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Inside The Red Sox

Which Relievers Are Available for Red Sox in Do-or-Die Game 2

Not many silver linings from Tuesday, but...
Apr 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) looks on during the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images
Apr 25, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (35) looks on during the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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It's win-or-go-home for the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, and they'll have to quickly turn the page after the drubbing they suffered on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

The New York Yankees came to play in all three facets of the game on Tuesday, and they flat-out embarrassed the rival Red Sox in a 9-0 Game 1. Ben Rice hit two home runs, while Cam Schlittler tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and a career-high 24 swings and misses.

The pitching performance in Game 1 was clearly lacking, but the only silver lining was that the Red Sox avoided using all of their most important bullpen arms. Unfortunately, so did the Yankees, as Game 2 is set up to be a hotly contested showdown.

Who can pitch out of the bullpen for Red Sox in Game 2?

Chapman
Sep 6, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Aroldis Chapman (44) celebrates after striking out the last batter in the ninth inning to seal the win over the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Here's a breakdown of the Red Sox's bullpen for Game 2. There aren't any pitchers who couldn't throw if the Red Sox truly needed them, as no reliever threw more than 21 pitches in Game 1. But there are three guys who essentially filled mop-up duties and struggled in the process, making them unlikely to see action on Wednesday.

Definitely available (6): Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, Erik Miller, Greg Weissert, Jake Bennett, Garrett Crochet

Chapman and Whitlock not being used was indicative of just how uncompetitive the Red Sox were on Tuesday. Miller threw nine pitches, and one of them was Rice's first home run, so he'll have revenge on his mind if he gets into this one.

Weissert was the only reliever to put up a scoreless inning for the Red Sox on Tuesday, while Bennett could be deployed if Boston takes a huge lead. Crochet is the ultimate wild card, as the ace hasn't thrown in a game since April 25.

Maybe available, but unlikely to be used (3): Alec Gamboa, Wyatt Olds, Brayan Bello

These were the three biggest reason the Red Sox didn't have a fighting chance at the end of Tuesday night's contest. Boston won't punt on Game 2 and accept the end of its season, so these three would likely only be in play if the Red Sox were up by 10 runs and Bennett was already exhausted.

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@moreviewsmedia.com