Red Sox Yankees Game

Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images

September 30, 2025

Red Sox 3, Yankees 1

Thanks to clutch hitting from Masataka Yoshida and a stout performance from Aroldis Chapman, the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 3–1 in Tuesday night’s American League Wild Card opener to take a 1-0 series lead.

Yankees Strike First

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Despite a rough regular season, Yankee shortstop Anthony Volpe made his mark on the 2025 postseason immediately. Down 1–2 in the count, Volpe lifted Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet’s sinker into Yankee Stadium’s short porch to give New York a 1–0 advantage.

Luke Weaver Takes Over

After 6 1/3 scoreless innings from Yankee starting pitcher Max Fried, manager Aaron Boone put the ball in the hands of reliever Luke Weaver. He began by issuing an 11-pitch walk to outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, before allowing infielder Nick Sogard to double, putting runners on second and third with one out.

Yoshida Comes Through

Pinch-hitting for former Yankee Rob Refsnyder, Masataka Yoshida came through in a big way. With Luke Weaver yet to record an out, Yoshida ripped a two-run single into center field to score Rafela and Sogard. This spelled the end of Weaver’s night, as reliever Fernando Cruz replaced him.

Bregman Tacks on Insurance Run

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With two outs in the top of the ninth, Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story swung at the first pitch he saw from Yankee closer David Bednar and singled to left field. Six pitches later, third baseman Alex Bregman proceeded to double, scoring Story and giving the Red Sox a 3-1 lead.

Yankees’ Offense Catches Fire

Down to their final three outs, the Yankees’ offense found a late spark against familiar foe Aroldis Chapman. With back-to-back-to-back singles from Paul Goldschmidt, Aaron Judge, and Cody Bellinger, the Yankees loaded the bases with no outs.

Chapman Slams the Door Shut

Facing power-bat Giancarlo Stanton, Chapman needed just four pitches to retire the Yankee slugger. Pinch-hitter Jazz Chisholm Jr. followed up Stanton by flying out, leaving New York with just one out to play with. Chapman, though, struck out centerfielder Trent Grisham with a 101 MPH fastball to end the game and give Boston a 3-1 win.

Defining Stat for Yankees

For the first time in the Yankees’ 438-game postseason history, the team struck out 13 or more times while failing to draw a walk.

Defining Stat for Red Sox

After allowing a solo home run to Anthony Volpe in the second inning, Crochet retired 17 straight batters before allowing a single in the eighth inning.

Aaron Boone Reaction

When asked about his outlook for game two, Boone offered a simple response.

“We’re going to show up tomorrow, and I expect us to do pretty well,” said Boone.

Alex Cora Reaction

Despite opening the series with a victory, Red Sox manager Alex Cora is focused on the task at hand.

“We’ve got a tough one tomorrow again,” said Cora. “Rodon has been amazing throughout the season…I expect the game to be just like game one.”

Next Matchup

The Yankees and Red Sox will face off in the Bronx Wednesday for Game Two at 6 pm Eastern. Lefty Carlos Rodon will take the mound as the Yankees hope to salvage their season. Right-hander Brayan Bello will get the ball as the Red Sox look to close things out.