Yankees vs Rays ALDS Game 1: Judge a Doubt After Wild Card Sweep of Red Sox

The New York Yankees swept the Boston Red Sox out of the AL Wild Card Series on Wednesday, winning Game 2 9-2 to complete an 18-2 aggregate rout, and they face the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Division Series starting Saturday at Tropicana Field. The open question is Aaron Judge: the Yankees captain missed the Boston series with a calf injury and has not been confirmed for Game 1.

How did the Yankees sweep the Red Sox?

New York won the two games 9-0 and 9-2, outscoring Boston 18-2 in the series. Cam Schlittler shut the Red Sox out in Game 1, and Max Fried followed with three-hit ball over six innings in Game 2, his first postseason win since he closed out the 2021 World Series for Atlanta.

The clincher turned on a six-run sixth inning. The Yankees led 2-1 when Spencer Jones reached on a strikeout and wild pitch after a video review, and the inning snowballed from there: Luis García Jr., who had homered in the fourth and collected three hits in his first postseason start, kept the line moving, and Cody Bellinger capped the burst with a three-run homer on his way to four RBIs. Boston hit .117 for the series (7 for 60) with 18 strikeouts. It is the extreme end of how the MLB Wild Card Series works: a best-of-three at one park, where two cold nights end a season. The Red Sox, who rebounded from a 32-46 start to reach October, have now been eliminated by the Yankees in the first round two years running.

Will Aaron Judge play in the ALDS?

Judge’s status is undecided, and the Yankees have given no firm answer. Their captain sat out the whole Wild Card Series with a calf injury, and asked about Game 1 he would only say that “Saturday’s a long ways away.” A decision is expected closer to first pitch.

New York scored 18 runs without him, which buys patience, but a five-game series against the AL’s top seed is a different test. Judge is the hitter Tampa Bay’s pitching plan is built around, and his presence or absence changes how the Rays can work through the middle of the Yankees order.

What is the ALDS schedule and format?

The ALDS is a best-of-five series in a 2-2-1 format, and it opens Saturday at 6:30 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field. Gerrit Cole is lined up for the Yankees against Drew Rasmussen for the Rays, according to MLB.com.

Tampa Bay hosts the extra game because it is the higher seed: the Rays won the AL East and skipped the Wild Card round on a bye, while the Yankees came through it. The full bracket, byes and tiebreakers are covered in our guide to how the MLB playoffs work.

Why does this series matter?

It is only the second postseason meeting between the two division rivals, and the first played at their real home parks. The previous one, the 2020 ALDS, was held at a neutral site during the pandemic season and Tampa Bay won it 3-2.

The Rays also hold the recent edge: they won the 2026 regular-season series 7-6, and they reach this round rested while the Yankees play their third postseason game in five days. For New York, the wider target is a pennant. The Yankees own the most World Series wins in MLB history, but their last championship was in 2009, and this group has yet to win one together.

What happens next?

Game 1 is Saturday night, and in a best-of-five the opener carries extra weight: the loser must win three of the remaining four. Expect a Judge update before first pitch, since the Yankees have to set their lineup card either way.

New York’s rotation resets around Cole after Fried and Schlittler handled the Wild Card round, while Tampa Bay’s rested staff is the one unknown the Yankees have not seen this week. The winner of the series advances to the ALCS, one round from the World Series.

Update, October 3: The Rays won Game 1 1-0. Drew Rasmussen took a no-hitter into the eighth inning, Jonathan Aranda homered for the only run, and Judge was left off the Yankees’ ALDS roster entirely. Read the full report: Rays beat Yankees 1-0 in ALDS Game 1.