NEW YORK – The Yankees†hopes of toppling the Red Sox and advancing out of the American League Wild Card Series rest on the right arm of a Massachusetts rookie, the son of a suburban Boston police chief.
Cam Schlittler will take the ball in Thursdayâ€s win-or-go-home Game 3, forced after the Yankees notched a 4-3 victory over their historic rivals Wednesday in the Bronx. For the 24-year-old, raised in Walpole, Mass., and having opened this season with Double-A Somerset, itâ€s a meteoric rise to the biggest assignment of his young career: trying to pitch New York into the next round.
“I would say growing up in Boston, I take pride in being from Boston,†Schlittler said. “When it came to my career and where I want to be, this is where I want to be.â€
“I have complete confidence in this team,†said Boston outfielder Jarren Duran. “We’ve been through stuff like this before, and we’ve been resilient all year, so I’m excited to see what we can do tomorrow.â€
When is the game and how can I watch it?
Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series will be played at 8:08 p.m. ET Thursday. ESPN will televise the contest.
All series are available in the US on MLB.TV with authentication to a participating Pay TV provider. Games also are available live internationally, although not in Canada.
Who are the starting pitchers?
Red Sox: Connelly Early (1-2, 2.33 ERA) will fill in for Giolito in just his fifth Major League start and first in the postseason. Early was called up by the Red Sox on Sept. 9 to replace the ailing Dustin May. He had a dominant debut in West Sacramento, punching out 11 in five scoreless innings against the Athletics. Other than a tough first inning vs. the Rays in Tampa in his third start, Early has been remarkably poised for a 23-year-old who was drafted in the fifth round out of Virginia just two years ago.
Though Early isnâ€t overpowering like Schlittler, his pitch mix is what sets him apart. The Red Sox have also continually mentioned Earlyâ€s calm demeanor, which could serve him well on a night when the season is on the line.
Yankees: Cam Schlittler (4-3, 2.96 ERA) showcased triple-digit velocity through his first 14 big league starts, promoted in July as a fill-in before quickly earning a trusted spot in the rotation. This will mark Schlittler’s first career outing vs. the Red Sox, though he did face them once as a Northeastern University freshman in a Fort Myers, Fla., exhibition.
Schlittler’s most recent outing was a commanding effort against the Orioles on Sept. 27, blanking Baltimore on two hits over seven innings while issuing one walk and striking out nine.
What are the starting lineups?
Red Sox: At last facing a righty, the Red Sox will break out their “A” lineup for the first time in this series. That will open up the chance for Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida and Nathaniel Lowe to make their first starts in this postseason.
Yankees: With an opposing lefty on the mound, some might expect the Yanks to return to their Game 1 lineup. Not so fast. While they expected Garrett Crochet to go deep, Early is likely to be on a shorter leash in an elimination game. Ben Rice is in the lineup over Paul Goldschmidt.
How will the bullpens line up after the starter?
Red Sox: Other than Garrett Whitlock, who threw a season-high 47 pitches in the Game 2 loss, manager Alex Cora should have his entire bullpen available. Closer Aroldis Chapman, who threw 24 pitches while saving Game 1, didnâ€t pitch on Wednesday.
Yankees: Itâ€s all hands on deck in an elimination game. In Game 2, Fernando Cruz threw 14 pitches, Devin Williams threw 19 and David Bednar 16. Cruz, Williams and Bednar also worked in Game 1.
Any injuries of note?
Red Sox: The Red Sox are without No. 3 starter Giolito, stud rookie outfielder Roman Anthony (left oblique) and infielder Marcelo Mayer (right wrist surgery). Other than that, all the teamâ€s key players are healthy.
Yankees: Judge sustained a right flexor tendon strain in July that kept him out of the outfield until Sept. 5. Initially cautious, he has uncorked stronger throws of late, but he doesnâ€t appear to be at full strength — something Boston tested in Game 1. Stanton is still playing through tennis elbow in both arms, but it appears manageable.
Who is hot and who is not?
Red Sox: Storyâ€s resurgent season carried into the postseason in Game 2, when he hammered a two-run single and a solo homer to account for all of Bostonâ€s runs. Yoshida, one of the clubâ€s hottest hitters down the stretch, went 2-for-2 as a pinch-hitter in the first two games. Gonzalez has had a tough series so far, going 0-for-6.
Yankees: Judge, Stanton and Rice were among those swinging hot bats going into the playoffs. Judge is 4-for-8 in the playoffs, while Volpe is 3-for-7, but Stanton is 0-for-8.
Anything else fans might want to know?
• This will be Earlyâ€s fifth career appearance, including the playoffs, and Schlittlerâ€s 15th. Itâ€ll be the first game in postseason history between two starters each making his 15th career appearance or fewer (regular season plus postseason combined), according to Elias.
• The Yankees are 9-3 in their past 12 potential elimination games at home since 2017 and 13-6 in their past 19 such games at home since ‘05.
• This marks the sixth time the Red Sox and Yankees have met in a postseason series: 1999 ALCS (Yankees win, 4-1), 2003 ALCS (Yankees win, 4-3), ‘04 ALCS (Red Sox win, 4-3), ‘18 ALDS (Red Sox win, 3-1) and ‘21 AL Wild Card Game (won by the Red Sox).
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