The Boston Red Sox travel to Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 for a Wild Card round matchup against the New York Yankees, with first pitch set for 8:00 PM ET on NBC/Peacock. This is October baseball at its most raw — a trip into the Bronx with everything on the line. Payton Tolle gets the ball for Boston against New York's Cam Schlittler in what figures to be a pitching matchup between two arms making the biggest start of their careers. The stakes don't get higher than this.

Red Sox vs. Yankees Wild Card Game: Pitching Matchup

Tolle draws one of the most daunting assignments in baseball — starting a postseason elimination game at Yankee Stadium. Detailed season stats for Tolle aren't available in this preview, but the Red Sox organization clearly believes in him enough to hand him the ball in this moment. That's not a decision Boston's front office makes lightly, especially against a Yankees lineup that has real firepower top to bottom.

On the other side, Cam Schlittler gets the nod for New York. Like Tolle, Schlittler's full-season numbers aren't available here, but the Yankees are betting on him to neutralize a Boston offense that scratched and clawed its way into this Wild Card round. Both managers are rolling the dice on pitchers who will need to be sharp from pitch one.

Yankees Lineup to Watch

The Yankees are presenting a lineup that demands respect. Paul Goldschmidt leads off at first base — a veteran presence at the top of the order. Ben Rice slots in at DH second, with Heliot Ramos batting third in right field. Cody Bellinger cleans up in left field, giving New York a legitimate power threat in the four-hole. George Lombard Jr. bats fifth at shortstop, Amed Rosario handles third base from the six spot, and Anthony Volpe — a name Sox fans know well — bats seventh at second base. Spencer Jones starts in center field eighth, with catcher Austin Wells rounding out the order ninth.

Keys to the Game for Boston

• Keep Bellinger in the park. The Yankees cleanup hitter is capable of changing a game with one swing. Tolle needs to work carefully when Bellinger comes up with runners on base.
• Get to Schlittler early. Postseason momentum is real. If Boston can put runners on in the first two innings and force Schlittler to work, it could rattle a young pitcher in a high-pressure environment.
• Bullpen management is everything. In a one-game Wild Card format, both managers will go to their best relievers early and often. Boston needs to treat every out in the middle innings as precious.
• Control the Volpe factor. Anthony Volpe batting seventh tells you something about this Yankees lineup's depth. He's a threat even that low in the order, and a big hit from the seven-hole can blow a game open.

Prediction

Wild Card games are cruel, and Yankee Stadium in October is one of the toughest environments in the sport. This one figures to be tight and low-scoring — two young pitchers throwing with everything they have in front of a hostile crowd. Boston is going to need a clean outing from Tolle through at least five innings and timely hitting against a Yankees staff that won't give anything away. Expect a grinding, tense ballgame decided late. Red Sox 3, Yankees 2.

Catch all the action Tuesday night at 8:00 PM ET on NBC/Peacock. Radio coverage is available on WEEI 93.7 FM in Boston and ESPN Radio nationally.