Heroes, zeros and the inside pitch from the Yankees’ 9-2 rout of the Red Sox in Game 2 of the wild-card series:

Hero

For a second straight night, a Yankees starting pitcher shut down the Red Sox. This time, it was Max Fried tossing six innings of one-run ball, a day after Cam Schlittler’s brilliance.

Max Fried throws a pitch during the first inning of the Yankees’ 9-2 series-clinching blowout win over the Red Sox in their AL wild-card matchup on Sept. 30, 2026 at the Stadium. Robert Sabo for New York Post

Zero

Boston manager Chad Tracy lamented his team’s struggles on offense before the game, and they continued in the defeat, as they were held scoreless until the sixth inning.

Unsung hero

After Luis García Jr. went deep to give the Yankees the lead in the fourth, it was Cody Bellinger’s three-run shot in the sixth that sealed the win in another lopsided victory.

Key stat

26 ⅔: Just how bad was Boston’s lineup? Dating back to last year’s wild-card series, they went the equivalent of nearly three full games without scoring in the postseason.

Quote of the night

“I feel like I was able to enjoy that one. Just a home game in Yankee Stadium. It’s a really fun atmosphere. It’s fun to play. And hopefully we get many, many more this month,’’

— Bellinger of his game-clinching homer