Yankees Beat Red Sox 9-2 and Win Wild Card

The Yankees beat the Red Sox9-2. They were feeling confident, having Max Fried on the mound. However, it was an open question if he was going to be able to duplicate the fantastic start by Cam Schlittler. The Red Sox are having trouble scoring runs, and the playoffs are a bad time for a team to be plagued with those problems.

The struggling Red Sox offense got a further blow in this game; star slugger Roman Anthony was out of the lineup after aggravating an injury to his wrist. When healthy, the young star is one of the best hitters in baseball. However, the best ability for an athlete is availability. Did you think the Red Sox had much of a chance in this game?

Yankees and Red Sox Game Summary September 30, Wild Card Game 2

The Yankees were confident in this second game of the Wild Card series because they had Max Fried on the mound. They also had a strong bullpen that was barely touched last night. The bullpen includes Carlos Rodon, the starting pitcher who had a great season. He can give the Bombers length. However, the Yankees faced a problem with Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray. Here is how the game played out.

In the fourth inning, Luis Garcia Jr. hit a solo home run. The score was 1-0 Yankees. Scoring the first run in a playoff game is important, and this is exactly why the team acquired Garcia Jr. at the trade deadline.

In the fifth inning, Cody Bellinger singled and Austin Wells scored. The Yankees doubled their lead to 2-0. Then, Luis Garcia Jr. singled, but Ben Rice was thrown out at home. The inning ended.

In the sixth inning, Wilson Contreras hit a solo home run for the Boston Red Sox. The score was 2-1. In the seventh inning, the Yankees got that run back and scored 5 more. George Lombard Jr. singled, and Spencer Jones, who had advanced to third on an error by catcher Adley Rutchsman. The score was 3-1. Then Austin Wells hit a sacrifice fly, and George Lombard Jr. scored. That made the score 4-1.

In the seventh inning, Austin Wells singled. Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored. That run made it 9-2 Yankees, and they were looking for more.

Then Ryan McManon grounded out, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored. That made it 5-1. Then Cody Bellinger hit a three-run home run. That made it 8-1 for the Yankees.

In the seventh inning, Nick Sogard hit a solo home run. The score was 8-2. The Yankees got that run back as well. Austin Wells singled, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. scored. The Yankees led 9-2, which was the final score of the game.

Big Win for Yankees and Big Night for Massachusetts Guys

The Yankees won the first game of this series 9-0. This win was great for the team. However, it was noteworthy because two young Bombers, both products of the team’s farm system and both from the state of Massachusetts, had big nights. Starting pitcher Cam Schlittler beat the Red Sox in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. He struck out 10 batters last night and was masterful. He obviously allowed no runs.

The other Massachusetts native who had a great day was Ben Rice. He hit two home runs and drove in six runs. He also walked and singled. He had four hits in five trips to the plate, and it seemed Boston could not get him out. If a team wants to forget the fact that Aaron Judge is out of the lineup, injured, a good way to do it is to watch the young slugger go bonkers.

This Game and The Next

The Yankees won this game 9-2. The player of the game was pitcher Max Fried, who gave a gutsy performance, pitching six innings and giving up one run. He struck out six batters, but for the most part pitched to contact. He walked one batter and surrendered three hits.

After taking this Wild Card series, the Yankees are now off until Saturday, when they face the Tampa Bay Rays in the Divisional Series. The season is now over for the Red Sox. The series against the Rays is going to be difficult because the Rays, as winners of the division, have home-field advantage. That means they will play up to four games at home, where they are very good.

Conclusion

With this win, the Yankees advance to face the Tampa Bay Rays. Those two teams are very familiar with each other, being in the same division and playing thirteen times in the regular season. The Rays, by the way, won that series 7-6. It will be interesting to see who makes the roster. Against the Rays, the Yankees will want to have as much flexibility as possible. However, they probably will not carry 16 position players. They did that this round. That was a record.