Cody Bellinger hit a three-run homer during a six-run sixth inning and finished with four RBIs as the New York Yankees pulled away for a 9-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, completing a two-game sweep of the American League wild-card series.
The Yankees beat the Red Sox in the wild-card round for the second straight year — and were far more prolific at the plate than last year, when they needed three games to advance. Despite the absence of Aaron Judge, who has a strained right calf, New York scored 18 runs and totalled 26 hits in the series.
Bellinger capped the big sixth inning by driving a 1-0 changeup from Garrett Whitlock into the right-center-field seats after Boston intentionally walked Ben Rice, pushing New York's lead to 8-1. He had earlier chopped an RBI single in the fifth to make it 2-0. Luis Garcia Jr. opened the scoring with a solo homer off Sonny Gray in the fourth.
Max Fried followed Cam Schlittler's dominant Game 1 outing by allowing one run on three hits in six innings, striking out six and walking one. The sixth inning was sparked by rookie Spencer Jones, who reached on a wild-pitch strikeout, beat catcher Adley Rutschman's throw on an overturned call, stole second and scored on George Lombard Jr.'s single. Austin Wells added a sacrifice fly and an RBI single, while Ryan McMahon chipped in with an RBI groundout.
Crochet, making his first appearance since April 25 after recovering from a shoulder ailment, was charged with four runs without recording an out. Willson Contreras homered off Fried in the sixth and Nick Sogard homered in the seventh for Boston.
New York now advances to the AL Division Series against the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays, with the best-of-five series beginning Saturday in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The Red Sox finished with just seven hits in the series, a disappointing end to a season in which they overcame firing their manager in April and a 32-46 record in late June. A 32-5 surge that included a 15-game winning streak carried them into playoff contention, but their bats went quiet in the final month.
Sources:
https://www.reuters.com/sports/base...-cap-one-sided-sweep-red-sox--flm-2026-10-01/
The Yankees beat the Red Sox in the wild-card round for the second straight year — and were far more prolific at the plate than last year, when they needed three games to advance. Despite the absence of Aaron Judge, who has a strained right calf, New York scored 18 runs and totalled 26 hits in the series.
Bellinger capped the big sixth inning by driving a 1-0 changeup from Garrett Whitlock into the right-center-field seats after Boston intentionally walked Ben Rice, pushing New York's lead to 8-1. He had earlier chopped an RBI single in the fifth to make it 2-0. Luis Garcia Jr. opened the scoring with a solo homer off Sonny Gray in the fourth.
Max Fried followed Cam Schlittler's dominant Game 1 outing by allowing one run on three hits in six innings, striking out six and walking one. The sixth inning was sparked by rookie Spencer Jones, who reached on a wild-pitch strikeout, beat catcher Adley Rutschman's throw on an overturned call, stole second and scored on George Lombard Jr.'s single. Austin Wells added a sacrifice fly and an RBI single, while Ryan McMahon chipped in with an RBI groundout.
Crochet, making his first appearance since April 25 after recovering from a shoulder ailment, was charged with four runs without recording an out. Willson Contreras homered off Fried in the sixth and Nick Sogard homered in the seventh for Boston.
New York now advances to the AL Division Series against the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays, with the best-of-five series beginning Saturday in St. Petersburg, Florida.
The Red Sox finished with just seven hits in the series, a disappointing end to a season in which they overcame firing their manager in April and a 32-46 record in late June. A 32-5 surge that included a 15-game winning streak carried them into playoff contention, but their bats went quiet in the final month.
Sources:
https://www.reuters.com/sports/base...-cap-one-sided-sweep-red-sox--flm-2026-10-01/
