New York Yankees @ Boston Red Sox: Cam Schlittler vs. Payton Tolle

The Yankees have already locked up the series win, but Thursday evening presents a bigger opportunity. New York enters Fenway Park looking for its first three-game sweep there since September 2021, and a chance to keep momentum rolling against their longtime rivals.

The formula through the first two games has been simple and effective: dominant pitching paired with one right-handed bat carrying the offense each night. On Tuesday, Luis Gil led the charge and Giancarlo Stanton powered the attack in a 4-0 victory, going 2-for-4 with a home run, double, three RBIs, and scoring the Yankees’ other run. On Wednesday, Max Fried tossed a gem and Amed Rosario took the baton in a 4-1 win, going 1-for-1 with a homer, a walk, and a sacrifice fly, collectively accounting for all four RBIs.

Now it will be Cam Schlittler’s turn to try to keep the Red Sox run total drier than an unsoaked bean. The Walpole, Massachusetts native gets the start close to home after becoming a postseason breakout story last October with his Wild Card heroics against these very Red Sox. It is another spotlight moment for the young right-hander, this time in front of a friendly local crowd at Fenway.

Plenty has been said about how Boston fans have treated Schlittler and his family this week. Frankly, I am surprised any of them were willing to pipe up after his playoff performance last October. Some still have, though, so here is hoping Schlittler gives them another reason to go quiet tonight.

Schlittler will face a Boston lineup that is still struggling to start the season. The Red Sox rank 26th in runs scored and 23rd in batting average. Schlittler has dazzled through his first five starts of 2026, posting a 2-1 record with a 1.95 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 27.2 innings.

Boston had originally lined up Brayan Bello for this game, but his scheduled start was pushed back a day after Sonny Gray landed on the injured list. That move could open the door for top prospect Payton Tolle to get the ball. Tolle nearly made the rotation out of spring training before losing the final spot to Tuesday’s starter, Connelly Early.

Tolle is an imposing presence at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds. The big left-hander was selected in the second round out of TCU in 2024. This will be his first MLB appearance of the season. Last year, Tolle got his first taste of the majors, making three starts and appearing in seven games overall as a September call-up.

Tolle was a two-way star in college but has focused solely on pitching as a professional. He features an upper-90s fastball and mixes in a slider, changeup, and cutter. He has overwhelmed minor-league hitters, ranking third in strikeout rate (37 percent) and fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.8) among pitchers with at least 90 innings.

The Yankees lineup card has a new look tonight. Cody Bellinger gets the evening off, and with his usual middle-of-the-order presence out of the mix, the batting order takes on a different flow.

Other than perhaps Tim Hill, no offseason addition has outperformed expectations quite like Rosario, and tonight he gets the leadoff assignment. He is followed by Aaron Judge, Ben Rice, Stanton, and Randal Grichuk, giving the Yankees a top half loaded with right-handed thunder while Rice’s left-handed bat breaks it up in the middle.

Call it the Righties and Rice configuration. With Boston turning to a left-hander, the Yankees are leaning into matchup advantages, and the hot hand of Rosario sits right at the top. Who will be the hero tonight?

A series at Fenway is never routine and sweeps there are never easy. If the Yankees can get one more sharp effort on the mound and another timely performance from someone at the plate, they will head to Houston atop the American League East and with a seven-game lead over last-place Boston in the standings.

How to watch

Location: Fenway Park — Boston, MA

First pitch: 6:10 pm ET

TV broadcast: YES, NESN, Fox/FS1

Radio broadcast: WFAN 660/101.9 FM, WADO 1280 (NYY), WEEI 93.7 (BOS)

Online stream: MLB.tv (out-of-market only)

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