankees eliminated their historic rivals in the Bronx.

Left-hander Max Fried delivered six innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and striking out five while walking one. The start followed Cam Schlittler’s 5 2/3-inning, one-run outing in Game 1, giving the Yankees a combined 11 2/3 innings of one-run pitching from their rotation in the series. Fried’s performance kept Boston’s lineup in check until the bats took over.

Por que importa

“Being able to celebrate with your teammates after a playoff series win is, it doesn’t get old,” Fried said. “This is what we start practicing in February for. This is where we want to be.”

The series was expected to be low-scoring given the pitching matchups, but the Yankees offense broke through early and often. Luis García Jr., acquired from the Nationals in August, hit a home run in the fourth inning off former Yankee Sonny Gray to open the scoring. García, who was born in New York and grew up a Yankees fan before moving to the Dominican Republic, pointed toward the crowd as he crossed home plate. He hit 30 home runs during the regular season, including seven after the trade.

Contexto

Cody Bellinger added a run-scoring single in the fifth inning off left-hander Erik Miller, marking the second straight night Miller allowed a run to the first batter he faced. Ben Rice had homered off Miller in Game 1.

Key facts

The Yankees broke the game open with a six-run sixth inning, sending 10 batters to the plate. Rookie shortstop George Lombard Jr. collected his first postseason RBI, and Austin Wells and Ryan McMahon drove in runs to extend the lead. Bellinger capped the inning with a three-run home run off Garrett Whitlock, sending a changeup into the seats and igniting the Yankee Stadium crowd.

“I really just kind of enjoyed it,” Bellinger said of his trip around the bases. “This atmosphere is so fun to play in. Hopefully we get many more this coming month.”

Bellinger had caught the ceremonial first pitch from his father, Clay Bellinger, before the game.

For the Red Sox, Willson Contreras and Nick Sogard homered. Contreras’ sixth-inning shot off Fried ended a 26-inning postseason scoreless streak for Boston that dated back to Game 2 of the 2025 AL Wild Card Series, also in the Bronx.

Aaron Boone praised his team’s performance against a Red Sox club that fought back from a midseason low to secure a playoff spot. “That was very satisfying to play that well in these two games,” Boone said. “They played great and beat a really good team that deserves a lot of credit for being down and out in the middle of the season and fought their way back.”

The Yankees now turn their attention to the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays. Game 1 of the ALDS is scheduled for Saturday at Tropicana Field. The Yankees will need to continue their offensive production without Aaron Judge, who remains on the injured list. García and Bellinger have provided much of the power in his absence.

The Rays won the AL East with a 99-63 record and swept the season series against the Yankees 10-3 in 2026. The matchup features two of the league’s best pitching staffs and a deep rivalry within the division.

The Yankees will hold a workout day on Thursday before traveling to St. Petersburg, Florida, on Friday. The ALDS is a best-of-five series.

Source: MLB Official News RSS, https://www.mlb.com/news/yankees-win-al-wild-card-series-2026