Red Sox vs. Yankees: Payton Tolle to Start Game 1 of Wild Card Series

Payton Tolle takes the ball for Boston in the opening game of the American League Wild Card Series.

Boston Hands the Ball to Rookie Left-Hander Payton Tolle for Postseason Opener

Boston Red Sox rookie left-hander Payton Tolle will start the opening game of the American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees. Red Sox manager Chad Tracy announced the pitching alignment Monday ahead of the best-of-three matchup, setting up a rotation that features right-hander Sonny Gray for Game 2 and left-hander Ranger Suarez thereafter.

Tolle finished the regular season with a 9-6 record and a 3.03 earned run average across 26 starts, racking up 171 strikeouts over 148 innings and two-thirds of work.

Yankees Counter With Cam Schlittler in Game 1 Rotation Matchup

New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone announced his club’s pitching plans a day earlier, naming right-hander Cam Schlittler as the starter for the opening contest. The Yankees will follow Schlittler with left-hander Max Fried in the second game and right-hander Gerrit Cole in the third game if necessary.

Tolle brings strong numbers against New York into the series opener. In two regular-season appearances against the Yankees this year, he held opposing hitters to a .093 batting average while posting a 0.69 ERA. Across 13 innings on the mound, he allowed just one run and four hits, issuing three walks while striking out 18 batters.

Limited Postseason Experience Sets Up High-Stakes Debut

Though Tolle enters the series with significant regular-season production, his Major League postseason resume remains brief. During last year’s American League Wild Card Series, he faced a single batter, retiring Trent Grisham in the ninth inning of the second game—a contest won by the Yankees.

With Tracy handing the ball to the rookie for Game 1, the Red Sox lean on a young arm who has repeatedly neutralized New York’s lineup over the course of the 2026 campaign. The opening pitch is scheduled, with the winner advancing deeper into the American League postseason bracket.