Fried, Bellinger and García lead
Yankees over Red Sox 9-2 for 2-game Wild Card Series sweep
[October 01, 2026]
By RONALD BLUM
NEW YORK (AP) — One year after rallying past the Red Sox to win an
AL Wild Card Series, the New York Yankees battered Boston.
Max Fried dominated the Red Sox in the playoffs for the second
straight year, Cody Bellinger and Luis García Jr. homered, and the
Yankees rolled to a 9-2 win Wednesday night that completed a
two-game sweep.
“We enjoyed tonight. We got a lot more work to do,” Bellinger said.
New York will face AL East champion Tampa Bay in an AL Division
Series starting Saturday.
“The fans were electric from the first pitch and the boys were
hungry. We got a young, hungry team here," Yankees captain Aaron
Judge said as teammates sprayed him with bubbly during the clubhouse
celebration. “This makes me feel young every single time.”
Judge missed this series because of a calf injury and isn't sure
whether he will play against the Rays, who beat New York 7-6 in the
season series.
“Saturday’s a long ways away," he said.
Clinging to a 2-1 lead after Willson Contreras homered to end
Boston's 26-inning postseason scoreless streak, the Yankees broke
open the game with a six-run sixth after Spencer Jones reached on a
wild pitch while striking out leading off — with the help of a video
review.
García, acquired at the trade deadline, had three hits in his first
postseason start, and Bellinger had four RBIs that included a
three-run homer capping the sixth-inning burst that put New York
ahead 8-1.
“Step one,” said Bellinger, who caught the ceremonial first pitch
from his dad, Clay, a 2000 Yankees World Series champion. “Now we
got to go into Tampa and play against a tough team."
Boston, which reached the playoffs after rebounding from a 32-46
start, lost last year's wild-card matchup after defeating the
Yankees in the opener.
“Regardless of all the special things that happened this summer, and
there was quite a few, the goal is to win the World Series and that
ended for us tonight, so it’s frustrating,” Red Sox manager Chad
Tracy said. “There’s a lot of things you can say, but in the moment
right now, I think the guys only care that we lost. And it’s going
to take some time to get over that.”
Boston, which also got a seventh-inning homer from Nick Sogard off
Will Warren, was missing leadoff hitter Roman Anthony because of a
hand injury. The Red Sox were held to a .117 average in the series
(7 for 60) with 18 strikeouts and outscored 18-2.
Every starter had a hit for New York, which batted .382 in the
series. Boston's bullpen had a 20.25 ERA.
“We played great baseball in a lot of ways here, obviously anchored
by our two great starters," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Yankees batters hit .450 (9 for 20) with runners in scoring position
after finishing 19th among the 30 teams with a .246 RISP during the
regular season.
“I feel like it’s a whole new level from regular season to these
last two days,” Austin Wells said.
A day after Cam Schlittler led New York to a 9-0 win, Fried pitched
three-hit ball over six innings to win a postseason game for the
first time since the 2021 World Series clincher with Atlanta.
New York started eight left-handed hitters against Sonny Gray, back
on the mound where his career derailed during a dismal Yankees
stretch in 2017 and ’18.
[to top of second column] |
New York Yankees' Cody Bellinger follows through on a three-run home
run during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of
baseball's American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30,
2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
García's fourth-inning homer put the Yankees ahead
and Bellinger, one of the top lefty-on-lefty hitters in the major
leagues, added a fifth-inning RBI single against left-handed Erik
Miller, who had just relieved.
Gray was disappointed he wasn't allowed to face Bellinger.
“I think I’m the best pitcher in the American
League going through the order a third time. I think that’s a fact,”
Gray said. "I would’ve liked to live or die with me in that moment,
but that's the competitor I am. And, yeah, I think you can probably
ask the guys and they felt the same way. So I felt strong. I felt
confident. I felt convicted.”
Jones struck out both to start and end the bottom of the sixth, a
weird half-inning that included a wild pitch, throwing error, stolen
base, bunt single and intentional walk to Ben Rice that preceded
Bellinger's homer.
"I can’t believe they were willing to face a guy like Belli with men
on base there," Rice said.
Garrett Crochet, who beat the Yankees in last year's Wild Card
Series opener, hadn't pitched since April 25 because of left
shoulder inflammation when he bounced a sweeper off Adley
Rutschman's chest. The catcher picked up the ball and threw to
first, where umpire John Libka signaled that Jones was out. The
Yankees appealed and the call was reversed by the video umpire at
the commissioner's office.
“I couldn’t believe he was there,” Boone said. "I saw the ball
squirt away a little bit. I didn’t think that much of it, and looked
up and I was, like, 'Oh, he’s safe.'''
Jones swiped second and kept going to third when Rutschman’s throw
skipped into center. Rookie George Lombard Jr. singled for his first
postseason RBI, Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled and Trent Grisham loaded
the bases with a bunt single.
Wells' sacrifice fly against Garrett Whitlock increased the lead to
4-1, Ryan McMahon hit an RBI groundout and Rice, who had four hits
and six RBIs in the opener, was intentionally walked. Bellinger
reached down and pulled a changeup into the right-center field
seats.
Fried struck out six and walked one. He has allowed one run over 12
1/3 innings in the two Wild Card Series against the Red Sox.
“Definitely wasn’t sharp from the get-go but just wanted to
challenge them, not try to give any free passes, especially in the
first inning," Fried said.
After a night of celebration and a day off, the Yankees will head to
Florida on Friday.
“There’s just so much more to do,” Bellinger said after the big
night with his father on hand. “So obviously enjoy the moment,
understand how cool it is, but keep on going.”
Up Next
New York RHP Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61), who would have started a
third game against Boston, is likely to start Game 1 against the
Rays.
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