00:00Three games, two wins to advance against one rival, a rival who would love nothing more than to end your
00:07season.
00:07Yankee Red Sox is back in the postseason while everybody waits for the Bronx Bombers to deliver a big swing.
00:13The Yankees' greatest strength may be the guys trying to stop one.
00:17Cam Schlittler in game one, Max Fried in game two, Garrett Cole, if there is a game three, and Carlos
00:22Rodon waiting behind them.
00:24That's a lot of pitching for Boston to get through.
00:27Let's start with Tuesday starter.
00:29Remember the last time Boston came to the Bronx with his season on the line?
00:32Schlittler gave the Red Sox eight scoreless innings, struck out 12, and didn't walk a single batter.
00:38He sent them home in the deciding game of last year's wildcard series.
00:42His postseason ERA is 1.26 across two starts.
00:46Now, that's small sample size theater, so look at what he did over this full season.
00:5114 wins, a 1.95 ERA, 239 strikeouts, and no Yankee has finished the season with a lower ERA since
00:59Ron Guidry back in 1978.
01:02And Boston has seen plenty of him this year.
01:05Four starts, a .74 ERA.
01:08So look, game one isn't Schlittler's first test against this rival.
01:13Then, on Wednesday, the Red Sox, they get a different look.
01:16Max Freed from the left side.
01:18Freed finished the season with a 2.80 ERA.
01:21Now, back in April, he went to Fenway Park, threw eight scoreless innings against Boston, with nine strikeouts in that
01:27one.
01:28He also knows what a game with a trophy on the line feels like.
01:32Back in 2021, Freed threw six scoreless innings as Atlanta clinched the World Series.
01:37Yep, an elbow issue cost him time this season, but following Schlittler with a lefty who has already silenced the
01:43Sox in their ballpark?
01:45Well, that's a game two matchup that the Yankees can feel good about.
01:49And, if this series goes the distance, the Yankees turn to Garrett Cole.
01:53This hasn't been a vintage Cole season.
01:55His ERA is 3.61, and home runs did become a concern down the stretch of the season.
02:01But, he allowed two earned runs in each of his final two starts.
02:05More importantly, he's been through October pressure before.
02:082.93 ERA in 12 postseason starts as a Yankee.
02:12A deciding game against Boston would test any pitcher.
02:15But, the Yanks have a former Cy Young winner ready if they need him.
02:20And, Rodon, he isn't scheduled to start this series.
02:23He finished the season with a 2.67 ERA and threw eight scoreless innings against Tampa Bay last week.
02:29Now, he could be available from the bullpen against Boston or start game one of the division series if New
02:36York advances.
02:37So, that's the depth behind the three names slated to start in the wildcard round.
02:42Now, confidence isn't a certainty.
02:45Boston swept four games at Fenway in June.
02:47The Yankees, they won the season series by just one game, 7-6.
02:51And, both teams, they pitched well enough to make this a tight series.
02:55But, here's why Yankee fans can feel confident.
02:58Slidler, he's already ended Boston's October once.
03:01Freed, he's already shut them down at Fenway.
03:03Cole, he's got a long postseason track record.
03:06And, Rodon, he's ready for whatever comes next.
03:09Historically, the Yankees, they're famous for making noise with their bats in the postseason.
03:13Starting Tuesday, the best chance to move on may be making Boston's bats go silent.
03:18And, Rodon, he's got a long postseason track record.
