Gray and rested Red Sox relievers face elimination against Fried

Sonny Gray starts with Boston's season on the line Wednesday, but the Red Sox also enter Game 2 against the Yankees with three of their most important relief options unused. Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock and Garrett Crochet did not pitch in Tuesday's 9-0 loss. Boston trails the best-of-three Wild Card Series 1-0.

Gray gives the Red Sox their most consistent regular-season starter. He finished with a team-leading 2.72 ERA and 20 quality starts, according to MLB.com's Game 2 preview. The 36-year-old right-hander has a 3.26 ERA in six career postseason starts. He discussed the assignment at Tuesday's pregame press conference, carried by NESN.

The other side of the matchup makes the offensive task difficult. Max Fried allowed Boston one run over 11⅔ innings in two starts this season, including eight scoreless innings at Fenway Park in April. The Yankees left-hander also shut out Boston over 6⅓ innings in last year's Wild Card opener, though New York lost that game. He is scheduled opposite Gray again Wednesday.

Boston's bullpen usage is a separate part of the matchup. Manager Chad Tracy used five relievers in Game 1, while Chapman, Whitlock and Crochet stayed out. Matthew Gross, writing for Over the Monster after the loss, criticized that deployment in a game that was still 1-0 when Payton Tolle left in the fifth. The rested arms now remain available for the elimination game. Their availability offers Tracy options after Gray, without establishing when any of them will enter.

Roman Anthony is not in Boston's announced starting lineup for Game 2, MLB.com reported Wednesday. The decision follows the right hand/wrist discomfort that forced him out of Game 1 after two at-bats. His absence from the starting lineup is confirmed; the report does not establish that he is unavailable off the bench or give a recovery timetable.

First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern at Yankee Stadium, with television coverage on NBC and streaming on Peacock. A Boston win forces Game 3; a Yankees win ends the series.