In Game 3 of the American League wild card series finale, Red Sox rookie starter Connelly Early went a solid first three innings and traded scoreless innings with Yankee rookie Schlittler, but things took a turn for the worse in the fourth inning.

Ceddanne Rafaela reached on an error on a fly ball to right-center field, Cody Bellinger advanced to second base, leading to a four-run inning, and Early added three more hits and a walk in the inning, scoring on an error by Nathaniel Lowe. Red Sox manager Cora kept Early on the mound until he got Trent Grisham to fly out for the second out before bringing in right-hander Justin Slaten to face Yankees captain Aaron Judge. Early, who was tabbed as the Red Sox' sixth minor league rookie this season, had an up-and-down performance that reflected the pressure of being a rookie in the postseason.