The Red Sox and Yankees locked in their Game 1 lineups just hours before first pitch Tuesday night, and Boston is rolling with Roman Anthony at the top of the order.
Anthony will lead things off for the Red Sox, with Adley Rutschman hitting second and Willson Contreras slotted third after being cleared to play following a hand injury. Boston’s lineup also includes Wilyer Abreu in right field, Ceddanne Rafaela in center, Nick Sogard at second, Jarren Duran in left, Trevor Story at short and Caleb Durbin at third.
New York’s biggest headline is the absence of Aaron Judge. He was not added to the Yankees’ 26-man roster, despite pushing to play after suffering a strained calf earlier this month, and he will not be in the lineup for the opener.
The Yankees will open with Paul Goldschmidt at first base, followed by Ben Rice as the DH and Heliot Ramos in right field. Cody Bellinger is in left, George Lombard Jr. at short, Amed Rosario at third, Anthony Volpe at second, Spencer Jones in center and Austin Wells behind the plate.
Game 1 is set for Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 8 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium in New York.
The series schedule calls for another game at Yankee Stadium on Sept. 30 at 8 p.m. ET, with a potential Game 3 on Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. ET if needed.
On the mound, the opener features Payton Tolle for Boston and Cam Schlittler for New York. The rest of the pitching matchups listed for the series are Sonny Gray against Max Fried in Game 2, and, if necessary, Ranger Suarez versus Gerrit Cole in Game 3.
In Other News...
Yankees Just Gave Red Sox Fans More Motivation Before The Wild Card
With the Wild Card round looming, the Red Sox are approaching this matchup the way October usually demands, one series at a time. Boston has been laying out its rotation with this specific test in mind, and Chad Tracy has kept the message centered on the immediate challenge rather than peeking ahead to anything beyond it.
Across the diamond, Aaron Boones comments about already weighing pitching strategies for the Divisional round only add a little extra fuel to an already charged playoff meeting. Whether Boone intended it or not, it gives Boston plenty of bulletin-board material heading into a Yankees-Red Sox showdown where the first job is simple: survive the opening round and make sure the conversation about later series gets cut short. [Read more 🡒]
Cam Schlittler Just Made Yankees-Red Sox Game 1 Even More Heated
The playoff stage at Yankee Stadium was already going to bring plenty of edge, but Cam Schlittler has helped turn the opener into something even more combustible. The Yankees starter has been trading public jabs with Red Sox fans online, leaning into the noise instead of ducking it, and that has only sharpened the atmosphere around a rivalry that hardly needed extra fuel.
For Boston, the matchup matters because it is not just another October game, it is the first look at a series that now comes with a little more bite. Schlittler is set to be one of the key figures in the spotlight, and his duel with Red Sox starter Payton Tolle adds another layer to a night already heavy with history, tension and the kind of crowd energy that can tilt a series before it really gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Rookie Suddenly Enters Yankees Wild Card Pitching Debate
The Red Sox have lined up their Wild Card Series rotation against the Yankees, with Payton Tolle set for Game 1, Sonny Gray for Game 2 and Ranger Surez available for a decisive Game 3 if it comes to that. But one of the more interesting developments came Friday, when rookie Jake Bennett worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings in relief, giving Boston another arm to think about as the games get tighter and every bullpen choice starts to matter.
Manager Chad Tracy still has a few pitching calls to make depending on how the series unfolds, and Bennetts outing only adds to the conversation. For a Red Sox staff that already has its starters mapped out, the bigger question may be how much trust Bennett has earned for October leverage, and whether his unexpected late-season push can turn into a real postseason role against their biggest rival. [Read more 🡒]