New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone pointed to aggression on the base-paths as an important part of his club’s postseason attack after the Yankees finished off the Boston Red Sox with a dominant 9-2 win Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. The victory completed an AL Wild Card Series sweep of the Red Sox and sent New York to the AL Division Series, with Boone emphasizing speed as another dimension of an offense better known for its power.
MLB Network posted a clip Thursday on X, formerly Twitter, of Boone speaking with analyst Tom Verducci on the field at Yankee Stadium. Boone explained how New York complemented its power with aggressive base-running during the short Wild Card series.
"We played great baseball. We're the Bronx Bombers, but we've used the stolen base a lot. It's a weapon for us."
Aaron Boone caught up with Tom Verducci following the Yankees' series-clinching 9-2 win at Yankee Stadium.#MLBTonight | #Postseason pic.twitter.com/t5j6gqkZDm
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) October 1, 2026
The Yankees backed up that point during the clincher. Spencer Jones reached on a wild-pitch strikeout in the sixth inning after a replay overturned the initial out call. He then stole second, advanced to third when Adley Rutschman’s throw skipped into center field and scored on George Lombard Jr.’s single.
Article Continues BelowThe sequence helped fuel a six-run inning that broke the game open. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled, Trent Grisham reached on a bunt single and Cody Bellinger later hit a three-run homer to give New York an 8-1 lead.
Bellinger finished with four RBIs, while Luis Garcia Jr. opened the scoring with a solo homer in the fourth inning. Max Fried held the Red Sox offense to just three hits over six innings as the Yankees completed the sweep without Aaron Judge, who missed both games with a strained right calf.
New York secured Game 1 9-0 behind Cam Schlittler, then finished the sweep by outscoring the Red Sox 18-2 and outhitting Boston 26-7. Boston hit an .117 with 18 strikeouts across the series.
The Yankees now advance to face the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Division Series. Game 1 is set for Saturday at Tropicana Field, where Boone’s emphasis on speed could add another dimension to New York’s postseason offense following an opening-round sweep of the Red Sox.

