Here we go again: Yankees vs. Red Sox in October for the first time in four years. This time, it’s in the wild-card series, with the Yankees holding home-field advantage for all three potential games, but Boston handled the Yankees well home and away this season, winning nine of 13 overall and going 5-2 in The Bronx. In the playoffs, the rivals are 12-12 in 24 postseason games, and the Red Sox have won the past three series — most recently the one-game wild card at Fenway Park in 2021. noti.group’s Dan Martin breaks down how the teams match up going into Tuesday’s series opener.
At the plate
Getting on base: The Yankees offense has been led throughout the year by Aaron Judge, who not only delivered with his power, but this season got on base at a career-best clip. He led the majors in batting average. And this time of year, Giancarlo Stanton is expert at getting on base and hitting it out.
The lineup has been more well-rounded with the additions of Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr., as well as the emergence of Trent Grisham and Ben Rice, and Paul Goldschmidt’s consistency. Boston arrives with a different roster than many would have predicted prior to their stunning midseason trade of Rafael Devers, but Romy Gonzalez has developed into a consistent threat and — when healthy — Alex Bregman has delivered at the plate. Rob Refsnyder, like Gonzalez, is lethal against lefties.
Edge: Yankees
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
