Our Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees preview covers the odds, run line, total, probable pitchers, first pitch time, TV channel and where to watch for Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series on Tuesday, September 29, 2026. The No. 5-seeded Boston Red Sox (87-75) visit the No. 4-seeded New York Yankees (93-68) at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, N.Y., to open the best-of-three series. First pitch is 8:00 PM ET. TV: NBC / Peacock.
Wild Card storyline: The Yankees (93-68) are the AL’s No. 4 seed and top wild card. Their Sunday finale against Baltimore was canceled because of rain (MLB Stats API), so they finished with 161 games. The Red Sox (87-75) are the No. 5 seed. The probable pitchers are Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.03) for the Red Sox and Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95) for the Yankees. DraftKings lists the Yankees at -145 on the moneyline and the Red Sox at +120, with the total at 6.5.
Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees Odds, Run Line & Game Info
| Matchup | Boston Red Sox @ New York Yankees |
|---|---|
| Series | AL Wild Card Series, Game 1 (best-of-three, all games at Yankee Stadium) |
| Seeds | Boston Red Sox No. 5 | New York Yankees No. 4 (AL) |
| 2026 Records | Boston Red Sox 87-75 | New York Yankees 93-68 |
| Run Line | BOS +1.5 (-190) | NYY -1.5 (+156) |
| Moneyline | Boston Red Sox: +120 | New York Yankees: -145 |
| Total | O/U 6.5 (o+100 / u-120) |
| Venue | Yankee Stadium (Bronx, N.Y.) |
| Date / Time | Tuesday, September 29, 2026 — 8:00 PM ET |
| TV / How to Watch | NBC / Peacock |
| Probable Pitchers | Boston Red Sox: Payton Tolle (9-6, 3.03) | New York Yankees: Cam Schlittler (14-6, 1.95) |
| Managers | Boston Red Sox: Chad Tracy | New York Yankees: Aaron Boone |
| 2026 Season Series | Yankees won the 2026 season series 7-6 |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN) as of Monday, Sept. 28, 2026, ~7:25 PM PT. Opening line: Yankees -142 / Red Sox +118, total 6.5 (DraftKings open); SI listed Yankees -149 / Red Sox +123 (Sept. 27). Lines move, so check your sportsbook before first pitch. Official Wild Card Series rosters are due Tuesday morning.
Red Sox vs Yankees Wild Card Series Context
Format: The AL Wild Card Series is a best-of-three, and all three games are at Yankee Stadium, home of the higher-seeded Yankees. Game 1 is Tuesday at 8:00 PM ET, Game 2 is Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 8:00 PM ET, and Game 3, if necessary, is Thursday, Oct. 1 (time TBD). Games 1 and 2 are on NBC and Peacock. The winner advances to the ALDS against the No. 1-seeded Tampa Bay Rays.
Head-to-head: New York won the 2026 season series 7-6, including 4-2 at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees won four of the first five meetings. Boston then swept four at Fenway in June, just before its 15-game winning streak, and New York took three of four in the Bronx at the end of August, outscoring the Red Sox 26-9 (MLB.com).
Postseason history: This is the rivals’ seventh postseason series and third Wild Card meeting, after 2021 and 2025. The Yankees won last year’s AL Wild Card Series 2-1, clinching Game 3 behind a 12-strikeout start from Cam Schlittler (NBC Sports).
Boston Red Sox Preview: Wild Card Game 1
Season in review: Boston fired Alex Cora on April 25 after a 10-17 start. Triple-A Worcester manager Chad Tracy took over as interim, and the Red Sox went 74-55 through Sept. 22, the day they removed the interim tag and gave Tracy a three-year deal (Boston Globe, AP). The run included a 15-game winning streak. Boston finished 87-75 (3rd in the AL East) and went 46-35 on the road.
Key numbers: Boston scored 689 runs and allowed 611. The team hit .245 with a .716 OPS and 107 steals and posted a 3.54 ERA (MLB Stats API). Both clubs rank in the top three in MLB in team ERA (MLB.com). Sonny Gray led the AL with 18 wins and had a 2.72 ERA (NBC Sports). He starts Game 2, followed by Ranger Suárez in Game 3 (ESPN).
Injuries: Ace Garrett Crochet missed all but the first month with a left shoulder injury. He threw live BP Saturday and calls himself ready, but Tracy said no roster decision had been made as of Monday (Boston Globe). Willson Contreras (bruised right hand) is expected to play first base. ESPN lists Masataka Yoshida (hamstring, 10-day IL), Anthony Seigler (wrist), Johan Oviedo (elbow, 60-day IL) and Zack Kelly (elbow, 60-day IL).
New York Yankees Preview: Wild Card Game 1
Season in review: Aaron Boone’s Yankees finished 93-68, second in the AL East and 4.5 games behind Tampa Bay, after Sunday’s finale was rained out. They were 46-34 at home. New York scored 739 runs and allowed an AL-low 601. The team hit 223 homers, stole 153 bases and posted a 3.24 ERA (MLB Stats API).
Key players: Ben Rice led the offense, ranking second in the AL in slugging (.534), third in OPS (.897) and fourth in both RBIs (97) and home runs (41) (NBC Sports). Max Fried (2.80 ERA over 20 starts) starts Game 2, and Gerrit Cole would start Game 3 (MLB Trade Rumors).
Injuries: Three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge has been out since Sept. 16 with a strained right calf. Before that, a fractured rib sidelined him from May 31 to Sept. 8. He took live batting practice Monday and is pushing to play, but his roster status won’t be settled until the Tuesday-morning roster deadline (CBS/AP, CBS Sports). Giancarlo Stanton (calf, out since April 24), CF Trent Grisham (hamstring) and LHP Ryan Weathers (forearm) are also roster possibilities, and Clarke Schmidt (biceps) is on the 15-day IL (CBS/AP, ESPN).
Starting Pitchers: Payton Tolle vs Cam Schlittler
Red Sox: Payton Tolle (LHP, 9-6, 3.03 ERA) — 26 starts, 148.2 IP, 171 strikeouts, 40 walks, 1.10 WHIP (MLB Stats API). The 23-year-old rookie opened the year at Triple-A and rejoined Boston in late April (Boston Globe). In two starts against the Yankees he allowed one earned run over 13 innings with 18 strikeouts: 6 IP and 11 K on April 23, and seven scoreless innings in a June 26 win (MLB Stats API). He faced one batter in last year’s Wild Card Series.
Yankees: Cam Schlittler (RHP, 14-6, 1.95 ERA) — 33 starts, 193.2 IP, 239 strikeouts, 49 walks, 0.92 WHIP (MLB Stats API). Schlittler led the AL in ERA and is the heavy AL Cy Young favorite (NBC Sports, Boston Globe). He pitches on regular rest after last going on Thursday (MLB Trade Rumors). In four starts against Boston this year he allowed two earned runs in 24.1 innings (MLB Stats API). The Walpole, Mass., native closed out last year’s Wild Card Series against the Red Sox.
How to Watch Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees – Wild Card Game 1
Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2026
First pitch: 8:00 PM ET (8:00 PM local)
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, N.Y.
TV / Streaming: NBC and Peacock (Jason Benetti with Joe Girardi and Lou Merloni, reporter Caroline Pineda; Anthony Rizzo on “Inside the Pitch”). Bob Costas joins pregame coverage at Yankee Stadium. SAP on Peacock. ESPN Radio has national radio coverage.
Game 2 is Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 8:00 PM ET, and Game 3, if necessary, is Thursday, Oct. 1. Check the run line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the September 29, 2026 first pitch, and look for official rosters and lineups closer to game time.