After the ball soared over the centerfield fence and landed 427 feet away from the plate, Xander Bogaerts went to the Boston dugout in order to stretch his muscles before he resumed his home run streak.
This is the matchup Yankees desired.
The Red Sox were also ready.
Bogaerts and Kyle Schwarber scored against Yankees ace Gerrit Colley, while Nathan Eovaldi recorded a shutout in the sixth inning of the AL wild-card match to help the Red Sox defeat New York 6-2.
Bogaerts also struck down Aaron Judge in the sixth inning, as Boston advances to the best of five AL Division Series against Rays.
Game 1 Thursday Night in St. Petersburg, Florida
Alex Cora, Red Sox manager, stated that “Now we head to the next one and we have to be ready for face to face a fantastic baseball team.” Everyone talked about them being one of the top teams in the major leagues. Now, we face a big challenge. We’re up for it.”
Since 2009, the Yankees, who have won 27 World Series titles, have not been able to win it all. The Yankees ended up in Boston to play the wild-card matchup after attempting to tie the Red Sox.
They were defeated by the Red Sox in the postseason, their third consecutive win.
Aaron Boone, New York manager, said that “Guys have been crushed.” “The ending is truly cruel. However, there is nothing more satisfying than competing for something worthwhile.
One year after baseball moved its postseason to neutral site bubbles in order to combat the pandemic, a sold-out crowd of 38.324 gathered at Fenway Park to renew one of the most passionate rivalries in the sport. There were enough Yankee fans to fuel a frenetic back-and-forth with insulting chants.
“The Bogaerts hit a homer in the first innings — talk about a pop. Schwarber stated that the crowd was energized and went crazy. Red Sox Nation brought that energy tonight. You thrive on it. It was what we needed, and it’s hard to express how grateful we are for the support of the crowd.
This was the fifth playoff matchup of the longtime foes with Boston winning 3-2. This doesn’t include the 1978 AL East tiebreaker, which technically is regular season Game No. 163 — The Yankees won this tiebreaker thanks to Bucky Dent hitting a homer above the Green Monster.
Boone, a New York third baseman, was hurt by his 11th-inning walk off homer in Game 7 (2003 AL Championship Series).
Since then, the Red Sox have never lost to them.
The Yankees were eliminated in the ALCS. They won their revenge by rallying after losing their first three games. After that, they went on to win the World Series for the first time in 86 years. They won three more championships: in 2007, 2013, and 18 when they eliminated the Yankees in divisional round.
Any pain that remained was quickly forgotten in the first inning of Tuesday night’s game.
Bogaerts, unlike Dent, who couldn’t clear the left-field wall, which is just 310ft from home plate, drilled a 427-foot line drive straightaway to center. Bogaerts also interrupted his home run streak, unlike Carlton Fisk who tried to wrangle the ball in Game 6 of 1975 World Series. Bogaerts did this to flex for Red Sox’s dugout.
Dent was in the crowd, Aaron Boone in Yankees’ dugout and Cole in the third. Cole had allowed Schwarber to take his solo shot and the Red Sox chased Cole. He was charged with three runs, four hits, two walks and striking out three over two innings.
Cole stated that he felt sick to his stomach.
The star signed a $924 million deal for a nine-year contract to join the Yankees in 2019.
Eovaldi allowed only two hits in five innings, before Schwarber’s teammate and 2016 Cubs champion teammate gave up a solo homer to Anthony Rizzo. This sparked the first enthusiastic cheers from Yankees fans.
Boston led 3-1. Judge followed with an infield single. Eovaldi was finished by Judge. Ryan Brasier, reliever, gave up a wall single for Giancarlo Stonton. Judge was thrown out at the plate by Phil Nevin, third base coach. Judge was mistakenly waved home by Nevin. This team led the majors in outfield assists with 43 during the season. (The Yankees had 22 home runs this season, tied for second in baseball.
Bogaerts stated, “That was better for me personally than a homer.” “It’s 3-2 if that run scores. Stanton is at 2nd base and the momentum is all theirs. The dugout is getting fired up.”
Stanton was mad because Judge was at home. He wanted a homer, but also an RBI. But he didn’t get it, and probably felt that he didn’t do enough because the run didn’t score. He said that it changed the game.
Eovaldi gave up one run on four hits over 5 1/3 innings and struck out eight.
Alex Verdugo scored an RBI double in sixth to drive in Bogaerts, making it 4-1. He then singled in two more runners in seventh to give Boston a 6-1 advantage.
Stanton was the first to hit high off the wall, but he scored solo in the ninth for 6-2. Joey Gallo then followed with a deep drive for right that Hunter Renfroe caught at the warning track.
Garrett Whitlock got Gleyber Tores to come up to the center, ending it with one final “Yankees sucking!” chant.
As “Dirty Water,” played on the speakers, the Red Sox poured from their bullpen and dugout to celebrate at the pitcher’s mound. A few Yankees sat in the dugout while they watched.
In the final 10 days of the season the teams switched places twice. The Yankees’ three-game sweep at Boston Sept. 24-26 moved them into the first wild card spot. Major League Baseball went through all the tiebreaker scenarios, and the Yankees were asked to decide whether they wanted to play in Toronto or Boston to end a four-way tie.
They chose Boston.
The tiebreakers were not necessary because both teams finished ahead Toronto and Seattle with identical records 92-70. Boston won home-field due to a 10-9 head–to-head record. Word of the Yankees’ decision made its way to the Red Sox clubhouse.
“We knew about it. “We don’t talk about it, because we have some business to take care,” Red Sox centerfielder Kike Hernandez stated before the game. “They wanted us, and they got us now. So win or go home. That’s all.
TRAINER’S ROHROOM
Yankees: 3B Gio Urushela, who suffered a bruising to his thigh after falling into the dugout following a foul popup, played in the regular season finale.
Red Sox: Boston lost its regular DH J.D. Martinez injured his ankle during the regular-season finale. Martinez, who was playing in Washington because there wasn’t a DH in an NL Park, slipped on second base while running to his outfield position.
Yankees: Catchers and pitchers are expected to report to spring training on February 14.
Red Sox: Thursday’s best-of-5 ALDS will be against Tampa Bay. This season, the Rays were 11-8 against Boston
