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Red Sox can't solve Schlittler, offensive woes in Game 1 loss to Yanks

Boston found itself on the brink of elimination after dropping the opening contest of the American League Wild Card Series by a score of 9-0. Manager Chad Tracy admitted his squad finally fielded its preferred starting lineup, but opposing pitcher Cam Schlittler proved unhailable by striking out 10 batters over 6 1/3 innings of scoreless play.

Austin Wells put the hosts ahead early with an RBI single in the second frame, before Ben Rice padded the advantage in the fifth with a solo home run off reliever Erik Miller. Rookie starter Payton Tolle took the loss for Boston despite holding the opposition in check during his initial postseason outing.

Looking to stave off elimination in the next matchup, Boston plans to hand the ball to veteran Sonny Gray while hoping for an offensive resurgence against starting pitcher Max Fried. The visiting club struggled mightily to generate runs throughout September, finishing the regular season at the bottom of the league in multiple offensive categories.

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