Fried, Crochet Set for Yankees-Red Sox Playoff Duel

Max Fried and Garrett Crochet, both in their debut seasons as No. 1 starters, will take center stage Tuesday night when the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox open their American League wild-card series at Yankee Stadium. The best-of-three showdown marks the first time the AL East rivals have met in this round, with the winner advancing to the division series.

The Yankees signed Fried to an eight-year, $218 million deal in December, and the left-hander delivered with a league-best 19 wins. His strong finish—6-0 with a 1.55 ERA in his final seven starts—helped New York secure the first wild-card spot despite the loss of Gerrit Cole.

Manager Aaron Boone praised his ace: “He’s had an outstanding season. He’s been a great pitcher in this league now for a while. That being said, you’re one of the big free agents out there, and if you come to New York, that can be a challenging and daunting thing. He’s handled it so well, so seamlessly.”

Fried has postseason experience from his time in Atlanta, including a Game 6 win in the 2021 World Series. This year, he was effective against Boston, with a 1.96 ERA across three starts. His focus will be on containing Alex Bregman, who has hit him well, while limiting the impact of Trevor Story and Jarren Duran.

Boston countered by acquiring Garrett Crochet from the White Sox last December, and he responded with an 18-5 record and a 2.59 ERA. He led the majors with 255 strikeouts—the most by a Red Sox pitcher since Chris Sale in 2017.

“I’ve pitched here twice already this year and faced this lineup four times,” Crochet said Monday. “I don’t want to say it’s comfortable, because it’s a tough opposing lineup, but there is a sense of comfort there in just knowing the faces that I’m going to be going up against.”

Crochet has matched up well with Yankees star Aaron Judge, holding him to two hits in 15 at-bats, though both were home runs. Judge himself acknowledged the challenge: “He’s a tough matchup, if not one of the best, the best pitcher in the game right now. Probably on his way to a Cy Young. It’s impressive what he’s done so far this year, and I’m looking forward to facing him.”

All three games of the wild-card series will be played in New York after the Yankees finished with 94 wins, compared to Boston’s 89. Boone hinted that Paul Goldschmidt could start at first base in Game 1, while Carlos Rodón is expected to pitch Game 2. If a third game is necessary, right-hander Cam Schlittler is a candidate.

For Boston, Brayan Bello will start Game 2. Manager Alex Cora confirmed that Lucas Giolito is unavailable due to an elbow injury and is consulting with the surgeon who performed his 2024 operation.

The stage is now set for one of baseball’s greatest rivalries to add another chapter, with two left-handed aces leading the charge into October.