Yanks Sweep Sox, Win WC Game 2 9-2!!!

By Andy Singer

October 1st, 2026

The Big Story

I don't think I can come up with a more dominant way to win a series. The Yankees were the better team on paper, even without Aaron Judge, and they displayed their superiority in every way possible in their two games against the Red Sox. Home runs, small ball, fantastic pitching, solid defense, and opportunistic baserunning were all on display in this series and particularly last night.

It was a pitcher's duel until the 6th inning in Game 2. I don't think there's a Yankee fan on the planet who didn't want the Yankees to score a million runs against Sonny Gray, but it didn't happen that way (more on that in a minute). Sonny Gray left the game with a 1-0 defecit with 2 outs in the 5th inning. Like Game 1, Red Sox Manager Chad Tracy turned to lefty Erik Miller out of the bullpen, who promptly allowed an RBI single to Bellinger, giving the Yanks a 2-0 lead. The Red Sox answered in the top of the 6th inning with a solo home run, but the Yanks were just getting started.

The floodgates opened in the bottom of the 6th inning. The Yanks batted around in the inning. Of all things, the inning began with Spencer Jones reaching on a dropped third strike. Garrett Crotchet never got a single out in the inning as the Yankees found multiple ways to score, ultimately racking up 3 hits against the superstar pitcher. Garrett Whitlock entered in relief of Crotchet, and only made things worse. He walked 3 and allowed 3 more hits, none more devestating than Bellinger's 3-run home run to put an exclamation point on the 6th inning.

That's all the Yankees needed. Max Fried didn't necessarily look dominant on the mound, but the final stat line was brilliant: 6 innings, 3 hits, 1 walk, 6 strikeouts, and 1 earned run on a solo homer from Contreras in Fried's final inning. Fried was up to 98 pitches by the end of the 6th inning, so I'm not sure he would have returned to the game even without the Yankees' offensive explosion in the 6th inning. In any case, the Yankees outpitched the Red Sox. For all of the fanfare the Red Sox's bullpen received in the media leading up to this series, the bullpen was the Sox's weakest link, while the Yankees' starters and relievers overwhelmed the Red Sox hitters.

The Yankees will now get a real test against the Rays in the ALDS. For now though, it's nice to celebrate a Wild Card victory.

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

It feels incredibly strange to write the paragraph I'm about to write. Everyone here at SSTN, myself included, have been very quick to note every instance in which Aaron Boone has been out-managed over the years. I'm not saying that our opinions on that front have been wrong by any stretch of the imagination, but it's been a frequent topic of discussion over the years. Given the speed with which we note Boone's failures, I think it's only fair when we give due credit for his successes. I'm just going to say it: Aaron Boone out-managed Chad Tracy, and it wasn't close.

If there was a right button to push, Boone found it in this series. If there were a large red button on the bullpen phone in Tracy's button that said, "DON'T TOUCH!" he found it. Tracy's bullpen choices and self-inflicted matchups didn't necessarily cause the Red Sox to lose this series, but it absolutely made the scores wider than they needed to be. I can't believe I'm saying this, but Boone managed with feel, leaning on his starters now that they've spent all season earning his trust; pulling the right matchups with his lineups at the plate; and showing faith in the Yankees' home grown, young stars. Aaron Boone had a fantastic series.

The Kids Are Alright

Ben Rice, Spencer Jones, George Lombard Jr., Austin Wells, and Anthony Volpe are all home grown players who appeared in crucial lineup spots for the Yankees. Every one of the players above contributed to this series win. Ben Rice took over Game 1, and made an impact in Game 2 even when the Sox pitched around him. Jones got some timely hits this series and even though he struck out 4 times in Game 2, the game was blown open when he used his speed to reach on a dropped 3rd strike. Lombard Jr. took charge defensively and likewise proved he can hit good big league pitching in tough moments. Austin Wells was simply a rock defensively and continued to hit and get on-base, as he has throughout the 2nd half of the season. Volpe played an excellent 2B in Game 1 and showed a little bit of everything at the plate.

The kids, and the Yankees, are alright.

Sonny Gray Looked...Sticky

I'm just going to say this: I don't like Sonny Gray. I'm sure I'm not alone in the Yankee Universe with an opinion like that. Sonny Gray was one of the biggest Trade Deadline trades the Yankees made in my lifetime, and it went terribly. Great idea, but Gray couldn't handle New York. That alone doesn't make me dislike a guy. Instead of showing some class in his comments about the Yankees, Gray has continually brought up his dislike of New York and the Yankees, and turned the dial on those comments up to 11 after arriving in Boston. I wanted the Yankees to score 20 runs in the first inning and have the crowd chant Gray off the mound. Alas, that didn't happen. At the very least, Gray left with a defecit and earned a loss in this game.

However, something far more interesting was happening here. The broadcast caught Gray with a brown, sticky substance on his neck multiple times in the 5th inning (I'd have to watch more video to see if it was apparent earlier). Gray very clearly kept touching that spot on his neck before finishing with rubbing his hat. I thought MLB had taken such great lengths to combat sticky stuff in baseball? If the broadcast can see it clearly, how does the umpire not see it? Needless to say, I was frustrated. It didn't matter, because the Yankees were better than the Red Sox and Sonny Gray, but I think MLB needs to look at that situation more closely.

Sonny Gray came up small against a team he claims to strongly dislike, complained to the media about his manager's lack of trust in him after the game, and likely used sticky stuff only to lose. Good riddance.

The 6th and 7th Innings Were Fun

The floodgates opened in the 6th when Spencer Jones reached on a dropped 3rd strike. He wound up at 3B on a stolen base and one base error on the throw. George Lombard scorched a liner to right-center to score Jones. The Yanks kept piling on. Jazz Chishom signled through the hole on the right side of the infield; Trent Grisham reached on a drag bunt (!) to load the bases; Austin Wells hit a sac fly; Ryan McMahon nubbed an RBI infield single; Ben Rice drew an intentional walk; and Cody Bellinger hit a 3-run homer after his father threw out the first pitch.

Garrett Whitlock entered the game for Garrett Crochet and wasn't any better in the 6th or 7th. In the 7th, the Yankees again chipped away, ultimately tacking on another run with an Austin Wells RBI single. Can we stop talking about losing Garrett Whitlock in the Rule 5 Draft now? This feels like Karma.

The Short Porch Giveth, The Short Porch Taketh

In the 6th inning, Max Fried allowed a Yankee Stadium homer to Willson Contreras to pull the game to 2-1. It barely got over the fence, but it was a good piece of hitting. In the next inning, Cody Bellinger hit a wall-scraping homer over the fence to the short porch. His went for 3 runs. Clearly, the short porch has a Yankee bias.

On To The Rays

The Rays are a formidable opponent, and they shouldn't be taken lightly. If the Yankees play this level of baseball though, I don't think the Rays can beat the Yankees. Let's hope the Yankees keep rolling in the ALDS!