New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried throws to the plate during the first inning in Game 2 of their American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story makes a throw to first base but New York Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm Jr. reaches on a single during the second inning in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Boston Red Sox’s Nate Eaton celebrates hitting a double ahead of the tag from New York Yankees shortstop George Lombard Jr., right, during the third inning in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The New York Yankees’ Luis García Jr. follows through on a solo home run against the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried throws against the Boston Red Sox during the first inning in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray, center facing, is pulled from the game against the New York Yankees during the fifth inning in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The New York Yankees’ Cody Bellinger hits an RBI single against the Boston Red Sox during the fifth inning in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
The Boston Red Sox’s Willson Contreras (40) jumps to celebrate his solo home run with teammate Wilyer Abreu, facing, during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
The New York Yankees’ George Lombard Jr. hits an RBI single to score Spencer Jones against the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
The New York Yankees’ Cody Bellinger hits a three-run home run during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The New York Yankees’ Cody Bellinger follows through on a three-run home run during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Boston Red Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu watches as fans vie for the three-run home run hit by New York Yankees’ Cody Bellinger during the sixth inning in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
A fan catches the ball that was hit for a three-run home run hit by the New York Yankees’ Cody Bellinger during the sixth inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The New York Yankees’ Cody Bellinger celebrates while running the bases after hitting a three-run home run during the sixth inning in Game 2 of their American League Wild Card Series against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium in New York. The Yankees won, 9-2. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
The New York Yankees’ Cody Bellinger, right, celebrates with teammate Luis García Jr., left, after hitting a three-run home run against the Boston Red Sox during the sixth inning in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Filmmaker Spike Lee looks on while watching the game between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox during the seventh inning in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
The New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, left, and Giancarlo Stanton, right, watch from the dugout during the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells, left, greets relief pitcher David Bednar, right, as they celebrate a win over the Boston Red Sox in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Former New York Yankees player Clay Bellinger, facing, greets his son, Yankees’ Cody Bellinger (35), after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch in Game 2 of baseball’s American League Wild Card Series between the Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer
NEW YORK — Max Fried dominated Boston in the playoffs for the second straight year, Cody Bellinger and Luis García Jr. homered, and the New York Yankees romped over the Red Sox, 9-2, on Wednesday night for a two-game sweep of their American League Wild Card Series.
Read more ‘Building who I am as a person’: USC’s Jahkeem Stewart reflects on missed games
Clinging to a 2-1 lead after Willson Contreras homered to end Boston’s 26-inning postseason scoreless streak, the Yankees broke the game open with a six-run sixth after Spencer Jones reached on a wild pitch while striking out leading off – with the help of a video review.
García, acquired at the trade deadline, had three hits in his first postseason start, and Bellinger had four RBIs that included a three-run homer capping the sixth-inning burst that put New York ahead 8-1.
New York will face AL East champion Tampa Bay in a best-of-five AL Division Series beginning Saturday in Florida.
Boston, which reached the playoffs after rebounding from a 32-46 start, was eliminated by the Yankees in the first round for the second straight year. The Red Sox hit .117 in the two-game series (7 for 60) with 18 strikeouts and were outscored 18-2.
A day after Cam Schlittler led New York to a 9-0 win, Fried pitched three-hit ball over six innings to win a postseason game for the first time since the 2021 World Series clincher with Atlanta.
New York started eight left-handed hitters against Sonny Gray, back on the mound where his career derailed during a dismal Yankees stretch in 2017 and ’18.
García’s fourth-inning homer put the Yankees ahead and Bellinger, one of the top lefty-on-lefty hitters in the major leagues, added a fifth-inning RBI single against left-handed Erik Miller, who had just relieved. Bellinger caught the ceremonial first pitch from his dad, Clay Bellinger, who won a World Series with New York in 2000.
Read more Clippers’ Darius Garland doing his part to create ‘immaculate’ vibe
Jones struck out both to start and end the bottom of the sixth, a weird half-inning that included a wild pitch, throwing error, stolen base, bunt single and intentional walk to Ben Rice that preceded Bellinger’s homer.
Garrett Crochet, who beat the Yankees in last year’s Wild Card Series opener, hadn’t pitched since April 25 because of left shoulder inflammation when he bounced a sweeper off catcher Adley Rutschman’s chest. Rutschman picked up the ball and threw to first, where umpire John Libka signaled out. The Yankees appealed and the call was reversed by the video umpire at the commissioner’s office.
Jones swiped second and kept going to third when Rutschman’s throw skipped into center field. Rookie George Lombard Jr. singled for his first postseason RBI, Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled and Trent Grisham loaded the bases with a bunt single.
Austin Wells’ sacrifice fly against Garrett Whitlock increased the lead to 4-1, Ryan McMahon hit an RBI groundout and Rice, who had four hits and six RBIs in the opener, was intentionally walked. Bellinger reached down and pulled a changeup into the right-center field seats.
Fried, a former Harvard-Westlake star, struck out six and walked one. He has allowed one run over 12⅓ innings in the two Wild Card Series against the Red Sox.
Nick Sogard hit a solo homer off Will Warren in the seventh.
UP NEXT
New York right-hander Gerrit Cole (10-9, 3.61 ERA), who would have started a third game against Boston, is likely to start Game 1 against the Rays.
Read more Chargers’ emerging ground game faces tough test vs. Seahawks