MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees are still alive! After a gut-punch loss in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, the Bombers scratched and clawed their way out of a corner to stave off elimination and force a winner-take-all Game 3 at Yankee Stadium. Ben Rice hit a two-run homer on the first postseason pitch of his career to jump out to an early lead, but the Red Sox came back to tie the game two separate times. That set up the decisive eighth inning, where Jazz Chisholm Jr. erased the disappointment
of being benched in Game 1 by drawing a two-out walk and scoring all the way from first on an Austin Wells single. The Blue Jays’ opponent in the ALDS will all come down to tonight’s game.
SNY | Ben Krimmel: The Yankees officially named Cam Schlittler as their Game 3 starter after there was uncertainty whether he or Luis Gil would get the nod. In reality, it was a no-brainer decision, Schlittler outpitching Gil in practically every important pitching metric this season. Equipped with a fastball that touches triple digits, the 24-year-old rookie went 4-3 in 14 starts, with a 2.96 ERA (138 ERA+), 3.74 FIP, and 84 strikeouts in 73 innings. It will be a showdown of the flame throwing rookies, Schlittler slated to face 23-year-old southpaw rookie Connelly Early, who pitched to a 2.33 ERA in four starts totaling 19.1 innings with a fastball that averages 98 mph leading to a 27.6-percent strikeout rate.
Baseball America | J.J. Cooper: With Giancarlo Stanton entrenched at DH, Aaron Judge continues to start in right field, and it is fair to wonder how his arm injury will continue to impact his throwing ability. This was brought into sharp focus in Game 1 when Nick Sogard made it to second on what looked like a routine single to right, later scoring the second of Boston’s runs that inning on a Masataka Yoshida single. Judge’s throw on that play registered 73.2 mph, whereas prior to the flexor strain Judge maxed out at 95.3 mph. That 73.2 mph throw was actually Judge’s fourth-hardest post-injury — for context, only five out of 195 qualified outfielders averaged below 80 mph on throws from the outfield.
The New York Times | David Waldstein ($): Prior to the opening game of the AL Wild Card Series, paranoia reigned supreme among the visiting Red Sox fans. Because the Yankees’ official sanctioned ticket seller Ticketmaster only allowed credit card sales for New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, many Boston fans from other states believed the team was intentionally restricting access for away fans. However, having a limited transaction region is a common practice among dozens of professional sports teams, and it is a policy the Yankees have had in place for postseason games since 2018 as a protective measure to prevent automated purchasing bots and mass resale at nosebleed prices. What’s more, tickets had ample availability on multiple resale websites.
