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Boston will hand the ball to left-hander Payton Tolle for Tuesday's 8:00 p.m. Eastern start to the Wild Card round. New York counters with right-hander Cam Schlittler, an AL Cy Young favorite and the man who started the game that closed out the Red Sox season last year. The Yankees (93-68) took the regular-season series 7-6 over the Red Sox (87-75), and they will be without Aaron Judge, who is not expected to be available after straining his right calf.
Tolle enters on six days of rest after finishing his regular season on Sept. 22 against Cleveland. He posted a 3.03 ERA and 1.10 WHIP across 26 starts, with 171 strikeouts against 40 walks in 148 2/3 innings. His September was the best stretch of his year: 17 2/3 innings, three earned runs, 24 strikeouts and three walks. He has also handled New York well. In two starts against the Yankees, Tolle allowed one earned run on four hits over 13 innings, with 18 strikeouts. That included seven one-hit, scoreless innings on June 26.
Without Judge, the Yankees lineup is quite a bit thinner. Ben Rice was one of the few who finished the season strong. He hit .333/.450/.605 in 100 September plate appearances, with six home runs and 17 walks against 21 strikeouts, to cap a 41-homer season. He is 1-for-3 against Tolle, and his numbers against lefties are more modest: .246/.321/.452 on the year. Cody Bellinger posted .287/.308/.494 with five home runs in 91 plate appearances but is hitless in three trips against Tolle. Heliot Ramos is expected to handle most of the right-field work with Judge out and hasn't faced Tolle. He hit .255/.323/.491 in September and has a .297/.383/.525 line against lefties across his two stops this year. Paul Goldschmidt hit .299/.393/.573 with 11 home runs in 183 plate appearances against left-handers.
Payton Tolle vs. New York Yankees: Current Batters Table
| Rk | Player | B | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GIDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amed Rosario | R | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .167 | .167 | .167 | .333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | José Caballero | R | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 | .200 | .000 | .200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Jazz Chisholm Jr. | L | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .200 | .200 | .800 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Cody Bellinger | L | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Paul Goldschmidt | R | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Ben Rice | L | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Spencer Jones | L | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Ali Sánchez | R | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Anthony Volpe | R | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Austin Wells | L | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Schlittler finished the regular season with a 1.95 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 239 strikeouts in 193 2/3 innings. He was even better down the stretch: 30 September innings, four earned runs, 38 strikeouts and seven walks. Boston has had no answer for him. In four starts against the Red Sox, he went 2-1 with a 0.74 ERA, allowing 15 hits over 24 1/3 innings while striking out 27. The hitters on Boston's current roster are a combined 12-for-64 (.188) against him, with four walks and 19 strikeouts in 71 plate appearances. His one wobble against the Sox came on Aug. 28, when he walked five in 5 2/3 innings, but he still didn't allow a run. His final regular-season start on Sept. 24 lasted only three innings and 70 pitches.
Cam Schlittler vs. Boston Red Sox: Current Batters Table
| Rk | Player | B | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS | SH | SF | IBB | HBP | GIDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilyer Abreu | L | 12 | 9 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | .222 | .300 | .333 | .633 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Willson Contreras | R | 12 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | .083 | .083 | .167 | .250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Jarren Duran | L | 12 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | .182 | .167 | .182 | .348 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Ceddanne Rafaela | R | 12 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | .364 | .417 | .364 | .780 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Caleb Durbin | R | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | .222 | .364 | .556 | .919 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Adley Rutschman | B | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .167 | .167 | .167 | .333 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Nick Sogard | B | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Trevor Story | R | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
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