October baseball begins with a dynamite collection of Wild Card Series, topped by two of the sport's most heated showdowns. On October 1st, 2025, the New York Yankees will play their biggest rival, the Boston Red Sox, in a game where anything goes and the winner moves on. Concurrently, the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers will take on Cinderella-story Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium as the NL playoffs begin in drama-filled style.
These are best-of-three series where every pitch counts. The regular season records, 94 wins for the Yankees, 93 for the Dodgers, are irrelevant now. It is a battle of star power versus momentum, experience versus young energy. The winners will move on to the Division Series, where they will play the league's top seeds. The losers' season will end right away.
Yankees vs. Red Sox Preview
Match Details
- Date: Wednesday, October 1st, 2025 (Game 2 of the series)
- Time: 22:00 UTC
- Venue: Yankee Stadium, New York
- Competition: American League Wild Card Series (Best-of-Three)
Team Form & Recent Results
The New York Yankees earned the right to host the whole series by winning eight games in a row at the end of the regular season to secure the top Wild Card spot.
- Regular Season Record: 94-68 (AL Wild Card 1)
- Closing Run: Won eight straight to finish the season.
- Pitching Advantage: Lefties Max Fried and Carlos Rodón are seen as a potent 1-2 punch in the rotation.
- Power Core: The lineup is led by A MVP candidate Aaron Judge (53 HR, .331 AVG, 114 RBIs), alongside Giancarlo Stanton and Cody Bellinger.
Boston Red Sox secured the final Wild Card spot (No. 5 seed) on the last day of the season, finishing with an 89-73 record.
- Rivalry Dominance: The Red Sox held the upper hand during the regular season, winning the series 9-4, including a 5-2 record at Yankee Stadium.
- Pitching Edge: They boast ace Garrett Crochet, who led the AL with 255 strikeouts and holds an excellent record against the Yankees this season.
- Key Injuries: Starting pitcher Lucas Giolito is out due to elbow fatigue, and star rookie Roman Anthony is also sidelined with an oblique strain.
| Team Stats (2025 Regular Season) | New York Yankees | Boston Red Sox |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 94-68 | 89-73 |
| Last 10 Games | 9-1 | 6-4 |
| Team ERA (Bullpen) | 4.37 (23rd in MLB) | 3.61 (2nd in MLB) |
| Team Batting Avg (Last 10) | .259 | .257 |
Starting Pitchers & Key Matchups
- Yankees Game 1 Starter: Max Fried (19-5, 2.86 ERA)
- Red Sox Game 2 Starter: Brayan Bello (2-1, 1.89 ERA vs. Yankees)
| Probable Pitchers Stats (Yankees vs Red Sox) | ERA | WHIP | Strikeouts | Last 7 Starts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Fried (NYY, RHP) | 2.86 | 1.10 | 189 | 6-0 Record, 1.55 ERA |
| Garrett Crochet (BOS, LHP) | 2.59 | 1.03 | 255 (MLB High) | 4-0 Record, 2.76 ERA |
Key Matchups:
Crochet vs. Judge: Most critical matchup is whether Red Sox lefty ace Garrett Crochet can close down Aaron Judge, who has struggled against the southpaw.
Rodón vs. Red Sox Offense: The Yankees' Carlos Rodón has had no luck against the Red Sox this year (yielding 10 runs over his first 3 starts), so his Game 2 outing is a gigantic X-factor.
Bullpen Battle: Both the Yankees and Red Sox have strong closers (David Bednar for the Yankees and Garrett Whitlock for the Red Sox), which translates to a close game down the stretch when managing high-leverage situations is paramount.
Dodgers vs. Reds Preview
Match Details
- Date: Wednesday, October 1st, 2025 (Game 2 of the series)
- Time: 01:08 UTC (9:08 p.m. ET on Oct 1)
- Venue: Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles
- Competition: National League Wild Card Series (Best-of-Three)
Team Form & Recent Results
The Los Angeles Dodgers were the third seed in the National League. They won their 12th NL West title in 13 seasons.
- Regular Season Record: 93-69 (NL West Winner)
- Closing Run: Won 8 of their last 10 games, outscoring opponents by 20 runs.
- Offensive Juggernaut: Finished the season with the second-most home runs (244) and the sixth-highest batting average (.253) in the Majors.
Cincinnati Reds clinched the third Wild Card spot (No. 6 seed) on the final day, making the postseason for the first time since 2020.
- Regular Season Record: 83-79 (NL Wild Card 3)
- Underdog Status: Largely carried by a younger group of players, including the electric shortstop Elly De La Cruz.
- Closing Run: Won 7 of their last 10 games, securing their playoff berth on the final day.
| day. Team Stats (2025 Regular Season) Los Angeles Dodgers Cincinnati Reds | Los Angeles Dodgers | Cincinnati Reds |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 93-69 | 83-79 |
| Team OPS (Offense) | .768 (NL Best) | .706 (NL 10th) |
| Team ERA (Pitching) | 3.95 | 3.86 (Slightly Better) |
| Total Home Runs | 244 (NL 2nd) | 167 (NL 8th) |
Starting Pitchers & Key Matchups
- Dodgers Game 2 Starter: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12-8, 2.49 ERA)
- Reds Game 2 Starter: Zack Littell (2-0, 4.39 ERA since trade)
| Probable Pitchers Stats (Dodgers vs Reds) | ERA | WHIP | Strikeouts | Postseason Debut? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blake Snell (LAD, Game 1) | 2.35 | 1.25 | 72 | Already pitched Game 1 |
| Hunter Greene (CIN, Game 1) | 2.76 | 0.94 | 132 | Already pitched Game 1 |
Key Matchups:
Betts vs. De La Cruz (Shortstop Duel): Mookie Betts finished the season strong and is playing with playoff experience. Elly De La Cruz, while dynamic, has slumped heavily in the second half of the season (his OPS dropped from .854 to .657).
Snell/Yamamoto vs. Reds' Offense: The Dodgers boast a superior rotation (Snell, Yamamoto, potentially Ohtani in Game 3), while the Reds rely on the high heat of Hunter Greene and the steady arm of Andrew Abbott. The key for the Reds is hitting the Dodgers' elite pitching.
Dodgers' Bullpen: L.A. will rely on a loaded bullpen (Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki) to shorten the game and protect their leads.
Current Betting Odds via Stake.com
The betting market has set the odds for the critical Game 2 matchups on October 1st:
| Match | New York Yankees | Boston Red Sox |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 (Oct 1) | 1.74 | 2.11 |
| Match | Los Angeles Dodgers | Cincinnati Reds |
| Game 2 (Oct 1) | 1.49 | 2.65 |
To check updated betting odds of these matches at Stake.com click below links.
1. New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox – Check updated odds
2. Los Angeles Dodgers vs Cincinnati Reds – Check updated odds
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Prediction & Conclusion
Yankees vs. Red Sox Prediction
Despite the Red Sox's strong 9-4 regular season record against the Yankees and the presence of their ace Garrett Crochet, the momentum and sheer depth of the Yankees are expected to prevail. The Yankees closed the season with an 8-game winning streak and boast a formidable 1-2 pitching punch in Max Fried and Carlos Rodón. The intense atmosphere of Yankee Stadium for this rivalry series will also be a major factor. The Yankees' lineup is simply too deep for the Red Sox's injury-hit rotation to contain over a three-game series.
Final Score Prediction: Yankees win the series 2 games to 1.
Dodgers vs. Reds Prediction
This is a Goliath vs. David scenario, with the numbers decidedly in favor of the current World Series champions. The Dodgers possess a gigantic offensive edge, outscoring the Reds by more than 100 runs this year. The Reds' pitching corps is unexpectedly strong, but Ohtani, Freeman, and Betts, along with the game presence of Blake Snell and Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the hill, constitutes a virtually impossible obstacle to overcome. The series will likely be a brief one, with the Dodgers' more profound and postseason-tested roster overpowering.
Final Score Prediction: Dodgers win the series 2 games to 0.
These Wild Card Series promise a dramatic start to October. The winners will carry momentum into the Division Series, but for the losers, the historic 2025 season will end abruptly.
