Daily Boston Sports Blog - Sept. 30, 2025
AL Wild Card Preview | Pats blowout Panthers | Pastrnak takes the ice | Celtics Media Day
By Will Moore
Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2021, and will be facing off against the New York Yankees in what will be a rivalry showdown for the ages. It will be Garret Crochet taking the mound for the Red Sox against Max Fried. Crochet has dominated against the Yankees striking out 39 batters in his 4 games against the Bronx bombers.
Fried has also played well against the Red Sox giving up only 4 runs in his 3 starts against Boston. Tuesday's matchup is shaping up to be a low scoring pitching duel. Game 1 should be seen as a must win for the Red Sox as Lucas Giolito has come down with an injury ruling him out of the wildcard series. As a result, if the series goes to game 3, the Red Sox won’t have any good options on the mound.
Another thorn in the Red Sox chances is how hot the Yankees have been to end the season. New York won 11 out of their last 12 games, and while they were against weaker opponents, it still is alarming how hot they are heading into tonight.
If the Red Sox can get a win tonight, then they just might knock the Yankees out of the playoffs for the 4th time in a row. The Red Sox last faced the Yankees in the 2021 wildcard game and notably gave Gerrit Cole a night to forget winning 6-2.
Unfortunately for the Red Sox Roman Anthony is not progressing in time to play in the Wild Card series, but if the Red Sox were to advance we could potentially see Anthony in the ALCS.
Expect fireworks this week and go sox!
Patriots
The Patriots had an incredible game on Sunday vs the Carolina Panthers, winning in a dominant fashion 42-13. This was the first time the Patriots were without flaws in a game since the Brady era. Everything was working and the Patriots even got incredible help on special teams with two jaw dropping punt returns from Marcus Jones.
Drake Maye had his best game of the season, and was near perfect. After Sunday's game Drake Maye has 3 consecutive games with 75+ completion percentage and 2 touchdowns. The only quarterback in history with a longer streak is Tom Brady with 4 consecutive games in his 2007 MVP season. The other quarterbacks in history with a streak of 3 games are Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Kurt Warner. The numbers don't lie; Drake Maye is elite.
Another standout player in this game was rookie OT Will Campbell. In 22 pass block snaps Will Campbell allowed zero pressures making him the only Rookie tackle with a 100% Pass Block Efficiency score on the week.
Christian Gonzalez picked up right where he left off and shut down the Panthers star receiver Tetaroia McMillan. Gonzalez marked McMillan on 11 routes and limited him to 2 catches for 31 yards. Getting Gonzalez back gave the team a huge boost on defense and completely neutralized the Panthers on offense.
Treveyon Henderson found the endzone for the first time in his career after taking over some of the red zone snaps after Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled twice in week 3. Henderson rushed 7 times for 32 yards making it his most efficient game thus far.
The Patriots passing game showed a notable change as Stefon Diggs workload increased drastically. After a disappointing start to the season for Demario Douglas, Diggs dipped into his reps at slot and looked outstanding. Diggs finished with 101 yards on 6 catches and nearly took one into the end zone. An increase in chemistry between Diggs and Maye is exactly what Patriots fans are looking for.
Bruins
The Bruins faced off against the Philadelphia Flyers last night in their 4th preseason game of the year. This one held some extra significance as it was the first time seeing David Pastrnak in game action. Pastrnak looked good and finished the game with an assist which is a good sign after he sat out the beginning of preseason with knee tendonitis.
It was also the first game for Jeremy Swayman who is under the most pressure of anyone on this Bruins team after he failed to live up to his 66 million dollar contract last year. Swayman looked solid, only allowing 2 goals on 21 shots.
The Bruins have two more preseason games before the start of the season so expect some more cuts in the coming days.
Celtics
The Celtics kicked off the season with Media Day, where the spotlight was on Jayson Tatum’s recovery from an Achilles injury. Tatum stressed that there is no timeline for his return and emphasized the importance of patience in the rehab process. His comments made clear that both he and the organization are focused on long-term health rather than rushing him back to the court.
With veterans like Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Al Horford gone, younger and newer players took center stage. Anfernee Simons spoke about fitting into the system and playing within his role, while Neemias Queta expressed excitement about stepping up. Xavier Tillman highlighted his improved conditioning and shooting after a focused offseason, hoping to earn a bigger impact role this year.
The overall theme from Media Day was adaptability. Boston acknowledged there are questions about roles and chemistry, but there was a clear message of trust in the roster’s growth. The team may look different, but the tone was one of confidence that the Celtics can adjust and remain competitive throughout the season.
