Red Sox-Yankees AL Wild Card Series Game 2 FAQ (6 ET, ESPN)

NEW YORK -- The stage is set for another October showdown in the Bronx, where the Red Sox can punch their ticket into the next round and the Yankees must fight to keep their season alive. After Boston claimed Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, the rivals return to Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night with plenty on the line.

Carlos Rodón and Brayan Bello will match up in a contest where history tilts heavily toward the visitors: in the history of best-of-three Wild Card Series, Game 1 winners have gone on to win the series 18 of 20 times (90%), including 16 sweeps.

“Hopefully we can continue that,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “We have a tough one tomorrow again. Rodón has been amazing throughout this season. They are going to have their left-handed hitters in the lineup. We have Brayan [Bello], who likes it here, and has pitched well throughout his career. I expect [Game 2] to be just like this one.”

The Sox have eliminated New York in each of their last three postseason meetings (2004 AL Championship Series, ‘18 AL Division Series, ‘21 Wild Card Game), adding another layer to baseball’s most storied rivalry. For the Yankees, the mission is simple -- win or go home.

Red Sox: With Lucas Giolito expected to miss the rest of the postseason, Bello’s first career postseason start in Game 2 takes on added importance as the Red Sox try to close out this best-of-three series. Bello (11-9, 3.35 ERA) had the best regular season of his career, though he was ordinary in his last three starts, going 0-3 with a 5.79 ERA.

The stage of Yankee Stadium has traditionally brought out the best in Bello, who is 3-1 with a 1.44 ERA in five career starts in the Bronx. That includes a gem this season, when he went seven shutout innings to beat Max Fried, 1-0, on Aug. 22. In particular, Bello loves the mound at Yankee Stadium.

Yankees: Rodón (18-9, 3.09 ERA) is coming off the sharpest of his three seasons as a Yankee thus far, having registered new career highs in wins, starts and innings (195 1/3). The lefty spoke Tuesday about his more composed demeanor on the mound, something he has worked to command, with assistance from Andy Pettitte and Gerrit Cole.

Rodón faced the Red Sox three times during the regular season, going 1-2 with a 5.74 ERA. His most recent outing against them was his best, an Aug. 24 win in the Bronx where he held Boston to two runs over 5 2/3 innings.

Red Sox: Boston wasn’t able to get anything going against Fried in Game 1, but did scratch out three runs against New York’s bullpen. Cora will once again prioritize platoon advantages against Rodón.

Yankees: With a right-hander on the mound, manager Aaron Boone projects to trot out his usual nine, returning Ben Rice and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to starting duty. The Yankees hit 274 homers during the regular season, the second-most in franchise history, behind only the 306 clubbed by the 2019 squad.

Red Sox: Game 1 was just the second time all season Cora has asked the 37-year-old Chapman to get more than four outs. The lefty needed 24 pitches, but he will surely be available in Game 2 with a chance to close out the series. Starter Garrett Crochet and Chapman combined for all 27 outs on Tuesday, leaving Cora with a rested ‘pen beyond his closer. Stud setup man Garrett Whitlock should play a big role if the Red Sox can play from ahead. Justin Slaten is another pitcher who will throw in high-leverage spots.

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 doesn’t appear to be at full force -- something Boston tested in Game 1. Chisholm was hit on the left forearm by a pitch on Saturday and was out of the Game 162 lineup, though he came off the bench late. Stanton is still playing through tennis elbow in both arms, but it appears manageable.

Red Sox: It was a good sign for Alex Bregman to get two hits while playing in his 100th career postseason game on Tuesday. Bregman slumped in September, and he hasn’t had the same impact at the plate since returning in July from a severe right quad injury. Despite three strikeouts, Trevor Story also had two hits after getting just one in his final 12 at-bats of the regular season. Jarren Duran, Boston’s lone lefty in the Game 1 lineup vs. Fried, hit .233 in September with a .692 OPS. When he gets hot, it usually rubs off on the rest of the offense.

Yankees: Judge, Stanton and Rice were among those swinging hot bats going into the playoffs. Volpe had two hits, including a homer, in Game 1. Williams' last six relief outings have been sharp, including a scoreless inning in Game 1. It's been a scuffle for McMahon, batting just .208 with four homers since his July acquisition from the Rockies.

Masataka Yoshida’s two-run single that proved to be the difference in Game 1 was the fourth time in franchise history a Red Sox hitter recorded a go-ahead hit as a pinch-hitter in postseason play, and the most recent since Rafael Devers in Game 4 of the 2018 World Series.

Bregman is the eighth player in MLB history to play at least 100 career postseason games, joining Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada, Bernie Williams, David Justice, Manny Ramirez, Jose Altuve and Yadier Molina. He has been in the playoffs nine out of 10 years in his career.

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