The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox are set to face off in Game 3 of the American League Wild Card Series on Thursday at Yankee Stadium. The game, which will determine which team advances, is scheduled for 8:08 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ESPN.
Yankees rookie Cam Schlittler, a Massachusetts native, has been given the start in this decisive matchup. Schlittler began the season with Double-A Somerset before earning a place in the Yankees’ rotation in July. “I would say growing up in Boston, I take pride in being from Boston,” Schlittler said. “When it came to my career and where I want to be, this is where I want to be.” This will be his first time facing the Red Sox at the major league level.
The Red Sox have named Connelly Early as their starting pitcher after Lucas Giolito was ruled out due to injury. Early made his Major League debut in September and has started four games for Boston so far. He earned a win against Oakland during his debut outing. “I have complete confidence in this team,” said Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran. “We’ve been through stuff like this before, and we’ve been resilient all year, so I’m excited to see what we can do tomorrow.”
Early’s performance has drawn attention for his composure on the mound despite limited experience at age 23.
Both teams are making lineup adjustments based on pitching matchups. The Red Sox plan to field their regular starters against a right-handed pitcher, while the Yankees may opt for Ben Rice at first base rather than repeating their Game 1 configuration.
In terms of bullpen usage, both clubs expect most relievers to be available except for those who pitched extensively in Game 2.
The Red Sox are missing several key players due to injuries: starter Giolito, rookie outfielder Roman Anthony (left oblique), and infielder Marcelo Mayer (right wrist surgery). The Yankees report that Aaron Judge is still recovering from a flexor tendon strain suffered earlier this season but has returned to play regularly since early September; Giancarlo Stanton continues to deal with tennis elbow issues but remains active.
Several players enter Game 3 with strong recent performances. For Boston, Trevor Story contributed all three runs in Game 2 with a two-run single and solo home run; Masataka Yoshida also had success as a pinch-hitter. For New York, Judge is hitting .500 over two playoff games while Anthony Volpe is also performing well; Stanton has struggled offensively thus far.
This matchup marks the sixth postseason series between these rivals since 1999.
