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Happy MLB Postseason Eve to all. Today is the calm before the storm, the offday between Game 162 and the beginning of the Wild Card Series. This is the Yankees’ first foray into the best-of-three format introduced in 2022, though they played four editions of the do-or-die
Wild Card Game from its debut in 2012 through 2021. During the last one, they fell to archrival Red Sox at Fenway Park, and who should they draw in their first Wild Card Series but those same Bostonians.
Well, technically there’s minimal DNA connecting those 2021 Red Sox to the current club aside from ownership, certain members of the front office, manager Alex Cora, and reliever Garrett Whitlock. This is a new generation of Red Sox, a point emphasized when they decided to unload incumbent star Rafael Devers’ extension on the Giants back in June. Even without superb rookie Roman Anthony, they should be a serious challenge though, and with big names like Aaron Judge, Garrett Crochet, Giancarlo Stanton, and Alex Bregman, this should be an entertaining matchup for neutrals.
For Yankees fans however, it’s nail-bitin’ time. Peter Brody wrote up an excellent preview of the series for Pinstripe Alley this morning, so check that out when you get a chance. Once you’re done (or even right now), vote in our community poll for the series outcome! Will either of these clubs go two-and-out, or are we getting an intense three-gamer à la Mets/Brewers last year? Let us know and we’ll check out the poll results sometime around the middle of the series.
