The Red Sox are in the driver’s seat of the American League Wild Card series after they won Game 1 against the New York Yankees on Tuesday night.
A dominant, 117-pitch performance from Garrett Crochet, Alex Cora pinch-hitting Masataka Yoshida who delivered a clutch, two-run single, Nick Sogard being the unlikely hero and Aroldis Chapman — despite loading the bases on three straight singles — helped close the door on the 3-1 victory.
The Yankees were in control for much of the game with a 1-0 lead and the bats unable to get much done against Max Fried. But after Aaron Boone removed him in the seventh inning with one out, things began to unravel.
Here’s a roundup of what those around MLB are saying.
CBS Sports
“Seventeen straight. That’s how many Crochet retired after the Volpe homer in the second. A stamp on his night. A reminder to everyone in the Stadium, and those watching at home, why the Red Sox went and got him last winter.
“This wasn’t just a performance. It was an announcement. His first playoff start, against a rival that measures greatness. Deliverance, yes. But more than that — affirmation.”
ESPN
“This was a pitchers’ duel between Max Fried and Garrett Crochet — two of baseball’s best hurlers — until it wasn’t. Manager Aaron Boone, with his Yankees nursing a 1-0 lead, chose to pull Fried with one out and the bases empty in the seventh inning. Disaster ensued. Luke Weaver issued an 11-pitch walk to Ceddanne Rafaela and soon exited after giving up two runs without getting an out. On the other side, Boston manager Alex Cora stuck to his starter for 7⅔ innings. Crochet’s career-high 117th and final pitch was a 100.2 mph fastball that caught Austin Wells looking for strike three. Cora then summoned Aroldis Chapman for a four-out save. The first out came easy. The next three did not. Chapman surrendered three straight singles to begin the ninth inning before retiring the next three hitters — Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham. In the end, Boston’s pitching plan won out.”
USA TODAY
“The Yankees won five more games than the Red Sox this season, giving them the right to host this series. Yet postseason baseball is Cora Time, and he got the better of Boone as the Red Sox rallied in the seventh inning and held on for a 3-1 victory and a stunning spot in the driver’s seat of this best-of-three sprint.
“See, nobody’s come back from a 1-0 deficit to win any of the 12 wild-card series in the three seasons of this format. Ostensibly, the Yankees have a slight edge in Game 2 with Carlos Rodón facing Brayan Bello at home.
“But they also need to make up the stagger in the dugout, where Cora is cementing his reputation as one of the greatest to ever do it.”
Bleacher Report
“The Red Sox would not have made the playoffs if (Craig) Breslow hadn’t added Garrett Crochet, Alex Bregman and Aroldis Chapman last winter. And right now, they wouldn’t be a win away from advancing without them either.
“As dominant as Tarik Skubal was earlier in the day, Crochet nearly one-upped him in Yankee Stadium on Tuesday. He fired 7.2 innings of one-run ball, striking out 11 batters and hitting 100 mph for his 117th and final pitch of the night.”
MLB.com
“Considering the stakes and the opposing pitcher (Max Fried), Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium seemed like a night that Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet couldn’t afford to so much as blink.
“Well, he did just once, when Anthony Volpe took him deep for a solo shot in the second to snap a scoreless tie. But never after that. Boston’s power lefty retired 17 in a row following the homer by Volpe.”
FOX Sports
“The Red Sox weren’t even nervous when Chapman loaded the bases with nobody out to begin the inning. The veteran closer had only a tiny, two-run lead to protect, and the Yankees offense was threatening to erase it after he allowed three consecutive singles to Paul Goldschmidt, Aaron Judge, and Cody Bellinger to begin the frame. But he dialed in to 16 years of experience in the game to retire the next three batters. Chapman struck out Giancarlo Stanton, got Jazz Chisholm to fly out to right, then whiffed Trent Grisham to seal the win.”
Sports Illustrated
“Cora won the platoon matchups in the three key at-bats in the seventh (Rafaela vs. a righthander and two lefties vs. a righthander) and he won the matchups at the finish.
“Boone’s bullpen faltered again when David Bednar allowed a two-strike, two-out dagger of a double to Alex Bregman in the ninth to push the Boston lead to 3–1.
“Give the Red Sox credit for building quality at-bats while trailing on the road. The best of their at-bats came against the Yankees’ bullpen. It was Boone who had to answer for them.”