Yankees, Red Sox Hold On To Wild Card Spots; Will Play For Postseason Berth

Baseball's biggest rivalry will get one extra matchup ahead of the 2021 MLB Playoffs this week.

Both the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees managed to hold on to slim leads for their two respective American League Wild Card spots and will now meet in a play-in game on Tuesday (October 5) at Fenway Park.

Both the Red Sox and Yankees controlled their own destinies entering the final day of the 2021 MLB season on Sunday (October 3), tied with a 1.0 game lead over the Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners, meaning either would clinch a Wild Card play-in spot with a victory.

However, the Blue Jays' 12-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles and the Mariners' 7-3 loss to the Los Angeles Angels meant one spot would be up for grabs if either lost.

The Yankees clinched first with all-star outfielder Aaron Judge hitting an RBI single to score pinch-runner Tyler Wade in the ninth inning, earning New York a 1-0 win over the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.

The Red Sox rallied back from a 5-2 deficit in the seventh inning of their game against the Washington Nationals to tie the game at 5-5, before Rafael Devers' hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of the ninth, before Nick Pivetta earned the save by shutting down the Nationals in the bottom of the ninth.