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Blue Jays One Big Win Away

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LOS ANGELES – (Wire Service Report) – From Class-A to a class of his own, Trey Yesavage put the Toronto Blue Jays one victory away from a championship.

The rookie dominated with 12 strikeouts, Davis Schneider hit a home run on the opening pitch and the Toronto Blue Jays cruised to a 6-1 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series on Wednesday.

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The result sends Toronto home with a 3-2 edge in the best-of-seven series.

Yesavage, who made his major league debut in September after pitching at four minor league levels this year, set a rookie record for strikeouts in a World Series game. He also became the first pitcher with at least 12 strikeouts and no walks in a Fall Classic contest.

“Yeah, it’s a crazy world. Crazy world,” Yesavage said. “Hollywood couldn’t have made it this good. So just being a part of this, I’m just very blessed.”

The 22-year-old, who has started two of the Blue Jays’ three victories in the series, allowed one run on three hits over seven innings.

“Historic stuff,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “When you talk about that stage and his numbers, getting ahead of a lot of hitters, tons of swing-and-miss. … I said it before the game, he’s a different pitcher when he has his stuff.”

Schneider’s homer was followed by one from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the third pitch of the game, leaving the Blue Jays in need of a victory either in Game 6 on Friday or Game 7 on Saturday to win their first title in 32 years. The remainder of the series will be contested in Toronto.

Enrique Hernandez hit a home run for the Dodgers, while veteran Blake Snell was charged with five runs on six hits over 6 2/3 innings. Snell walked four and fanned seven.

Los Angeles star Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-4, making him 0-for-7 over the past two games after he reached base a World Series-record nine times in Game 3.

“It doesn’t feel great,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of his team’s offense. “You clearly see those (Toronto) guys finding ways to get hits, move the baseball forward, and we’re not doing a good job of it. I thought Yesavage was good tonight mixing his fastball, slider and the split.”

The Dodgers shook up the lineup by moving Will Smith to the No. 2 spot and dropping Mookie Betts to No. 3. Alex Call also started in the outfield over a struggling Andy Pages, all to no avail. Los Angeles has scored four runs over the past 29 innings.

“We faced this last year,” the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman said about last year’s best-of-five National League Division Series. “We were down 2-1 to the Padres and won two games in a row, so we can do it again.”

Yesavage (3-1) ended up taking over, but only after the Toronto offense set the tone from the start.

Schneider hit Snell’s 97 mph fastball to open the game over the wall in left field, his first in seven postseason games. Guerrero waited two pitches before depositing a 96 mph fastball from Snell also to left, his eighth of the postseason and second of the World Series.

Yesavage opened the third inning by fanning Max Muncy, his fifth consecutive strikeout to set a World Series record by a rookie. Hernandez ended the run with a home run to left to cut the Dodgers’ deficit to 2-1.

Los Angeles right fielder Teoscar Hernandez misplayed a hit down the right field line by Daulton Varsho that turned into a triple to lead off the fourth, and Ernie Clement followed with a sacrifice fly to center to give the Blue Jays a 3-1 lead.

Snell (3-2) left the game in the seventh inning with two outs and two aboard. The Blue Jays cashed in both runners against Edgardo Henriquez on a run-scoring wild pitch and an RBI single from Bo Bichette for a 5-1 lead.

“Vlad is a really good hitter so you got to do stuff there, but the rest of the lineup, they’re ambushing,” said Snell, who lamented what he called bad luck. “If we get to a Game 7, I’ll see them again, so I can’t say much.”

Toronto’s Isiah Kiner-Falefa added an RBI single in the eighth.

Blue Jays relievers Seranthony Dominguez and Jeff Hoffman each pitched a scoreless inning to seal the win.

– Field Level Media

World Serious

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LOS ANGELES – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – It was not so much the heartbreak that the resilient Toronto Blue Jays overcame on Tuesday, it was the actual pain.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit a two-run home run, Shane Bieber pitched into the sixth inning and the Toronto Blue Jays got even in the World Series with a 6-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 4.

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Andres Gimenez, Bo Bichette and Addison Barger each had RBI singles in a four-run seventh inning as the Blue Jays moved past the agony of an 18-inning loss in Game 3 to guarantee a Game 6 at Toronto on Friday.

The Blue Jays powered through the physical demands after a 6-hour, 39-minute game one night earlier.

“What didn’t hurt?” said 29-year-old Toronto third baseman Ernie Clement, who had two hits and scored a run. “I barely got out of bed. … But yeah, nobody felt sorry for themselves today. We got to play a World Series game.”

Shohei Ohtani pitched six-plus innings for the Dodgers in his first career World Series start and was charged with four runs on six hits and one walk with six strikeouts. After reaching base nine times in Game 3, he went 0-for-3 at the plate in Game 4 with a walk and two strikeouts.

The Dodgers’ offense has managed three runs over the past 20 innings going back to the eighth inning of Game 3.

“Whether it’s during the regular season or the postseason, my goal is to be able to pitch six innings,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “The situation, this game, I wanted to go seven, and it was regrettable that I wasn’t able to finish that inning.”

Game 5 in the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.

Enrique Hernandez gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sacrifice fly that scored Max Muncy.

The Blue Jays moved in front 2-1 in the third inning on Guerrero’s two-run shot to left-center against Ohtani. The long ball was the seventh of the postseason but the first of the World Series for Guerrero, who entered the night without an RBI in the Fall Classic.

“I was just looking for a pitch to do damage, and I saw it right there up in the zone, and I could do damage,” Guerrero said through an interpreter about hitting a home run off an Ohtani sweeper.

When Bieber struck out Ohtani on a foul tip in the third inning, it ended Ohtani’s World Series-record streak of reaching base in 11 consecutive plate appearances. Ohtani had singled in the eighth inning of Game 2, reached base all nine times in Game 3 (including two doubles and two homers) and walked in the first inning of Game 4.

“You know, we’re facing quality arms this time of the year against really good teams, and we’re facing the best of the best, so I think it’s not that easy,” Ohtani said about the Dodgers’ offense. “But at the same time, we could do at least the bare minimum to be able to put up some runs.”

Bieber (2-0) gave up one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings with three walks and three strikeouts.

“I would have loved to give the team a couple more innings, but ultimately, it’s the World Series and a win is all that matters,” Bieber said.

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Ohtani (2-1) departed from the mound in the seventh after the Blue Jays opened the inning with a single from Daulton Varsho and a double from Clement.

Dodgers left-hander Anthony Banda took over on the mound, and Gimenez greeted him with an RBI single to left, making it a 3-1 game. Ty France delivered a run-scoring groundout before Bichette and Barger added RBI hits for a 6-1 lead.

Los Angeles got back one run in the ninth on a run-scoring groundout by Tommy Edman.

Toronto played without leadoff man George Springer because of an injury to his right side that occurred in Game 3.

“I feel really good about this team every night,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “It’s hard to play 18 innings and come back and kind of flip the narrative against a very talented team and a very talented individual in Shohei Ohtani on the mound.”

– Field Level Media

“No Way, Not Even Dead”

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Hard-throwing left-handed reliever Aroldis Chapman is dead set against re-signing with the New York Yankees.

Literally.

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“No way, not even dead,” Chapman said when asked if he’d consider joining the Yankees during an appearance on the “Swing Completo” podcast, as translated from Spanish.

“If I were told that I was being traded to New York, I’d pack my things and go home. I’ll retire right on the spot if that happens. I’m not crazy. Never again.”

Chapman, 37, fared well this season while pitching for the Yankees’ chief rival: the Boston Red Sox. He posted a 5-3 record with 32 saves while finishing with career bests in ERA (1.17) and WHIP (0.70).

The eight-time All-Star signed a one-year, $13.3 million contract for the 2026 season in August. The deal also includes a 2027 vesting option.

Chapman played in parts of seven seasons for New York from 2016-22.

He was a three-time All-Star with the club, however, his last season ended on a sour note after he lost the closer role to Clay Holmes and missed a team workout ahead of the American League Division Series — an act that may have contributed to him being left off the Yankees’ postseason roster.

“I dealt with a lot of disrespect (with the Yankees),” Chapman said. “I put up with a lot of things. I knew that they just wanted to find a way to get rid of me, but they didn’t know how. And I just dealt with it quietly, kept playing, and doing what I always do.”

Chapman said his issues stemmed from the “bosses,” not manager Aaron Boone or the players.

“I got along well with all the players,” he said. “Never had a problem with anybody, even the manager. We’re friends and we talk and everything. The bosses are the ones who make those decisions.”

Chapman is tied with Jeff Reardon for 12th place all-time with 367 career saves while pitching for seven teams since 2010. He won World Series championships with the Chicago Cubs (2016) and Texas Rangers (2023).

–Field Level Media

It’s On to LA

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LOS ANGELES  – (Wire Service Report) – After the long 32-year wait to return to Canada, the World Series shifts back to Los Angeles, where memories remain thick from its visit just one year ago. All even at one game each, the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers will duel to get the upper hand in the best-of-seven matchup when Game 3 arrives Monday night.

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In Game 1 at Los Angeles last year, the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman hit a game-ending grand slam against the New York Yankees on the way to becoming the first player to hit a home run in each of the first four games of a World Series.

A different kind of history is set to unfold in the opening inning Monday. Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer is set to become the first pitcher to take the mound for four different teams in the World Series.

After already appearing in a World Series for the Detroit Tigers (2012), Washington Nationals (2019), and Texas Rangers (2023), Scherzer is chasing his third career title. He will enter off a strong 5 2/3-inning start in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series when he helped the Blue Jays past the Seattle Mariners.

The outing came after he went 1-3 with a 9.00 ERA over his last six starts in the regular season.

“This is what you play for, to be able to get to this spot, to get to this moment, to have a shot at it,” said Scherzer, who is 1-1 with a 2.70 ERA in four postseason appearances (three starts) against the Dodgers. “… Just so fortunate to have another crack at this. There’s so many great players that have never gotten to a World Series.”

Scherzer pitched for the Dodgers in 2021, when they fell in the National League Championship Series to the Atlanta Braves. He was scratched from a scheduled start in a decisive Game 6 of the NLCS saying his arm was “locked up.”

After the Blue Jays dominated Game 1 on Friday by scoring 11 runs, the Dodgers responded with Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete game in a 5-1 victory that evened the series.

Los Angeles is now 9-0 this postseason when a starter goes at least six innings.

“These guys aren’t going to go away. They’re very confident. It’s a very talented team,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of the Blue Jays. “(Offensively), you got to continue to tack on, you got to get to the pen, and you got to beat those guys up and keep building on innings.”

Los Angeles right-hander Tyler Glasnow will follow Yamamoto’s command performance with a start in Game 3. After going 4-3 with a 3.19 ERA in 18 regular-season starts, Glasnow has been impressive in the postseason.

Glasnow gave up one run over 5 2/3 innings of a Dodgers win in Game 3 of the NLCS against the Milwaukee Brewers and has a 0.68 ERA in three appearances (two starts) this postseason with 18 strikeouts over 13 1/3 innings.

In 11 career regular-season starts against the Blue Jays, Glasnow is 1-4 with a 5.82 ERA, last facing them at home Aug. 10 when he allowed two runs with eight strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings of a no-decision.

After returning from a broken hand in the NL Division Series victory over the Philadelphia Phillies, the Dodgers’ Will Smith had his best game of the postseason when he hit a home run and had three RBIs in the Game 2 victory.

“You got to embrace the emotions, but you also got to tame ‘em,” Smith said. “… You got to just focus on the task at hand. Basically, just not try to do too much at times. Kind of let the game come to you, not try to force anything, and just kind of focus on what you’re doing.”

–Field Level Media

Dodgers Knot World Series

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TORONTO – Finishing what he starts has become a postseason trend for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander pitched his second consecutive complete game Saturday night in a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays to knot the World Series at one apiece.

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Game 3 of the best-of-seven series will be played Monday in Los Angeles, with Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow opposing Blue Jays right-hander Max Scherzer.

With the game tied 1-1 in the seventh, Will Smith (three RBIs) and Max Muncy each hit solo homers to back Yamamoto.

Yamamoto (3-1) allowed one run, four hits and no walks while striking out eight.

“To be honest, I was not thinking I could complete the game because my pitch count racked up kind of quickly,” Yamamoto said through an interpreter. “But I’m very happy I completed the game.”

He managed his pitch count as the game progressed and it finished at 105 with 73 strikes, retiring his final 20 batters.

“At the end of the fifth inning, I believe the pitch count was 71, so at that point I was still trying to take it one inning at a time,” Yamamoto said. “If I was going to the ninth inning or not, we didn’t really talk about it.”

In his previous start, he pitched a three-hit complete game in a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 14. He was the first Dodger to throw a postseason complete game since Jose Lima in 2004.

Orel Hershiser was the last Dodger with consecutive postseason complete games in Game 7 of the 1988 NLCS and Games 2 and 5 in the 1988 World Series.

“Second complete game in a row in the postseason, that’s pretty impressive, with a layoff in between,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “I think he made it hard for us to make him work. He was in the zone, his split was in and out of the zone. It was a really good performance by him.”

Los Angeles opened the scoring in the first inning against Kevin Gausman (2-2). Freddie Freeman ripped a two-out double into the right field corner and scored on Smith’s single to center.

The Blue Jays threatened in the bottom of the inning when George Springer led off with a double and Nathan Lukes singled. Yamamoto escaped the jam with two strikeouts and a lineout.

Toronto tied it in the third. Springer was hit by a pitch to open the inning. He took third on Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s one-out single to deep left and scored on Alejandro Kirk’s sacrifice fly to center.

Game 2 then settled into a pitchers’ duel.

“After that first inning, I was thinking six (innings),” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I felt he would find a way to get through six. …Then the pitch count kind of stayed where it needed to stay. And then for me, I just didn’t see anything fall off as far as his delivery and the execution.”

Gausman retired 17 in a row until Smith smashed a 3-2 fastball to left with one out in the seventh for his first home run of the postseason. With two outs, Muncy hit his second homer of the postseason, a blast to left on a 2-2 fastball.

World Series: Dodgers vs Guerrero Jr.

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TORONTO – (Wire Service Report) – Given the Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting pitching dominance in the postseason, manager Dave Roberts could pick anybody in the rotation and feel good about his team’s chances.

But after the way left-hander Blake Snell and righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto performed in the first two games of the NLCS, why change anything for the World Series?

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Roberts confirmed this line of thinking on Tuesday as he tabbed Snell and Yamamoto to start on Friday and Saturday in Toronto against the Blue Jays. Both will be working on 10 days’ rest.

“I think we’re going to run the same rotation back, I think for sure for the first two,” Roberts said.

Snell, who inked a five-year, $182 million deal with the Dodgers in the offseason, threw 21 innings versus National League competition in the playoffs and allowed just two runs (0.86 ERA) and six hits. He blanked strong-hitting teams in Philadelphia and Milwaukee — highlighted by allowing just one hit over eight innings with 10 strikeouts and no walks in Game 1 of the NLCS against the Brewers.

Yamamoto threw a complete game the next night in Game 2 against Milwaukee, allowing 1 run on 3 hits.

Both of those efforts came on the road, the same challenge the duo will face against the hot-hitting Blue Jays.

Roberts has other outstanding options for Games 3 and 4 in Los Angeles as power right-handers Tyler Glasnow (0.68 playoff ERA) and Shohei Ohtani are lined for those games.

The Dodgers’ relative weakness — the bullpen — may get a lift in the World Series. Southpaw Tanner Scott, who missed the last two series after an emergency surgical procedure, could return to boost that group.

Scott, another free-agent acquisition this winter, earned 23 saves but struggled at times. He blew 10 saves and pitched to a 4.74 ERA.

“It’s just kind of trying to get a grasp on the doctors giving him the full kind of green light, the go-ahead,” Roberts said. “I know that he’s anxious, which is a good thing, but fortunately, we get to see for a couple more days how he responds to throwing and bullpens and things like that.”

–Field Level Media

Ohtani Leads LA with All-Time Outing

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LOS ANGELES  – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Instead of postgame orange slices there was champagne as Shohei Ohtani made the one of baseball’s biggest stages look like Little League.

Ohtani was a one-man show, hitting three home runs and striking out 10 in six-plus scoreless innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers advanced to the World Series for the second consecutive season with a 5-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday.

Ohtani hit home runs in the first, fourth and seventh innings as the defending champion Dodgers swept the best-of-seven National League Championship Series. Los Angeles will attempt to become the first team to win consecutive titles since the New York Yankees won three straight from 1998-2000.

Ohtani (2-0), who gave up two hits and walked three, became the first pitcher in major league history — regular season or postseason — to hit three home runs and strike out at least one in the same game. The performance earned him series MVP honors.

The two-way star went deep for the first time since he hit a pair of homers in the wild-card opener against the Cincinnati Reds. Ohtani, a three-time regular-season MVP, entered the night batting .121 (4-for-33) over his previous eight games.

“There were times during the postseason where (Teoscar Hernandez) and Mookie (Betts) picked me up. And this time around it was my turn to be able to perform,” Ohtani said through an interpreter. “Just looking back over the course of the entire postseason, I haven’t performed to expectations, but I think today we saw what the left-handed hitters could do.”

Los Angeles is headed to the World Series for the fifth time in nine seasons, getting past the Brewers in the NLCS for the second time in that stretch (2018).

Veteran left-hander Jose Quintana (0-1) allowed three runs on six hits over two-plus innings as the Brewers saw their season end after compiling the majors’ best regular-season record at 97-65. Quintana walked one and fanned one.

Milwaukee ended the four-game series with four total runs on 14 hits.

“Obviously, the last five days were not good, not the way we wanted to go,” said the Brewers’ Christian Yelich, who went 1-for-14 with two walks in the series. “It’s how it (can) be sometimes, and hopefully we can learn from this as a team and get back to this point and take that next step.”

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Ohtani opened the game from the mound by walking Brice Turang. He followed that by striking out the next three Milwaukee batters, then led off the bottom of the first inning with a 446-foot home run to right field on Quintana’s sixth pitch. He became the first Dodgers pitcher to hit a home run in a playoff game.

Los Angeles put up two more runs in the first inning, taking a 3-0 lead on an RBI single from Tommy Edman and a run-scoring groundout from Teoscar Hernandez.

Ohtani did not give up a hit until Jackson Chourio doubled to lead off the fourth. The right-hander retired the next three Milwaukee batters, including the last two by strikeout.

Ohtani belted a 469-foot home run in the fourth inning that landed on top of the corrugated metal roof at the back of the right field bleachers. He added a 427-foot homer to center field in the seventh as the Dodgers took a 5-0 lead.

“What he did on the mound, what he did at the bat, he created a lot of memories for a lot of people,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “So to do it in a game-clinching game at home, wins the NLCS MVP, it’s pretty special. I’m just happy to be able to go along for the ride.”

After walking Yelich and giving up a single to William Contreras to open the top of the seventh inning, Ohtani left the mound to a standing ovation. Alex Vesia, Blake Treinen, Anthony Banda and Roki Sasaki recorded the final nine outs.

The Brewers’ lone run came on a Turang RBI forceout in the eighth.

“We were part of, tonight, an iconic, maybe the best individual performance ever in a postseason game,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said. “I don’t think anybody can argue with that. A guy punches out 10 and hits three homers. (But) I’m really proud of our team. I admire our team.”

–Doug Padilla, Field Level Media

Twins Peeking

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MINNEAPOLIS – (Staff and Wire Service Report) -The Minnesota Twins are seeking permission to interview Boston Red Sox bench coach Ramon Vazquez for their managerial opening, MLB Network reported on Tuesday. The Twins parted ways with skipper Rocco Baldelli on Sept. 29 after finishing 70-92 and fourth in the division in his seventh season.

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Vazquez, 49, has been part of Boston’s coaching staff since 2018. He was promoted to bench coach in 2022.

On May 19 this season, Vazquez filled in for Red Sox manager Alex Cora and recorded a 3-1 win over the New York Mets. Cora was away for his daughter’s college graduation.

Vazquez played shortstop, third base and second base for parts of nine seasons in the majors with six teams from 2001-09. He was a career .254 hitter with 22 homers and 176 RBIs in 696 games.

Baldelli recorded the third-most wins in franchise history with a record of 527-505 (.511).

–Field Level Media

Yankees Outduel Red Sox

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BRONX – Rookie starting pitcher Cam Schlittler struck out 12 in eight innings during a stellar postseason debut as the New York Yankees eliminated the Boston Red Sox with a 4-0 victory in Game 3 of the American League wild-card series on Thursday night.

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The Yankees, who won the final two games of the best-of-three set, advance to the AL Division Series to face the Blue Jays. Game 1 of the best-of-five series is scheduled for Saturday in Toronto.

New York capitalized on shaky Boston defense in a four-run fourth inning. That was more than enough for Schlittler (1-0), who allowed five hits and no walks while throwing consistently in the upper 90s. The 24-year-old right-hander fired 75 of his career-high 107 pitches for strikes.

“I was locked in,” said Schlittler, a Massachusetts native. “I knew exactly what I needed to do and go out there, especially against my hometown team. As I told Andy (Pettitte) yesterday, I wasn’t going to let them beat me. I was just overconfident in that fact. Making sure I wasn’t getting too carried away with it.”

Schlittler joined Roger Clemens (15 in 2000), Gerrit Cole (13 in 2020) and Orlando Hernandez (12 in 2000) as the fourth player in Yankees history with at least 12 strikeouts in a postseason game. He is the only rookie in that group.

Red Sox, Yanks Turn to Rookie SPs

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BRONX – New York’s Jazz Chisholm Jr. was not in the lineup Tuesday because the New York Yankees were facing Boston Red Sox ace left-hander Garrett Crochet.

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While Chisholm appeared to not be thrilled with manager Aaron Boone’s decision, he and the rest of the Yankees were elated with the second baseman’s impact on Wednesday.

Chisholm and the Yankees will attempt to eliminate the Red Sox on Thursday when the longtime rivals play a winner-advance, loser-go-home Game 3 of their American League wild-card series.

New York rookie right-hander Cam Schlittler, a Boston-area native, will start against his hometown team. Rookie left-hander Connelly Early will start for the Red Sox, and Chisholm definitely will be in the lineup.

The winner will advance to the best-of-five AL Division Series, with Game 1 against the host Toronto Blue Jays scheduled for Saturday.

“I feel like every game is a must-win,” Chisholm said. “… We always put everything out there on the line, especially the playoffs. … There’s no space. You don’t want to give any team an edge.”

Chisholm’s imprints were all over the late innings as the Yankees avoided elimination with a 4-3 victory Wednesday night.

In the seventh inning, Chisholm knocked down a ground ball by pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida to hold him to an infield single, prevent a run from scoring. The game stayed tied when Fernando Cruz escaped a bases-loaded jam.

In the eighth, Chisholm walked with two outs after seeing seven pitches from Garrett Whitlock. He scored from first on a headfirst slide when Austin Wells singled down the right field line.

“He loves to play,” Boone said of Chisholm. “He feels a responsibility to us, his teammates. And, you know, he and I have always been good. Despite what you may think happened (Tuesday), like, yeah, he’s a gamer, and, you know, he likes the stage.”

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The Red Sox never led on Wednesday, though they tied the game twice thanks to Trevor Story, who hit well against the Yankees during the regular season. Story belted a two-run single in the third inning, and he added a solo homer in the sixth after the Yankees went ahead on a single by Aaron Judge.

Boston also was aggressive with its pitching staff, pulling Brayan Bello in the third inning after he allowed a two-run homer to Ben Rice in the first. The right-hander was out after 28 pitches.

“I thought it was a great ballgame,” Whitlock said. “I thought both sides played really well. I think you saw that with (in Games 1 and 2). And so hopefully we can put together a good game (Thursday) and go from there.”

After Crochet pitched 7 2/3 innings and Aroldis Chapman got the final four outs on Tuesday, Boston deployed six relievers (Justin Wilson, Justin Slaten, Steven Matz, Zack Kelly, Whitlock and Payton Tolle) on Wednesday.

“We were doing everything possible to get to the top of the ninth with a tie game,” Cora said after Whitlock threw a season-high 47 pitches.

Schlittler, who played at Northeastern University, which is a half-mile from Fenway Park, earned the start after a stellar two-plus months in the rotation. He finished 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA in 14 starts after making his debut July 9.

“He gave us a shot in the arm when he became another stabilizing force in our rotation,” Boone said Tuesday afternoon. “He will handle it well regardless of result or whatever, like I don’t think it will be too big for him, and he will be ready to roll.”

The 24-year-old struck out nine and pitched seven scoreless innings of two-hit ball against the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday in his latest start.

Schlittler did not face the Red Sox in the regular season but said he faced Boston in an exhibition game when he was at Northeastern.

“Obviously I am a lot different player than I was then,” Schlittler said. “So didn’t really expect to be in this situation back then, but now I am definitely happy I am.”

Early was Boston’s fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft, and he went 1-2 with 2.33 ERA in four starts to open his major league career this year. He is filling in on Thursday for Lucas Giolito, who likely will miss the postseason due to elbow pain.

Early has yet to face the Yankees. He last pitched on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers, when he allowed two runs on four hits in five innings, throwing 86 pitches.

“It comes down to this game, and I’m excited to get out there,” Early said. “I’ve stuck to all my preparation and feel pretty good, so I’m ready to go out there and do it.”

–Field Level Media