With just nine games left on the schedule, the Red Sox are staring directly at a Wild Card showdown with the New York Yankees in The Bronx. Their magic number sits at a tiny three right now, so yeah, they’ve still got to lock it down, but literally everyone’s been prepping for this rematch. Seriously, after losing to the Yankees in August and then again last October, you *know* Boston wants to flip the script in this likely seventh all-time playoff meeting between these two rivals.
Boston’s Bullpen Is Built Different This Year
Man, if you’re a Red Sox fan, you gotta be feeling way better about this squad compared to last year’s setup. When it comes to the bullpen, they’ve got some serious firepower that could absolutely decide this series. First off, Aroldis Chapman is still out there doing Aroldis Chapman things, which means he’s as good as any closer in baseball. If he’s ready to roll after his rehab stint, that ninth inning is gonna be locked down. But it’s not just Chapman. Getting Tanner Houck back for multiple innings? That’s HUGE, like how they used him back in the 2021 postseason. And don’t sleep on Garrett Whitlock, who’s been an elite setup man all season. This is the kind of depth you dream about when the stakes are this high. You want proof? Look at this lineup they’re rolling with: LHP Aroldis Chapman, RHP Garrett Whitlock, RHP Tyron Guerrero, LHP Erik Miller, RHP Greg Weissert, RHP Brayan Bello, LHP Garrett Crochet, and RHP Tanner Houck. That’s a crew!
The Crochet Factor: A Secret Weapon With a Catch
Now, let’s talk about Garrett Crochet. His return has been eagerly awaited, and he’s definitely a secret weapon in this bullpen mix. The problem? You gotta be super careful with him. Given his ramp-up pace, there’s a real chance Crochet might only throw once, maybe two innings at most, for the entire series. That’s a massive decision for manager Chad Tracy: when do you fire off that kind of limited, high-impact arm? It’s like having a cheat code you can only use once. You gotta make it count. Both Boston and New York are bringing serious heat with their rotations and bullpens, so scoring runs is going to be incredibly tough. Forget the cliché, this is legit. With elite pitching on both sides, every single run will feel like gold. The pressure on these relievers to perform, to hold leads, or even just keep it close, is gonna be insane.
So, the stage is set for an absolute grinder of a series. With pitching like this, every single at-bat, every single out, is going to feel monumental. Can Boston’s deep bullpen really be the difference maker against their arch-rivals? It’s gonna be wild to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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