The Red Sox are making major adjustments for Game 2 of their wild-card series against the Yankees, and the biggest one is impossible to miss: Roman Anthony is out of the lineup.
Boston’s Game 1 group looked strong on paper Tuesday, but it didn’t produce much at all. The Red Sox managed only three hits, struck out 11 times and also lost Anthony to injury before the game was over. That setback carried straight into Wednesday, when the club unveiled a much different lineup for the must-win matchup.
Jarren Duran is also starting on the bench, with Eaton taking over in left field. Boston is clearly leaning into the matchup against Yankees starter Max Fried.
Jones, who has been described as a lefty killer, is 1-for-2 against Fried in two at-bats. Anthony, meanwhile, was 0-for-3 against him.
Duran has also struggled badly in the matchup, going 2-for-16 against Fried. Eaton has had more success, going 3-for-6 against the Yankees ace, including a double.
For Boston, the math is simple now: win and force a Game 3 on Thursday, or lose and watch the 2026 season end. The Red Sox will hand the ball to Sonny Gray against his former team, giving them a chance to keep the series alive.
There has already been plenty of reaction from Boston fans on social media since Anthony exited on Tuesday. Still, the Red Sox spent three months without their star outfielder and found a way into the postseason, so this is not a team that has been knocked out yet.
Game 1 was a rough start, but it only counts as one loss. Boston has a lineup that looks better against a lefty like Fried, and Gray gives them a shot to reset the series with one win.
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George Lombard Jr Just Gave Yankees Fans A New October Name
George Lombard Jr. gave the Yankees exactly the kind of jolt October can deliver, and he did it in a place where history tends to linger. In Game 1 of the American League wild-card series against the Red Sox, the rookie shortstop became the youngest player in Yankees history to collect a postseason hit, then kept swinging with the kind of confidence that stood out in a lopsided win.
Lombard finished 3 for 4 with two runs scored as New York rolled to a nine-run victory, a performance that instantly adds another name for fans to watch as the pressure rises. The Yankees now have a chance to close out the series in Game 2, and Lombards emergence only gives the club more reason to feel good about where this October story is headed. [Read more 🡒]
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The Yankees made sure the debate did not stay theoretical for long. After Tolle gave way to left-hander Erik Miller, Ben Rice jumped on the matchup and delivered a solo home run, the kind of swing that turns a managerial call into a talking point all over again. The larger question hanging over the night is whether Boston moved on Tolle too quickly for the setting, or whether the bullpen decision simply reflected the pressure of protecting a game that was already slipping into the late innings. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox May Have Created A Huge Roman Anthony Problem For The Bronx
Roman Anthonys return for the Boston Red Soxs final regular-season game looked like a significant step toward getting one of their most talented young hitters back on the field, but it did not come without concern. Anthony had already missed much of the season because of a right hand injury, and even in a game that was supposed to help set the tone for October, the hand became an issue again.
Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said the hand was uncomfortable and flared up on a check swing, which is the kind of development no team wants to hear this time of year. For the Yankees, the bigger question is not just whether Anthony can play, but whether Boston can count on him being anywhere close to fully functional if these clubs end up seeing each other in the postseason. [Read more 🡒]