Cora and Boone’s Strategic Duel: The Unexpected Battle That Could Keep Scores Surprisingly Low

Why is it that every time the Red Sox and Yankees square off, it feels more like a chess match than just a baseball game? Tonight at 8:00 ET, we’re diving headfirst into Game 3 of this Wild Card showdown, and trust me, it’s not your average Friday night. Usually, I keep to a couple of articles a day—maybe three if I’m feeling wild—but lucky you, you’re getting four sizzling takes right now. The Red Sox grabbed the first win on the back of Garret Crochet’s arm, pushing the envelope with a bullpen-heavy strategy and rookie Connelly Early taking the mound tonight. Meanwhile, the Yankees are rolling the dice with their own fresh arm, Cam Schlittler, contrasting raw potential with a bit more seasoning. Rookie pitchers, a tired bullpen, and rivalries on the line—who blinks first? With both teams juggling young arms and high stakes, this one’s shaping up to be a strategic slugfest. So if you’re in for some tactical baseball betting and a game where every decision could tilt the scales, you’re in the right place. Feeling the pressure yet? Me too. LEARN MORE.

Red Sox vs. Yankees, 8:00 ET

I normally only write two articles per day, sometimes I write three, but lucky you, you’re getting four from me today! I couldn’t resist helping my fellow sports betting fanatics bet on all three of these Game 3 Wild Card Games. Plus, Friday has a pretty boring slate at the moment outside of a bit of college football. So, with that being said, you’re getting a bet for each of these games in the Wild Card Series that will determine the next playoff round. The final game of the night is between the Red Sox and Yankees.

The Red Sox took the series opener behind Garret Crochet, and to be honest, I would actually consider seeing if he could pitch again on extremely short rest. I suppose it wouldn’t be worth it for his future, or even the next series if they won, but there are very few options for this Red Sox rotation. As it is, the team is likely to use this as a bullpen game. Their starting pitcher is Connelly Early, but I would expect that the team ends up trying to play as many matchups as they can. If they can get three innings out of Early, that alone will likely be a win for Boston. Early was called up in September, and this is a big ask for a rookie. Overall, he has pitched a total of 19.1 innings, allowed 17 hits, but struck out 29 hitters and only allowed five earned runs. Simply put, he can’t put that much traffic on the bases and expect to win today. One benefit he has is that the Yankees have never faced him, so he could hold them down for a few innings. The first time through a lineup, he has allowed just a .176 batting average, compared to hitters batting .281 against him the second time through. I like the Boston bullpen, but this is a game where they can have no errors. The bullpen is a bit taxed as well, having thrown 5.1 innings yesterday.

The Yankees were my choice to win the series after I bet on the Red Sox to win the first game of the series. I think the pitching for the Yankees overall is a bit better, and the hitting is also in their favor. Their bullpen hasn’t had to have the same number of innings, either. After not starting in Game 1, the team started Jazz Chisholm in Game 2, and I’m interested to see what they do with him here. He was clearly not happy about not starting Game 1, and now is not the time for a distraction. Aaron Judge has done his part to this point, collecting four hits in eight at-bats. It will be interesting to see how patient the lineup is against Early. They need to make him uncomfortable as quickly as possible. The Yankees are using a young’n of their own today as they send out Cam Schlittler to the mound. Schlittler has a lot more experience than Early, going 73 innings this year, and pitching to a 2.96 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP. He has been slightly worse at home and at night than on the road and in day games, so this might not be the ideal situation for him. He also has not faced Boston hitters, and his batting average against him the first time through the lineup is .202.

This is going to be a question about which team blinks first. Both are sending rookie pitchers to the hill to pitch in their first postseason game. I probably don’t need to share the importance of this game for bragging rights between the rival franchises, and certainly don’t need to share the importance of winning the game. The teams are going to make moves very quickly in this one. If you took my Yankees to win the series at +170, take the Red Sox at +140, and enjoy your profit. If you didn’t I’m going to put a half unit on the under. I think this game will be pitching strategy game where managers are constantly playing the matchups to get the ideal situation for their team.

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