Yankees Sweep Red Sox and Move On to Tampa Bay

The Yankees are moving on. New York closed out Boston with a 9–2 victory Wednesday night, completing a two-game sweep of the American League Wild Card Series and setting up a Division Series matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The game turned in the sixth inning. With New York holding a 2–1 lead, the Yankees sent ten batters to the plate and scored six times. Cody Bellinger capped the rally with a three-run homer and finished with four RBIs. Luis García Jr. also homered, while rookie Spencer Jones helped spark the inning by reaching on a strikeout and wild pitch.

Fried steadies the Yankees

Max Fried followed a dominant start from Cam Schlittler in Game 1. Fried allowed one run on three hits over six innings, struck out six, and walked one. The Yankees’ starting pitching gave the offense room to build separation in both games.

What comes next

New York advances to a best-of-five AL Division Series against Tampa Bay, which begins Saturday in St. Petersburg. The Yankees completed the sweep without Aaron Judge, who missed the Wild Card Series with a calf injury. His availability for the next round remains uncertain.

Boston’s season ends after a late push into the postseason. The Red Sox managed seven hits across the series and were outscored 18–2. For New York, the sweep offers an emphatic start to October; the Rays will be a tougher test, and the next series will show whether the Yankees’ offense can carry this momentum forward.

Kris’s Take

My hot take: the most encouraging part for New York isn’t the 18 runs across two games—it’s that the rotation gave the lineup a chance to take control. That matters more in a best-of-five than a short burst of scoring. But Boston is not Tampa Bay, and the Yankees should not mistake a clean sweep for proof that the hard part is over. If Judge remains out, New York’s depth will matter as much as its momentum.

Sources

This article is an original Kris Rally summary based on reporting by The Associated Press and Reuters.