The Boston Red Sox season is officially over. The Yankees absolutely shellacked them 9-2 in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series on Wednesday night, clinching the best-of-three series 2-0. This wasn’t just a win, it was a total beatdown at Yankee Stadium, sending the Pinstripes straight into an AL Division Series showdown with the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays.
New York’s Offense Pounded, Max Fried Shined
Even with Aaron Judge sidelined by injury, the Yankees lineup showed zero mercy on Boston pitching. They hung nine runs on the Red Sox in the opener and piled on another nine in Game 2. When you look at the final tally, it’s wild: the Yanks outscored Boston a staggering 18-2 across the two games and outhit them 26-7. That’s just pure dominance, no other way to put it. Max Fried was an absolute stud on the mound. After a 21-pitch first inning, he settled down big time with a quick seven-pitch second and barely broke a sweat all night. He gave up just three hits, including one solo homer, but otherwise was lights out, striking out six and walking only one. Fried’s sweeper, cutter, and four-seam fastball were nasty, earning him the third postseason win of his career.
Key Hits and Some Basepath Drama
Luis García Jr. got things going in the fourth inning, crushing a 107-mile-per-hour drive to right for a 1-0 lead. It’s funny, García didn’t even start Game 1 because Boston had a lefty on the hill, but he came up huge here. He and Ben Rice were the only Yankees who had homered off Gray in their careers, so maybe García was just feeling it. The Yanks tried to tack on more in the fifth, but a bit of aggressive baserunning might have cost them. With two outs, Austin Wells was running from first on a 3-2 pitch when Ben Rice hit a grounder to right. Wells sprinted to third, putting them in a great spot. That’s when Boston manager Chad Tracy pulled Gray and brought in lefty Erik Miller to face Cody Bellinger. Bellinger promptly delivered an RBI single for a 2-0 lead, and García followed with another single. But then third-base coach Luis Rojas sent Rice home from second, and Nate Eaton threw him out at the plate, keeping Boston within two. That felt like a missed opportunity to truly blow it open earlier. Willson Contreras did manage to get one back for Boston in the sixth with his fourth career postseason homer, a shot that snapped a brutal 26.2-inning playoff scoring drought for the Red Sox, the worst in team history. That homer was reviewed by umpires because a fan grabbed it, but it was upheld. Red Sox pitcher Gray, who had a rough stint with the Yankees years ago, threw 4.2 innings, gave up six hits and two runs, and got booed off the mound by the sellout crowd of 49,004. You almost feel bad for the guy, but then you remember it’s Boston.
What’s Next for the Bronx Bombers
The Red Sox are packing their bags, but the Yankees are just getting started. After that mellow handshake line on the field, they’re heading straight to St. Petersburg for an AL Division Series date with the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays. Game 1 kicks off this Saturday at Tropicana Field. The Yankees have now bounced Boston from the Wild Card round two years in a row, so they definitely have their rival’s number. This next series against the Rays, featuring the AL’s two best teams, is gonna be epic. Get ready, baseball fans, because this New York team is rolling hot!
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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