The postseason begins with one of baseball’s greatest rivalries: the Boston Red Sox travel to Yankee Stadium to open the the AL Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees. With just one win away from advancing (in this best-of-three format), Game 1 is loaded with tension, history, and high stakes. Here’s when and where to watch, the key matchups to follow, and what each team brings to the field.
When and where to watch
- Date & Time: Tuesday, September 30 – 6:08 p.m. ET
- Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, New York
- Broadcast / Streaming: ESPN (U.S.)
- Series Format: Best-of-three; Yankees host all games due to better regular-season record
Probable pitching matchup and key figures
- Red Sox starter: Garrett Crochet (18-5, 2.59 ERA) will make his first career postseason start.
- Yankees starter: Max Fried (19-5, 2.86 ERA) gets the nod for New York.
- Season series edge: Boston won 9 of 13 regular-season head-to-head games against New York.
- Yankees’ home strength: New York enjoyed a strong record at home in 2025.
Analysts lean slightly toward New York given home field and pitching matchups. Some projections put Yankees at ~55 % chance to win Game 1. A sample prediction: Yankees 5, Red Sox 4.
Game 1 between the Yankees and Red Sox is a showdown of history, fire, and postseason pressure. A win here gives the victor a huge psychological edge in a short series. Expect both clubs to bring everything they’ve got – this is October, where every pitch matters.
Read the full article here
