The Red Sox season hangs by a thread, and all eyes are on Sonny Gray for Game 2 of the Wild Card Series. Remember Gray’s absolutely dominant performance against the Yankees back on June 28 at Fenway? He took a no-hitter into the eighth inning against his old team! But, let’s be real, that’s ancient history now. As ESPN’s Jeff Passan put it, “Beyond the obvious… the Red Sox need Sonny Gray to be who he was in his last wild-card round start in 2023, when he threw five scoreless innings for Minnesota.” The pressure is absolutely on.
The Yankees Are PUMPED
Forget that Gray gem from summer. Game 1 was an absolute clinic by the Yankees, who took a brutal 9-0 win. And get this: they did it *without* Aaron Judge and Luis Garcia Jr. in the lineup! That tells you everything you need to know about the depth of this team right now. Ben Rice, who’s swinging a scorching hot bat, was just an absolute monster. He went 4-for-5, drove in six RBIs, and launched two home runs, including a grand slam that probably still has the Red Sox shaking. Plus, even the bottom of their order showed up, with catcher Austin Wells going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Spencer Jones adding a 1-for-3 performance with two runs. When *that* part of the lineup is producing, you know they’re dangerous.
Gray’s Tricky Matchup
So, what’s Gray walking into? Expect a hefty dose of lefties in the Yankees’ Game 2 lineup. We’re talking Rice, Garcia, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Spencer Jones, and Cody Bellinger. Now, you might look at Gray’s numbers and think he’s got this: he actually had better numbers against lefties (.654 OPS) than against righties (.682 OPS), and that was in 181 *more* at-bats for righties. But don’t get too comfortable! The Yankees absolutely tattooed Payton Tolle last night, and he had four lefties in his starting lineup. New York’s offense is just much, much better against right-handed pitching. Gray may have been a beast against them earlier this year, but right now, he’s facing a completely different monster.
If the bottom of the order keeps mashing and Ben Rice continues his ridiculous tear, the Yankees are going to be incredibly tough to beat. Gray is stepping onto the mound at a really bad time, in what’s bound to be a rowdy environment. The Red Sox need a miracle to keep their season alive, and it all comes down to Gray shutting down an offense that just dropped nine runs without missing a beat. Buckle up, it’s going to be wild.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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