Baseball's most storied rivalry is getting another October chapter. The Boston Red Sox clinched the second American League wild-card spot on Friday with a 4-3 win over the Chicago Cubs in Game 1 of a doubleheader, setting up a best-of-three Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees — a rematch of last postseason's series, which New York won.
The matchup
The Yankees enter as the No. 4 seed and the Red Sox as the No. 5 seed. The higher seed hosts every game, so the entire series will be played at Yankee Stadium: Game 1 on Tuesday, September 29, Game 2 on Wednesday, September 30, and a decisive Game 3 on Thursday, October 1, if needed. Every game airs on NBC, Peacock and NBCSN, with Hall of Famer CC Sabathia and Ahmed Fareed recapping the action on Peacock.
What is at stake
The winner advances to the best-of-five American League Division Series against the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays. The 2026 playoffs open with a quadruple-header on September 29: in the other AL wild-card matchup, the Chicago White Sox visit the Houston Astros, with the winner facing the Cleveland Guardians.
Injury watch
Both rosters have question marks. The Yankees are monitoring star Aaron Judge's right calf strain, while Boston is uncertain whether lefty Garrett Crochet — sidelined since late April with left shoulder inflammation — will be ready for the Wild Card roster. Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was activated this week after a right thumb sprain.
The Yankees took last year's series between the rivals. The Red Sox will get their chance to return the favor in the Bronx.
Sources: [Heavy: Yankees-Red Sox Wild Card Series Officially Set](https://heavy.com/sports/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-red-sox-wild-card-series-officially-set-heres-when-theyll-play/) | [NBC Sports: How to watch Red Sox vs. Yankees in 2026 MLB Wild Card Series](https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/how-to-watch-red-sox-vs-yankees-in-2026-mlb-wild-card-series-schedule-tv-stream-info-preview) | [USA Today: MLB playoffs bracket and standings](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2026/09/25/mlb-playoff-standings-bracket-wild-card-al-nl/91931351007/)
The matchup
The Yankees enter as the No. 4 seed and the Red Sox as the No. 5 seed. The higher seed hosts every game, so the entire series will be played at Yankee Stadium: Game 1 on Tuesday, September 29, Game 2 on Wednesday, September 30, and a decisive Game 3 on Thursday, October 1, if needed. Every game airs on NBC, Peacock and NBCSN, with Hall of Famer CC Sabathia and Ahmed Fareed recapping the action on Peacock.
What is at stake
The winner advances to the best-of-five American League Division Series against the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays. The 2026 playoffs open with a quadruple-header on September 29: in the other AL wild-card matchup, the Chicago White Sox visit the Houston Astros, with the winner facing the Cleveland Guardians.
Injury watch
Both rosters have question marks. The Yankees are monitoring star Aaron Judge's right calf strain, while Boston is uncertain whether lefty Garrett Crochet — sidelined since late April with left shoulder inflammation — will be ready for the Wild Card roster. Yankees second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was activated this week after a right thumb sprain.
The Yankees took last year's series between the rivals. The Red Sox will get their chance to return the favor in the Bronx.
Sources: [Heavy: Yankees-Red Sox Wild Card Series Officially Set](https://heavy.com/sports/mlb/new-york-yankees/yankees-red-sox-wild-card-series-officially-set-heres-when-theyll-play/) | [NBC Sports: How to watch Red Sox vs. Yankees in 2026 MLB Wild Card Series](https://www.nbcsports.com/mlb/news/how-to-watch-red-sox-vs-yankees-in-2026-mlb-wild-card-series-schedule-tv-stream-info-preview) | [USA Today: MLB playoffs bracket and standings](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2026/09/25/mlb-playoff-standings-bracket-wild-card-al-nl/91931351007/)
