The Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees will play a deciding Game 3 in their American Wild Card showdown on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium. Both teams will send a rookie to the mound to start the winner-takes-it-all affair.

Shortly after the Red Sox lost, 4-3, in Wednesday night’s Game 2, Boston manager Alex Cora officially named rookie left-hander Connelly Early as his Game 3 starter. The 23-year-old started his season in Double-A and didn’t make his Major League debut until Sept. 9, when he got the win and tied a Major League record by striking out 11 Athletics. In his four starts for Boston, Early went 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA and 1.086 WHIP. He had good command of the strike zone with 29 strikeouts to just four walks.

Now his fifth career start will come in an elimination game for Boston. Against the Yankees. On the road in an extremely hitter-friendly ballpark. 

No pressure, kid.

Connelly Early will be the first pitcher ever to start a winner-take-all postseason game within 30 days of his MLB debut. pic.twitter.com/nMTGo1X7f7

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) October 2, 2025

But Early can rack up the strikeouts and had a 33.9% whiff rate during the regular season, so Cora feels good about sending him out in a must-win game. Early himself is feeling confident heading into his first-ever playoff start.

“It’s going to be really fun. It’s 1-1 now so it comes down to this game,” he said Wednesday night after Boston’s Game 2 loss. “I’m excited to get out there.”

Early’s longest outing was 5.1 innings in his second start against the A’s. He only made it through four innings in his third career start, a 7-3 loss to the Rays, and then took another loss in his latest start. But he held the Detroit Tigers to just two runs off four hits and just one walk while striking out seven in that final outing of the regular season on Sept. 27. 

Now he’s getting the ball in Yankee Stadium in an elimination game. Early will likely be on a short leash, with Kyle Harrison potentially the first man out of the pen should Early falter early.

Boston starter Brayan Bello went just 2.1 innings in Game 2, which forced Cora to use six relievers on Wednesday night. But the manager said everyone should be available out of the bullpen, which could include Garrett Whitlock, who threw 47 pitches Wednesday night.

“We will check with Whit, get a lot of treatment, see where we are at tomorrow. But the rest, they are in good shape,” said Cora.

Walpole native Cam Schlittler starting for Yankees in Game 3

The Yankees are also turning to a rookie in Game 3, and one who grew up a Red Sox fan. Walpole native and former Northeastern Husky Cam Schlittler will get the ball against Boston on Thursday night.

Schlittler made his MLB debut on July 9 and got the win when the Yankees beat the Mariners, 9-6, in New York. Schlittler struck out seven and allowed three runs off four hits (including a pair of homers) over his 5.1 innings. He went 4-3 with a 2.96 ERA and a 1.219 WHIP across his 14 starts.

Schlittler allowed just one earned run (off a homer) over 12.1 innings in his final two starts of the regular season, though both of those came against the Baltimore Orioles.

The Schlittler family were Red Sox fans, but Cam says he’s been able to convert his family them to the dark side. (Our words, not his.)

“Yeah, I would say so. I would say growing up in Boston, I take pride in being from Boston,” said the 24-year-old righty. “When it came to my career and where I want to be, this is where I want to be. They are full Yankee guys now. They don’t wear it around as much in Boston just because. When they are here, they are very prideful about it.”

Schlittler didn’t face the Red Sox during the regular season, but he did face them in spring training in Fort Myers when he was a freshman at Northeastern. 

“Great experience,” he recalled. “Obviously I am a lot different player than I was then. So didn’t really expect to be in this situation back then, but now I am definitely happy I am.”

The Red Sox and Yankees both made moves in the offseason to bolster their rotations. But both of their seasons will come down to a rookie in their MLB playoff debut Thursday night. It’s just the second time in MLB playoff history two rookies will start a deciding game.

“These boys throw out very calm,” Cora said of Early and Schlittler. “Obviously it is going to be loud here. Two rookies, Game 3, Wild Card, Yankees-Red Sox. Imagine that. Should be a fun night.”

Matt Geagan

Matthew Geagan is a sports producer for CBS Boston. He has been part of the WBZ sports team for nearly 20 years. He moved over to the web in 2012 and has covered all the highs (and a few lows) in Boston sports.