The Red Sox are flat-out up against the wall after dropping Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series 9-0 to the Yankees. New York’s Cam Schlittler absolutely shoved, throwing 117 pitches in a 6.1-inning shutout before Paul Blackburn and John Schreiber slammed the door shut. That’s rough, especially when you know that the Game 1 winner has taken 15 of 16 Wild Card series since the playoff expansion. The only team to buck that trend? The Yankees over the Red Sox last season. So yeah, if Boston wants to keep their season breathing, it all comes down to Sonny Gray in Game 2.
The Bullpen Is Already Running on Fumes
Think about how Tuesday night went. The Red Sox had to burn through five relievers: Erik Miller, Greg Weissert, Alec Gamboa, Wyatt Olds, and Brayan Bello. Miller was a beast right after they got him, but his September form and those career-long control issues mean he’s really a low-leverage guy only. Greg Weissert might give you an inning, but trusting him back-to-back in a pressure cooker? No way. Then you got Gamboa and Olds, both late additions to the roster, and honestly, neither looked ready for prime time in Game 1. And Brayan Bello has never even pitched two days in a row in the big leagues. It’s a tough spot, man.
The “Untapped” Arms Are a Huge Question Mark
So, what’s left in the tank for this do-or-die game? We’re talking about Ranger Suarez, Garrett Crochet, Garrett Whitlock, Aroldis Chapman, and Jake Bennett, plus today’s starter, Sonny Gray. But here’s the kicker: Ranger Suarez is already lined up for Game 3. Garrett Crochet? He’s a total mystery. The dude hasn’t pitched since April, and he wasn’t exactly effective when he *was* on the mound. If he’s healthy, sure, he could get outs, but who has any idea where he’s truly at? Garrett Whitlock has been one of baseball’s best relievers, no doubt. But his longest outing all season is just 1.1 innings, and he’s only topped 30 pitches once this year, an outing where he walked two guys. Trying to stretch him out for more than an inning sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. And then there’s Aroldis Chapman. He’s been fantastic too, just like Whitlock, but he hasn’t gotten more than three outs in any game this season. Even if you put those three together, assigning two innings to Crochet, that’s still only four innings total. Yeah, they *could* try to push Whitlock or Chapman further because of the stakes, but what their effectiveness looks like after three outs is a huge unknown. Jake Bennett could maybe eat an inning or two, but he feels like an arm you go to when you’re trailing big, not when your season is on the line.
The offense, for what it’s worth, was the absolute worst in baseball when it came to scoring in September. They lost Roman Anthony right in the middle of Game 1, and the rest of the lineup couldn’t even sniff Schlittler.
It’s all on Sonny Gray today, man. Everything. If he doesn’t go deep and dominate, this season is over. They need a stopper, plain and simple.
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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