Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Yankees-Red Sox Game 3 to feature pitching matchup not seen in 5 years

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Mike Gianakos, ClutchPoints | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 11:50 PM ET

The New York Yankees edged out the Boston Red Sox Wednesday with a dramatic 4-3 win that forced the Wild Card Series to a decisive Game 3. The AL East foes added a new chapter to their fabled rivalry as the teams will meet in a postseason winner-take-all clash for the fourth time.

Both New York and Boston will turn to rookie starting pitchers for Thursday’s showdown. Cam Schlittler will take the mound for the Yankees while the Red Sox counter with Connelly Early. Schlittler’s postseason debut will be just his 15th-career start. But he looks like a grizzled veteran compared to Early, who has logged four major-league outings and a total of 19.1 innings since debuting on September 9.

The intriguing matchup marks just the second time in baseball history that two rookie starting pitchers met in a winner-take-all postseason game, per Sarah Langs. The only other such meeting occurred in Game 7 of the 2020 NLCS. Dustin May was on the bump for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Ian Anderson got the start for the Atlanta Braves five years ago.

Game 3 of the ALWCS will feature two rookie starters

Dave Nelson-Imagn Images

After falling to the Red Sox 3-1 in the series opener, the Yankees faced elimination on Wednesday. But New York came out on top of a back-and-forth nail-biter as Jazz Chisholm Jr. played the hero . The Yankees’ second baseman battled Garrett Whitlock in a seven-pitch at-bat, working a two-out walk. Chisholm then scored the go-ahead run from first base on Austin Wells’ eighth-inning RBI single.

JAZZ CHISHOLM WAS LITERALLY FLYING. pic.twitter.com/prfARaF1ZG

— Everything Yankees (@eyyankees) October 2, 2025

The Yankees’ bullpen made the 4-3 lead stick as David Bednar worked a dominant ninth inning, earning his first-career postseason save. Bednar atoned for an uneven appearance in the opener, when he allowed a run on two hits in 0.2 innings.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora confirmed that Early will start Game 3 of the Wild Card Series. Cora also mentioned that Boston’s bullpen is in good shape if called upon for additional relief innings Thursday.

Early made franchise history in his MLB debut. The 23-year-old lefty tied the Red Sox’s team record with 11 strikeouts in his first big league outing.

Early went 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA and 179 ERA+ in four career starts. He also racked up an eye-popping 29 strikeouts in 19.1 innings. Schlittler meanwhile developed into a valuable member of New York’s rotation. The 24-year-old righty finished his rookie season with a 4-3 record and a 2.96 ERA. He struck out 84 batters in 73 major-league innings.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: