New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox: Cam Schlittler vs. Patrick Sandoval

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 02: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox in game three of the American League Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium on October 02, 2025 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) |

What is the story about?

The concept of a must-win game in the regular season is a flawed one 99.9 percent of the time. Acknowledging that, the context of this series opener against the Red Sox has enough sticking points for it not to be treated as just another game. Facing a team that seemingly came out of nowhere to join the top contenders in the AL, the Yankees can ill afford to contemplate what the standings might look like if the results don’t go their way this weekend.

What makes this specific Friday night matchup so

pivotal to the Yankees’ goals in this series is the massive starting pitching advantage New York carries heading into it, sending the best they have in Cam Schlittler against Patrick Sandoval. For such a short sample against the Yankees’ biggest rivals, Schlittler is already racking up quite the resume versus Boston. The one time the Sox got the better of him, they relied on a lending hand from the Yankees’ defense with all four runs unearned in a loss in late June.

As one might expect with a left-hander on the mound for the Red Sox, the Yankees send out a much different lineup from last night’s defeat against the Astros. Patience is the name of the game for the Yankees against a pitcher in Sandoval who has walked multiple batters in each of his previous six appearances, still looking for his best form. Activated a little under two months ago, Sandoval spent over two years without appearing on a big league mound, having undergone Tommy John surgery with the Angels in 2024, then followed by multiple setbacks in his recovery the following year.

How to watch

Location: Yankee Stadium – Bronx, NY

First pitch: 7:15 pm ET

TV/Streaming: Apple TV

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 – NYY | WEEI 93.7, WCCM 1490 AM (SP), WESX 1230 AM (SP) – BOS

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