BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Boston rookie left-hander Jake Bennett allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings,  designated hitter Masataka Yoshida and rookie infielder Anthony Seigler each belted a solo home run and the host Boston Red Sox earned a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday afternoon. It was Seigler’s first homer of his career and proved to be the 25th Boston home run off New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole since 2020, when Cole joined the Yanks.

The first hit allowed by Bennett (2-3) came with two outs in the fifth inning, courtesy of a solo homer by Max Schuemann. Bennett yielded two more hits and struck out three batters before exiting to a standing ovation.

Yoshida launched a solo shot in the first inning and Seigler — a first-round pick of the Yankees in the 2018 MLB Draft — added his homer in the second.

Boston’s Willson Contreras ripped a two-run double in the third inning, one day after sparking a benches-clearing push-and-shove incident in a 6-1 win over New York on Friday night.

The early offense on Saturday powered the Red Sox to their third straight win to open the four-game series. The Yankees, in turn, have lost six of their last eight games.

Justin Slaten relieved Bennett and struck out Jose Caballero and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to end the seventh inning. Garrett Whitlock retired the side in order in the eighth and Aroldis Chapman got the final three outs in the ninth to secure his 16th save.

Boston bolted out of the blocks as Yoshida deposited the second pitch of the game from Gerrit Cole (2-3) over the wall in right-center field. The homer was the second of the season for Yoshida and first since May 24.

Seigler doubled the advantage in the second inning by sending a 3-1 fastball from Cole just over the Green Monster.

Yoshida and Ceddanne Rafaela each singled to center to lead off the third inning before both runners sprinted home on Contreras’ hard-hit smash to left-center field.

New York finally solved Bennett in the fifth, as Schuemann deposited a first-pitch sinker over the wall in center field.

Cole struggled in his second straight outing, permitting four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Preview) – Teams at opposite ends of the American League East standings will meet tonight when the New York Yankees open a four-game series against the host Boston Red Sox. The division-leading Yankees enter the series on a two-game winning streak after a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. Paul Goldschmidt hit two solo home runs off Tarik Skubal, and Jasson Dominguez delivered a two-run shot in the sixth inning.

“Obviously (Skubal is) one of the best pitchers in the game and facing him is a tough challenge,” Goldschmidt said. “I just try to get in there and compete, and fortunately, I was able to get a couple balls I was able to get out of there.

“We didn’t have many hits (six). We didn’t have much offense, but it was enough just because our pitching was so good. … This game is hard. Nights like this when you have success, enjoy it because there are a lot of games where we either lose or individually you have a bad game or there’s stretches of bad games.”

Ryan Weathers and three relievers scattered two runs and eight hits against the Tigers.

Boston, meanwhile, is at the bottom of the AL East and dropped 14 games below .500 with Wednesday’s 8-6 loss against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.

The Red Sox led 6-3 when shortstop Marcelo Mayer made an error on a routine grounder with two outs in the seventh inning. The Rockies scored three runs in the inning after the error to tie the game.

Mayer entered the contest when third baseman Caleb Durbin had to leave after injuring his left hand while sliding into first base. Boston made two errors in the loss, and five of Colorado’s eight runs were unearned.

“I mean today it was fairly clear, we didn’t play well enough defensively,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said. “A lot of their run-scoring opportunities and run scores were a product of us. We have to take care of the ball.”

New York has won four of five games against the Red Sox this season, including a three-game sweep in Boston from April 21-23.

Left-hander Connelly Early (6-5, 3.64 ERA) is expected to start for Boston on tonight.

Early is 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA in his only regular-season start against the Yankees. He gave up three runs on five hits, walked three and struck out four in a 4-0 loss to New York on April 21.

Right-hander Cam Schlittler (8-3, 1.71 ERA) is New York’s probable starter. He’s 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA in two career regular-season starts against Boston.

Schlittler also earned the win when New York beat Boston 4-0 in Game 3 of the AL wild-card series last season. He struck out 12 in eight innings during that game. Early gave up all four New York runs in 3 2/3 innings and took the loss.

Tonight will mark the first of seven straight home games for the Red Sox, who are 12-25 at Fenway Park this year.

Boston infielder Romy Gonzalez has yet to play this season after having shoulder surgery in March but could be activated this weekend.

“I’m trying to push for Saturday to be activated,” Gonzalez said. “We’ll see what happens. Definitely, I want to be (there) Sunday with (New York’s Carlos) Rodon going Sunday. I want to be in the lineup.”

–Field Level Media

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Cody Bellinger drove in two runs with a pinch-hit single to help the visiting New York Yankees extend their winning streak to six  by beating the Boston Red Sox 4-2 Thursday night.

Bellinger singled against reliever Greg Weissert with two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning. The hit, which drove in Jazz Chisholm and Trent Grisham, put the Yankees in front 3-2.

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – For baseball purists, nothing says “Opening Day” like an interleague Major League Baseball game featuring the New York Yankees at the San Francisco Giants, played at nightime and broadcast on Netflix.

Instead, MLB programmers opted for the big bucks and large market New York and San Francisco (Bay Area) for the 2026 opener, The game is part of a $50m cash grab by MLB with Netflix with a package of three tune-in opportunities.

1. Baseball’s Opening Night
2. The MLB All-Star Home Run Derby
3. MLB “Special Event,” like the Field of Dreams game (Iowa) – Aug 13 (PHI v MINN)

That some $16.6m for each stand-alone broadcast, spread out over the course of the 2026 season. For Netflix, it’s waving a giant business card three times a summer. For MLB, its global exposure with the signing of one deal. It might even draw a few of the younger set along to a sports that skews heavily to the older, male audiences.

If you’re scoring at home:

• Wednesday – One MLB game
• Thursday – 11 games
• Friday – 8 games
• Saturday – Full throttle – 15 MLB games

Baseball was smart to schedule its lone opener on Wednesday night, a full 23 hours ahead of the continuing saga of March Madness. In an era of “alternate facts,” we have a “new tradition” in the works.

No matter the teams, an umpire uttering the words, “Play Ball,” or “Batter-Up” have the true meaning of Opening Day, even if said ump will have his balls and strikes reversed sometime tonight.

Yes, there are some rule changes for 2026, and the “ABS” is atop the list. Let’s take a look:

Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System: Each team begins the game with two challenges. Batter, pitcher, or catcher can appeal a ball/strike call. If the appeal is successful, the challenge is retained; if not, it is lost. Challenges are not permitted when position players are pitching.

Base Coach Regulations: Base coaches must remain within their designated boxes while the pitcher is on the rubber to reduce sign-stealing via better angles. It’ll take a but of “getting used to it” for the coaches.

Infield Interference/Obstruction: Runners cannot initiate contact with fielders to draw an obstruction call. Doing so may result in the runner being called out.

Extra Inning Challenges: If a team runs out of challenges, they will receive one, (per inning in extra innings).

There will be some other rule changes in the works, but they’ll be tested in the Minor Leagues throughout 2026. (See rule changes for MiLB – HERE).

What will the fans – baseball purists and newcomers – see when the seasons starts?

We’ll still have Fenway Park – the world’s most beloved ball park – in Boston.

We’ll still have Wrigley Field – the world’s biggest saloon – in Chicago.

Those are the “only” two ballparks remaining.

We’ll still have the Dodgers in Los Angeles and the Yankees in New York both outspending the mere mortals of a league, trying to move forward with the times, but with a Players Association so strong, the words Salary and Cap can not be used in the same sentence, even by the Commissioner of the sport in a Philadelphia clubhouse.

On Opening Day, we’ll still have “hope” in at least 28 of the 30 major league baseball cities, excluding Denver, Colorado and the District of Columbia. That’s pretty good, considering you can slice off the lower third of teams and not a soul would miss them come October.

We’ll still have kids with gloves, hoping to catch a foul ball – an instant, treasured souvenir to be a keepsake until one day, when you really need a baseball, and you play ball with it, or “have a catch.”

You’ll note, some people “have a catch” and others “play catch.” That subtle difference is what baseball is all about and the debate between the use of the two phrases will live in infamy.

This season we’ll watch fast balls thrown at 100 mph. We’ll see four seam fastballs, fastballs, curve balls, wicked curves, sliders, change-ups and rare screwballs and knuckle balls. We’ll tolerate cutters, sinkers, splitters and sweepers.

If you catch a glimpse of the Eephus pitch, it’ll be something special.

As defined by Major League Baseball, an Eephus pitch is “one of the rarest pitches thrown in baseball, and it is known for its exceptionally low speed and ability to catch a hitter off guard.

Typically, an eephus is thrown very high in the air, resembling the trajectory of a slow-pitch softball pitch. Hitters, expecting a fastball that’s nearly ten times the velocity of the eephus, can get over-zealous and swing too early and hard. But for a hitter who is able to keep his weight back and put a normal swing on the pitch, it is the easiest pitch to hit in baseball — one without unexpected movement or excessive velocity.”

Pirates pitcher Rip Sewell was the first pitcher to throw the eephus pitch regularly — although, at the time, the pitch hadn’t yet been named. Sewell’s teammate Maurice Van Robays took care of that. He concocted the name “eephus” and when asked why, he responded by saying, “Eephus ain’t nothing, and that’s a nothing pitch.” In Hebrew, the word “efes” can be loosely translated into “nothing,” and the word “eephus” undoubtedly stems from that.

Zack Greinke was famous for surprising hitters with an eephus on occasion, one of the only modern-day pitchers to use the eephus pitch with any frequency.

There you have it.

Baseball is back.

It’s Opening Day – although it’ll be a night game on Netflix.

Batter up!

Everyone’s in first place.

Play Ball!

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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BRONX – (Wire Service Report) – New York’s Austin Wells hit a tie-breaking single with two outs in the eighth inning and the hometown Yankees avoided elimination with a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of their American League wild-card series on Wednesday night.

Game 3 of the best-of-three set will be played Thursday in New York and the winner will advance to face the top-seeded Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Division Series on Saturday.

Trevor Story drove in three runs off New York starter Carlos Rodon. He hit a two-run single in the third and blasted a game-tying homer to open the sixth.

Guardians 6, Tigers 1

CLEVELAND – (Wire Service Report) – The Guardians’ Brayan Rocchio belted a go-ahead solo homer and Bo Naylor had a three-run shot as part of a five-run eighth inning, giving Cleveland a victory over Detroit in Game 2 of their American League wild-card series.

Rocchio’s 379-foot shot to right field occurred after Troy Melton (0-1) retired C.J. Kayfus to start the eighth, giving Cleveland a 2-1 advantage. Steven Kwan followed with a double and was driven in by Daniel Schneeman.

The Central Division champion Guardians forced a winner-take-all Game 3 at home Thursday, when they will attempt to become the first team to advance after losing Game 1 since the current wild-card format became permanent in 2022. The Tigers left 15 on base and went 1-for-15 with runners in scoring position.

Padres 3, Cubs 0

CHICAGO – (Wire Service Report) – San Diego’s Manny Machado belted a two-run homer in the fifth inning, helping visiting San Diego square their National League wild-card series against Chicago at one win apiece.

Fernando Tatis Jr. scored on a sacrifice fly from Jackson Merrill in the first inning. Luis Arraez contributed two of the seven hits for the Padres. Adrian Morejon (1-0) relieved starter Dylan Cease in the fourth inning and did not allow a hit over 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Opener Andrew Kittredge (0-1) gave up the first inning run and Shota Imanaga pitched the next four innings, allowing Machado’s blast. San Diego pitching allowed only four hits; Seiya Suzuki accounted for the lone extra-base hit, a two-out double in the fourth.

–Field Level Media

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Now it gets real.

Crochet (Red Sox) and Fried (Yankees) delivered after being acquired in the offseason to become staff aces at the center of baseball’s most historic rivalry, and the left-handers find themselves front and center as Game 1 starters in the American League wild-card series starting Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.

The AL East archrivals fight it out in the wild-card round for the first time and best-of-three series winner advances to the division series.

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BOSTON – (Staff Report) – In mid-September baseball with a postseason berth on the line, lethargic, pathetic, error-filled and one run producing baseball is not the remedy for a win. Not in the opening game, an important game in an important three-game, weekend series for the Boston Red Sox against the New York Yankees – on September 12th.

The Red Sox game line read: 1 – 2 – 3 … that’s one run, two hits and three errors. The final score? New York 4, Boston 1.

How is it possible to compete while going hitless through six innings at Fenway Park – a bandbox full of run producing delicacies.

Not tonight.

The first glitch was Sox starter Lucas Giolito grooving a 92-mph four seamer down the Mass Turnpike which New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge whacked 468-feet, at the least, for a 1-0 NYY lead in the first inning.

Judge’s homer was his 362 career HR, passing the legendary Joe DiMaggio for the fourth most homers in New York Yankees franchise history. Judge trails only Babe Ruth (659), Mickey Mantle (536) and Lou Gehrig (493) in NYY franchise home runs.

Judge’s first inning homer also marked the 46th Yankees homer in the opening frame, leading the Majors this season and tying the Cincinnati Reds of 2019 for second-most of any team in the last 75 years. Only the Atlanta Braves are ahead of New York when the Braves concluded the season with 47 in 2023.

Sox bats were asleep at the wheel.

Besides the lackluster effort at the plate, the Red Sox also put a final boxscore in the Elias Sports Bureau records that tallied – let us count the ways – 1). A catcher’s interference error by Carlos Narvaez led directly to NY right-fielder Cody Bellinger’s base hit to allow Judge to score the second run. That was 2-zip, after three.

Fielding and throwing errors?  Sox second baseman David Hamilton scratched out both.

It was all too much to overcome Luis Gil’s no-hit effort through six innings pitched. Gil allowed no hits, no runs while walking four and striking out four. After the six innings and 93 pitches (54 strikes), Gil gave way to RHP Fernando Cruz who lost the team no hitter when Boston right fielder Nate Eaton homered to left field in the seventh inning (3-1, NY).

It all added up to Boston losing the second straight game, losing their seventh game of the last 10 at Fenway Park (since 8-17-25) which comes after winning nine of the previous 10 games in Boston (July 26-to-August 16.

Gil was credited with the win and is (4-1) on the season while Giolito (10-4) took the loss. New York’s reliever, David Bednar, earned his 23rd save of the season.

Interestingly, Giolito is now (5-1) in his last seven home starts, pitching at an incredible 0.80 ERA. He has allowed only one or zero earned runs over 5.2 IP in those seven games. Over his last 17 starts, Giolito is (9-3) with a 2.29 ERA and a .211 opponent batting average.

That wasn’t good enough for tonight and the Red Sox will now rely upon RHP Brayan Bello (11-6) to pitch Saturday and ace LHP Garrett Crochet (15-5) to throw vs. New York on Sunday. The Yankees will counter with ace LHP Max Fried (16-5) on Saturday and RHP Will Warren (8-6) to go Sunday.

The Yankees are now a game and a half ahead of Boston in the AL East standings with the same lead in the American League Wild Card race. Seattle holds the final Wild Card slot and leads the Texas Rangers by 1.5 games.

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