ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Last October, Cam Schlittler ended the Red Sox's season. On Tuesday night, the Wapole, Mass. native gets the first crack at doing it again.
The Yankees will start Schlittler in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series against the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium, manager Aaron Boone announced Sunday
. Max Fried starts Game 2 on Wednesday. Gerrit Cole pitches Game 3 on Thursday if the series gets that far.The Yankees took their time getting here. For most of the last week, they debated holding Schlittler for Game 2 to go easier on his arm, with Fried or Cole opening.
Schlittler went 14-6 with a 1.95 ERA this season. He struck out 239 in 193 ⅔ innings over 33 starts and held hitters to a 0.92 WHIP. No Yankees pitcher had posted
a lower ERA since 1978. He's the favorite for the AL Cy Young Award.
Boston has already seen what he can do in this series. Last October, he struck out 12 over eight scoreless innings in the deciding game in the Bronx. That was Game 3. The Yankees needed it because Fried lost Game 1, and they came back behind Carlos Rodón and Schlittler.
Our starting pitchers for the Wild Card Series: #RepBX pic.twitter.com/ZksaF8SH0t
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 27, 2026
This time Fried pitches second. Injuries have broken up his season, and he hasn't thrown more than 100 pitches in a game since May. Rodón (7-3, 2.67 ERA) is left out of the wild card rotation. That could line him up to open the AL Division Series, and he could help out of the bullpen before then.
The winner gets the Rays at Tropicana Field.
Schlittlersaid after his last regular-season startthat he wanted Game 1. So did everyone else.
"Who wouldn't want to start the first game?" he said. "I feel like the whole pitching staff deserves it."
The Red Sox hadn't named their starters as of Sunday. Chad Tracy said before Boston's finale in St. Petersburg that he had a decent idea of his plan.
"But we're not going to reveal it just yet," he said.
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Yankees vs Red Sox schedule
Wild card series at Yankee Stadium. Game 3 time subject to change.
- Game 1: Tuesday, Sept. 29 – 8 p.m. ET – buy tickets, NBC & Peacock
- Game 2: Wednesday – 8 p.m. – buy tickets, NBC & Peacock
- Game 3*: Thursday – 8 p.m. – buy tickets, NBC & Peacock
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Yankees rotation vs Red Sox revealed for MLB playoff series
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