The New York Yankees finished off the Boston Red Sox in two games, rolling to a 9-2 win Wednesday night and punching their ticket to the American League Division Series.
The Yankees had already blanked Boston 9-0 in Game 1 on Tuesday. Combined, they outscored the Red Sox 18-2 and outhit them 26-7 across 18 innings at Yankee Stadium.
New York finished the regular season 93-68, second in the AL East and 4.5 games behind Tampa Bay. The Rays went 98-64 and earned a first-round bye as the American League’s top seed.
Aaron Judge did not play. The Yankees left the three-time AL MVP off the 26-man Wild Card roster because of a moderate right calf strain suffered Sept. 16, his seventh game back from a rib fracture that had already cost him most of the summer.
Luis Garcia Jr. opened the scoring in Game 2 with a solo homer off Sonny Gray in the fourth. Cody Bellinger added an RBI single in the fifth.
Willson Contreras answered with a solo homer in the sixth that cut the lead to 2-1 and ended Boston’s 26-inning postseason scoreless streak. The Yankees then scored six times in the bottom half.
George Lombard Jr., Austin Wells and Ryan McMahon each drove in a run before Bellinger launched a three-run homer. New York added one more in the seventh. Nick Sogard’s solo shot accounted for Boston’s second run.
Max Fried worked six innings, allowing one run on three hits with six strikeouts. Cam Schlittler had thrown a similar gem in Game 1. Together the two starters logged 12 1/3 innings, 16 strikeouts and one run allowed.
Ben Rice supplied much of the Game 1 damage, driving in six runs with a pair of homers, including a grand slam. The Yankees never trailed in either contest and led for 14 of the 18 innings.
Manager Aaron Boone spoke after the sweep.
“We played great baseball and if we play like that we can beat anybody,” Boone said. “It’s two games in what we hope is a long month. But really proud of them. That’s a really good team that persevered through a lot over there and runs a lot of good pitchers at you.”
“We know we’re going to take on a great Rays team in a few days,” Boone added.
The best-of-five ALDS opens Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field. Game 2 is Monday at 8 p.m. The series then shifts to Yankee Stadium for Games 3 and 4, with a possible Game 5 returning to Tampa on Oct. 10.
Tampa Bay won the season series 7-6. The clubs last met in October in the 2020 ALDS, which the Rays won in five games.
New York used little of its bullpen in the Wild Card round, giving the staff two full days off before the trip south. Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodon is expected to start Game 1, with Fried and Schlittler lined up behind them.
Judge continues rehab and could be added to the ALDS roster. Boone has said the extra days will help determine whether the captain is ready.
The Yankees now face a Rays club built on pitching depth, defense and situational hitting. Both teams posted strong run differentials during the regular season, setting up a rematch of AL East rivals with a trip to the ALCS on the line.
