Yankees Sweep Red Sox in Wild Card, Advance to ALDS vs. Rays

The New York Yankees swept the Boston Red Sox in the American League Wild Card Series with a 9-2 Game 2 win Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, advancing to an AL Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, MLB.com and Yahoo Sports reported.

Cody Bellinger drove in four runs, including a three-run home run that capped a six-run sixth, while Max Fried allowed three hits and one run over six innings with six strikeouts, both outlets recount. Luis García Jr. opened the scoring with a fourth-inning solo shot off Sonny Gray—his first career postseason homer—and finished 3-for-5, Yahoo Sports notes.

New York outscored Boston 18-2 across the two-game set and eliminated the Red Sox in the Wild Card round for a second straight year, MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch writes. Aaron Judge remained on the injured list with a strained right calf; García, acquired from the Nationals in August after a 30-homer regular season, supplied power in the captain’s absence, both reports say. Associated Press coverage carried by The Washington Times likewise frames New York’s next test as a best-of-five against the AL East–champion Rays.

Willson Contreras briefly cut the deficit to 2-1 with a sixth-inning solo homer that snapped Boston’s playoff scoring drought, Yahoo Sports details, before the Yankees erupted. Reliever Garrett Crochet, returning from a shoulder injury that had kept him out since April 25, was charged as the inning unraveled after a dropped third strike and a throwing error helped load the bases. Gray exited to boos after 4.2 innings before a sellout crowd of 49,004.

ALDS Game 1 is set for Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field, with TBS, truTV, UniMás, and HBO Max listed as carriers, MLB.com says. Pitching coach Matt Blake told MLB.com the Yankees plan to start either Gerrit Cole or Carlos Rodón in the opener; Tampa Bay enters with a bye and five days’ rest after a 98-64 AL-best regular season, the AP wrap notes. Manager Aaron Boone said New York is “excited to get our shot at a really good Tampa club.”

For readers following October baseball on Sports, verified as of Oct. 1 reports: Yankees sweep Red Sox 2-0 (Game 2 final 9-2); Bellinger four RBI with a three-run homer; Fried six strong innings; García Jr. early homer; series advances to ALDS vs. Rays starting Saturday in St. Petersburg—no claim that New York’s Game 1 starter has been officially named beyond Cole-or-Rodón guidance from the pitching coach.