MLB Baseball
2025-10-02 - Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
A Sports Betting Pick by FirstDown
United States : MLB Baseball Playoff Wild Card Game 3
Thursday 2nd October 2025 - Scheduled 8pm
1am (British Time)
Preview
Two fascinating games has led to the season being on the line for both the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees as Game 3 of this 2025 Wild Card Series is played in The Bronx on Thursday night.
Every single healthy player on the roster has to be ready to go, especially as both the Yankees and Red Sox are going to start with inexperienced players.
Rookies Cam Schlittler and Connelly Early are going to be opening up this vital Game 3, and both have limited regular season experience. Pitching in the post-season for the first time brings a different pressure onto the shoulders and especially for players who have had fourteen and four regular starts respectively.
Neither has pitched against the opposition batting lineup in their short time in the Major League, and that will bring another challenge.
Cam Schlittler finished with a 2.96 ERA in his fourteen regular season starts, while Connelly Early had a 2.33 ERA in his four starts, but both pitchers will know that the bullpen will be ready to go as soon as required.
This brings another element into the game- the Yankees bullpen stood up at the end of Game 2, but they cost the team the victory in Game 1 and it has been a vulnerable part of what is a very good overall team. The Boston Red Sox haver perhaps been a bit more comfortable with the arms coming out of the bullpen, but Garrett Whitlock was heavily used and this could develop into a game where the batting lineups are on top.
Only seven runs were scored on Wednesday, but there were 16 Hits between the teams and the bases were loaded a number of times.
It brings another pressure to the board for the two starters and the bullpens in this huge game and this is likely to be one where the Manager's of both teams are going to be criticised or praised depending on the eventual outcome of the Series.
Prediction
Old rivals meeting for a place in the Divisional Round of the Playoffs will always generate interest, but the first two games of this Wild Card Series have produced great stories.
One more will decide which team moves onto Toronto and which team wonders where it all went wrong and two rookies starting Game 3 makes it difficult to know who will come out on top.
The Yankees have the stronger batting lineup, but Boston have been finding big hits and using patience to earn Walks onto bases.
Cam Schlittler and Connelly Early have impressed in the regular season, but this is a much tougher environment to produce your best and the bullpens could also be vulnerable.
With the batters looking comfortable with what they have been seeing, the Hits may pile up again and this could lead to the over hitting on the total having just missed out in Game 2.
The Pick :
New York Yankees 5-4 Boston Red Sox
