Red Sox-Yankees AL Wild Card Series Game 2 FAQ (8 ET, NBC/Peacock)

NEW YORK -- The Yankees came off the field brimming with confidence after the first game of the American League Wild Card Series, and with good reason. Cam Schlittler shoved, Ben Rice drove in six runs, and the Red Sox never seemed able to punch back.

So even while Frank Sinatra crooned over the loudspeakers and the Yankees shook hands, everyone in pinstripes also recognized how quickly the outlook can change, especially in a best-of-three series. The electricity of a home crowd will be on the Bombers’ side again in Wednesday’s Game 2, but the job isn’t finished.

“You enjoy it for a minute,” manager Aaron Boone said. “But it’s getting right back after it [Wednesday], knowing that we’ll have a chance to close it out.”

The Red Sox faced their share of adversity during the regular season, and they’re confident they can succeed again in the postseason, even while on the brink of elimination in Game 2.

“[Wednesday] is another day,” said Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu. “We can come back and win the series. We still have two more games, so I'm very optimistic about our team, and tomorrow is going to be a really good day for us.”

When is the game and how can I tune in?

First pitch for Game 2 of the Red Sox-Yankees Wild Card Series is set for 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. The game will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

The Wild Card Series will be available in Spanish on Universo, while Univision Radio will provide Spanish language audio coverage. ESPN Radio will provide live national coverage of all 2026 MLB Postseason games, beginning with the Wild Card Series.

Who are the starting pitchers?

Red Sox: Sonny Gray, RHP
Key stats: 1.15 WHIP; led Boston starters with a 2.72 ERA

Gray, at 36, is having one of the best seasons of his career in his first year with Boston. He easily leads the Red Sox in quality starts with 20. The Yankees are one of his former teams, and the only one he didn’t perform well for in his career.

In six career postseason starts, Gray is 1-3 with a 3.26 ERA. This will be his first time pitching in the postseason since a start for the Twins in the 2023 Division Series against the Astros.

Yankees: Max Fried, LHP
Key stats: 1.93 career regular-season ERA vs. Boston (7 GS)

Fried's pinstriped postseason debut took place one year ago to the date on Tuesday, when he hurled 6 1/3 scoreless innings against Boston -- a game the Yankees lost, 3-1. His next playoff start was even more difficult to swallow, thumped for seven runs in a loss at Toronto.

He's looking to correct that narrative in Game 2. Fried held the Red Sox to one run over 11 2/3 innings across two starts this season, including eight scoreless innings in an April 22 gem at Fenway Park. He most recently faced them on Aug. 29, when he was limited to 63 pitches in his first start since returning from a stint on the injured list for a left elbow bone bruise.

What might the starting lineups look like?

Red Sox: Not only will Boston’s lineup look a little different facing a lefty in Fried, but the team might have to play without leadoff hitter Roman Anthony, who exited Game 1 after two at-bats with discomfort in the right hand/wrist area that knocked him out for nearly four months this season.

1. Jahmai Jones, DH
2. Adley Rutschman, C
3. Wilyer Abreu, RF
4. Willson Contreras, 1B
5. Ceddanne Rafaela, CF
6. Trevor Story, SS
7. Caleb Durbin, 3B
8. Nick Sogard, 2B
9. Nate Eaton, LF

Yankees: Look for the Yankees to flip back to a more conventional lineup against Gray, a right-hander. Jazz Chisholm Jr. should be back in at second base after Anthony Volpe drew the Game 1 start; Chisholm wasn’t happy about it, but Boone said Chisholm’s September wrist injury and Volpe’s solid play would make a platoon possible.

1. Ben Rice, DH
2. Cody Bellinger, LF
3. Luis García Jr., 1B
4. Spencer Jones, RF
5. Trent Grisham, CF
6. Jazz Chisholm Jr., 2B
7. George Lombard Jr., SS
8. Austin Wells, C
9. Ryan McMahon, 3B

How will the bullpens line up after the starter?

Red Sox: The Red Sox didn’t use Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock or Garrett Crochet in Game 1, putting the bullpen in relatively good shape for Game 2. Red Sox manager Chad Tracy deployed five relievers on Tuesday, but none for more than four outs. Boston has a nine-man bullpen in this series.

Yankees: The lopsided Game 1 helped the Yankees avoid using closer David Bednar late. Paul Blackburn was efficient, needing only 18 pitches to record five outs. John Schreiber finished it off with 11 pitches in the ninth. Otherwise, everyone is fresh, thanks to rainouts on Saturday and Sunday to close the regular season against Baltimore.

Any injuries of note?

Red Sox: All eyes will be on Anthony and his prognosis for Game 2 and beyond.

“I don't know [the severity] yet,” Tracy said after Game 1. “We're still talking through it. The game just ended, but it's difficult. Obviously it flares up on him and it becomes uncomfortable, and you have to make a move there. So we'll see what the next steps are, but yeah, it was difficult.”

Crochet is at last healthy, but hasn’t pitched in a game since April 25, so it will be interesting to see if he can shake off the rust when the pressure is at its peak.

Yankees: Aaron Judge is inactive for the AL Wild Card Series, continuing to rehab from a strained right soleus. Judge performed on-field running before Tuesday’s game, the first time he has done so since sustaining the injury. He also took live at-bats during Monday’s workout. Ryan Weathers is rehabbing from a left flexor strain and was left off the Wild Card roster, but touched 96 mph recently and is considered in play if the club advances.

Who is hot and who is not?

Red Sox: To be blunt, the Red Sox are cold as a unit offensively. They managed just three hits in Game 1. It was a carryover from the final month of the regular season, when Boston was last in MLB in runs per game, batting average and OPS.

From a pitching standpoint, Chapman didn’t allow a run in his final five outings of the regular season. Whitlock didn’t allow an earned run in eight September outings.

Yankees: Rice is sizzling, going 4-for-5 with two homers and six RBIs in Game 1. But that’s nothing new; Rice hit six homers in September to finish the regular season with 41. Lombard had three hits in his postseason debut, showing no signs that the playoff spotlight would be too much for him to handle. Wells’ season numbers don’t look great, but he’s off to a solid start in the playoffs after a decent September. Blackburn’s outing shouldn’t be overlooked; including Game 1, he has pitched to a 0.83 ERA over his last 42 games (since June 21).

Anything else fans might want to know?

Dating back to Game 3 of last year’s Wild Card Series, the Red Sox haven’t scored in their last two postseason games. It was the first time the Sox were shut out in consecutive games in the playoffs in franchise history.

In the history of the best-of-three Wild Card Series, teams taking a 1-0 lead have gone on to win the series 21 of 24 times (88%), including 17 two-game sweeps. Home teams have won all nine series in which they have gone ahead 1-0, including eight sweeps.