Game 162 may not have mattered for the Boston Red Sox's postseason chances, as they clinched on September 26 after Ceddanne Rafaela's walk off heroics. But if they beat the Detroit Tigers on September 28, the Sox would clinch the No. 5 seed in the Wild Card round.
The Red Sox came through and beat the Tigers, 4-2, at Fenway Park. The other two playoff teams in the American League East, the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, also won their final games. The Jays held the tie breaker, and sent the Yankees down to the fourth seed to open the postseason against the Sox.
Boston's Sunday win came at the hands of a few unlikely heroes. The Red Sox summoned veteran righty starter José De León to start Sunday's game in Lucas Giolito's stead, to keep him ready for a potential Wild Card appearance. De León delivered for the Sox with a 6.2 inning, three run outing, during which he fanned eight Tigers.
The September 28 start didn't look like De León's first big league appearance since 2023, and his struggles from the minor leagues all but disappeared. He clocked a 6.93 ERA and 52 walks over 75.1 frames for the WooSox this year, but came through for the Red Sox in a huge moment against a playoff team.
After a long recovery from labrum surgery and a slow start to the season, Masataka Yoshida has been a huge offensive contributor in September. He continued his hot streak in game 162. He knocked his fourth homer of the year to open the scoring in the bottom of the first inning.
Detroit took a brief lead after getting to De León in the fourth frame. Javier Báez homered with runners on the corners. Those three runs were the only ones the Tigers plated all day, and Boston quickly responded.
Red Sox beat Tigers to secure No. 5 seed, will take on Yankees in the Bronx in the Wild Card round
In the back half of the fourth inning, David Hamilton homered to score Connor Wong to tie the game at three. Then, Nick Sogard and Jarren Duran knocked back-to-back doubles to reclaim the lead, 4-3. Boston's bullpen kept Detroit off the board for the rest of the game and punched its ticket to face the Yankees in the Wild Card round, which could be a blessing and a curse.
Boston and New York will face off in the Bronx, since the Yankees secured the higher seed. The last time the Sox and Yankees met in the Wild Card was in 2021, when it was just one game instead of a best of three series. First pitch for the first two games will be at 6:08 p.m., and they'll be broadcast on ESPN. The timing of Game 3, if necessary, is subject to change if other series around the league are decided in two games.
The Red Sox won the season series against the Yankees in commanding fashion, 8-3. But New York is one of the hottest teams entering the postseason, with an eight-game win streak to boost their confidence. However, it had an easy end to its season — the Yankees closed out their year with series against the Twins, Orioles, White Sox and Orioles, again.
Garrett Crochet will take the mound for the Sox in the first game, and he'll face Max Fried in the Bronx. Crochet is 3-0 against the Yankees this season with a 3.29 ERA, 39 strikeouts and four walks in 27.1 innings. Fried has fared similarly well against Boston, with a 1.96 ERA, 22 strikeouts and seven walks in 18.1 innings against it this year.
The Red Sox have fared well at Yankee Stadium this year, winning five of their six games played there. New York hasn't won a postseason series against Boston since 2003, and it will be feeling the pressure to come through after losing the World Series to the Dodgers last season in pitiful fashion.
The Sox have recent regular season and playoff history on their side as they head to the Bronx. The Yankees will be on a warpath to redeem their reputation in the postseason against them. The Rivalry will be renewed.