Yankees Face Sudden Playoff Threat as Red Sox Take Commanding Win

New York— The Red Sox defeated the Yankees in the Wild Card Series opener. The Yankees are practically out of the playoffs. As the backup pitchers entered, the Yankees’ hopes faded after Max Fried pitched 6 1/3 innings of shutout baseball. The Red Sox took over when Luke Weaver entered, erasing the safe advantage.

Garrett Crochet, the finest reliever this season, scored one run in 7 2/3 innings. Eleven batters struck out. After the Yankees had all their batters on base with no outs in the ninth inning, Aroldis Chapman terminated the game, completing his career-best season at 37. After Boston’s 3-1 triumph, the Yankees are struggling. They can be eliminated from the playoffs with one loss.

Weaver struggled to flow early on, which was different. Weaver lost it when he walked Ceddanne Rafaela with a 0-2 count following a difficult plate fight. Boston won after Masataka Yoshida’s two-run single and other aggressive Red Sox efforts. Yankees big guys like Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisholm Jr. couldn’t score on Chapman’s pitches in the ninth inning.

Fried played well, but Crochet’s control and composure were better. The Yankees struggled to start because Crochet struck out 17 in a row. Anthony Volpe’s second-inning home run and eighth-inning base hit started things. After hitting back-to-back singles early in the game, the Yankees failed to score. This hampered them throughout the game.

On the plate against Boston’s pitchers, the Yankees’ lineup alterations with Amed Rosario and José Caballero didn’t matter. Caballero and Rosario’s defense halted further damage, but the offense couldn’t defeat Crochet. Sox manager Alex Cora made the proper call by letting Crochet pitch into the eighth. He kept the Red Sox ahead by striking out vital batters.

Fried avoided jams and stayed calm despite high pitch counts from walks. The crowd cheered him even though his team lost. That displays his skill. Volpe’s one hit gave the Yankees hope, but the Red Sox’s solid game proved too much.

An effective plan with Crochet and Chapman throwing strikes and their lineup hitting at the perfect moment helped the Red Sox win. To stay in the playoffs, the Yankees must modify their pitching plan and lineup hitting before Game 2.

Sources
New York Post – Yankees vs Red Sox Wild Card Analysis
ESPN – Yankees Playoff Performance Reports
MLB Official Game Recap