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1.95 ERA and the Team That Would Not Die
Cam Schlittler finishes a regular season with a 1.95 ERA, the fourth Yankee starter to do that in 112 years of franchise history, and tonight he pitches against a Boston team that was 32-46 and 15.5 games out of the division lead on June 24. Game 1 of the 2026 AL Wild Card Series starts at 8 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium. Both clubs have won three of their six previous playoff series against each other. One of them will take the lead for the first time.

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The Ace, in Context
Schlittler went 14-6 with a 0.92 WHIP and 239 strikeouts across 193.2 innings. He allowed one run or fewer in 21 of his 33 starts and held opposing batters to a .185 average. His ERA is the lowest in the American League since Justin Verlander posted a 1.75 with Houston in 2022. The only Yankees starters to finish a season below 2.00 were Ron Guidry (1.74 in 1978), Spud Chandler (1.64 in 1943), and Ray Caldwell (1.95 in 1914). Schlittler's 239 strikeouts tie Jack Chesbro's 1904 total for the fourth most by a Yankee in a single season. Over his final nine starts he pitched to a 1.17 ERA across 54 innings, 27 hits, 18 walks, 68 strikeouts. He also went 4-0 with a 0.74 ERA against Boston this year.

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https://www.mlb.com/news/cam-schlittler-finishes-2026-regular-season-with-a-1-95-era
MLB.com: Schlittler finishes the 2026 regular season with a 1.95 ERA

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The Comeback, Also in Context
Boston's turnaround is one of the few in baseball history that actually compares to the 2004 ALCS. Alex Cora was fired 27 games in after a 10-17 start. Chad Tracy, the Triple-A Worcester manager, stepped up from the minors. The team bottomed out at 32-46 on June 24, at which point they were 15.5 games behind in the AL East. What followed: a 31-5 run including a 15-game winning streak that tied the franchise record set in 1946, a 27-3 stretch from July 3 through August 7 (the best 30-game span in franchise history), and a final record of 87-75. Boston joined the 1914 Miracle Braves, 1974 Pirates, and 2005 Astros as the only teams to reach the postseason after falling 14 games under .500. Their 31-44 mark at the 75-game point is the worst first 75 games by any team to eventually make the playoffs in MLB history. On September 22, the Red Sox removed the interim tag and named Tracy their 49th manager, signing him through 2029.

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https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/red-sox-roller-coaster-season-stability-craig-breslow-chad-tracy/
CBS Sports: How the Red Sox roller-coaster 2026 season led to stability

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[icon:CHART] Schlittler 2026 ERA | 1.95 (lowest in AL since Verlander 1.75, 2022)
[icon:FIRE] Schlittler ERA vs Boston 2026 | 0.74 across 4 regular season starts
[icon:STAR] Red Sox record under Chad Tracy | 74-55 (.574) since April
[icon:CLOCK] Red Sox worst record at 75-game mark for a playoff team | 31-44
[icon:CHART] Previous AL Wild Card meetings | Yankees won 2025 series 2-1
[icon:STAR] All-time postseason series record | 3-3 (seventh series tonight)

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Game 1: Schlittler vs. Tolle
Boston's answer to Schlittler is rookie lefty Payton Tolle, who finished 9-6 with a 3.03 ERA in his first full season. Tolle throws a 98-mph heater and has become a genuine fan favourite in Boston. Aaron Boone said his club views Tolle as "closer to neutral" regarding batter splits, meaning the Yankees do not expect a dramatic platoon advantage from their right-handed lineup. Game 2 would feature Sonny Gray (18-5, 2.72 ERA) for Boston against Max Fried (5-5, 2.80 ERA) for New York. If a Game 3 is needed, Schlittler is the likeliest option, since Boston's Garrett Crochet has not pitched competitively since April 25 due to shoulder and lat injuries.

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Injuries and the Bullpen Edge
Aaron Judge played only seven games after returning from a rib stress fracture and has a right calf strain that makes him unlikely for tonight. Boston lost reliever Tyron Guerrero late in the season. Former Yankee Aroldis Chapman is Boston's closer, which means the Yankees need to score early and make the most of their innings against a Red Sox bullpen that ranked first in the AL by ERA. New York's own bullpen ranked third. The pitching quality across this series is unusually high: the six starters across the three potential games combine for 15 All-Star selections and two Cy Young awards.

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https://blogs.fangraphs.com/again-with-these-guys-yankees-vs-red-sox-al-wild-card-series-preview/
FanGraphs: Again With These Guys, Yankees vs Red Sox Wild Card preview

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The History the Next Three Days Will Change
The Red Sox and Yankees have met in six previous postseason series. It is 3-3. The longest gap between meetings was 14 years, from 2004 to 2018, and each time they face each other it still carries the weight of 1978, 2003, and the comeback heard around baseball in 2004. Whichever team wins this series takes the all-time lead for the first time. The winner plays the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Division Series.