Nobody said it was easy.
It just couldn’t be that easy, could it? We just couldn’t have it that good?
For all the magic the Sox had yesterday, whatever they did have was not enough for today. It was a tense game almost from the offset, and it seemed like every single inning had baserunners, whether we did or the Yankees did. But our offense failed to fully capitalize, whether we left men on or grounded into double plays, and our bullpen had very few, if any, clean innings. So tonight we couldn’t clinch, and we have to pray to the Baseball Gods for a win tomorrow, with Connelly Early on the bump. It wasn’t a bad effort from the Sox; they only struck out nine times, they were never in the lead and were able to fight back, but getting it done means getting it done, and they did not. I’m especially pissed that my nerves have to go through it all again tomorrow. And since we’re not the only Game 3, all those Wild Card stats about “10 out of 12 were only 2 games” and “Every team that won Game 1 won Game 2/3”, are about to get thrown out the window.
Two Studs:
Trevor Story: The only guy to really contribute offensively in a way that counted today, Story hit a 2-run RBI single when the bases were loaded and hit a solo shot to tie the game back up. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep up the streak in the top of the seventh and flew out when the bases were loaded for him again.
The bullpen except for Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten: Gave up hits to the Yankees and made things hairy multiple times, but they prevented additional Yankees runs. There were so few strikeouts against the Yankees today—the total was only 5 from entire group that was on the mound—that the outs they did get were especially important. Extra big props to Payton Tolle, whose appearance I gave the Play of the Game award (see below).
Four Duds:
Brayan Bello: Just didn’t have it in him to go deep today, and got pulled in the third to make way for the relief pitchers. While our bullpen was mostly able to pick him up, Bello’s final line was 2.1 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs (both earned), 1 home-run (which was the 2 runs), and no strikeouts. It’s his first playoff appearance and some of it might have been nerves, but he never had a meltdown, pitching-wise or emotionally. Should we see him in another postseason pitching appearance this year, he may fare better.
Jarren Duran: That missed fly ball in the fifth was not good and may have changed the game more than we’d like to think. I’m blaming this loss more on the offense than for that, as I’m not sure how easy a catch it would have been if Duran was closer to it. The Yankees, for all the men they had on base tonight, easily could have gotten that run a different way, but you can’t play the “What If” game with baseball or you put yourself in actual hell. Duran also went 1-3 today, which was a better stat than several players in the lineup, but still not ideal.
Garrett Whitlock: After getting tasked with pitching two innings for the first time in (what feels like) ages, and throwing more pitches in an outing than he ever has in his career, he couldn’t keep the Yankees at a tie, gave up the go-ahead run on an RBI single, and nearly completely fell apart after that. I love Garrett Whitlock and I hate to see him fail, so for me this “dud” mention is the most painful.
The offense except for Trevor Story: The Sox failed several times to plate RISP and grounded into multiple double-plays two kill rallies. Refsnyder, Narvaez, Romy, Sogard, and Rafaela all went 0-fer (though Rafaela did walk, but let’s not forget that failed bunt, which wasn’t pretty). Lowe and Abreu did nothing as pinch-hitters. Three runs got the job done yesterday, but your Ace was on the mound. Three runs didn’t do it, and as I said in the Prediction Article, 2-3 runs against the Yankees isn’t usually going to be suffice.
Play of the Game: Tolle Getting Out of the Jam
Yeah, I could’ve named Story’s RBI single or his home run, but I’m giving this moment more significance. It was Tolle’s playoff debut and he’s coming in with the bases loaded and two outs. Success is one out, but if he fails, he gives the Red Sox virtually no shot of attempting a win or a tie in the top of the ninth. It was a long at-bat against Grisham and the count was full, but Tolle was able to get him to ground out to end the inning and the very large threat. At that point, the game was lost, but it could’ve been a much, much, worse loss if the score had been 7-3 or 8-3, or at minimum 5-3 if Tolle had walked Grisham. I saw Tolle coming in, assumed it was so over, and he proved me wrong.
So tomorrow decides it. It’s up to the team to show what they’re really made of and give the Yankees all the hell they possibly can. I originally had Sox in 3 with a Game 2 loss. If I was right about that loss, then I hope I’m right about tomorrow, too.
Category: General Sports
