It’s Over. Green Monster & Red Sox Beat Yanks in Wild Card Game, 6-2

October 6, 2021 paperbacklou 2021 1

Gerrit Cole didn’t have it, Nathan Eovaldi did, until the Yankees got to him in the 6th but Phil Nevin snuffed the rally by sending Aaron Judge who was cut down at the plate and then the Yankee bullpen coughed up 3 runs to send New York to the 6-2 loss.

Green Monster Eats Bronxie the Turtle

Above it all, the Green Monster protected the Red Sox — knocking down two MASSIVE Ballistic Missiles that Giancarlo Stanton hit — one in the 1st inning, and one in the 6th. Both would have been homeruns in any park in the majors — and a total of 3 runs for the Yanks. Instead the Yanks got no runs from them. In the 9th, Stanton hit a homer the other way to right — finishing one of the most impressive performances in Wild Card game history — and getting little fanfare from it.

The Green Monster ate Bronxie the Turtle.

“That’s baseball, Suzyn.”

The season is over. The exhilaration felt after the 1-0 walkoff win to end the season and get the Yanks into the Wild Card, was replaced by tension heading into the game, was replaced by despair and then desolation.

Yankee Twitter’s fickle finger of blame is pointed in numerous directions but mostly manager Aaron Boone, 3rd base coach Phil Nevin, GM Brian Cashman, and several players like Joey Gallo who hit .160 after joining the Yanks at the trade deadline, Gleyber Torres, who didn’t have a great year at shortstop, and Gary Sanchez.

Lost in the desolation is the fact that with 10 teams making the playoffs each year, the probability of the Yankees winning each year — even with their big payroll — is 1 out of 10. Losing in some round and not winning a World Series is to be expected 90 percent of the time.

1. Green Monster Knocks Down Giancarlo Missile

The Yankees had jumped off to an apparent great start when Giancarlo Stanton hit what looked like a home run in the top of the 1st with a ballistic missile to left — but the Green Monster was there to knock it down harmlessly to earth for a 2-out single. The Yankees didn’t score.

2. Cole Didn’t Have It

Cole got the first 2 outs of the bottom of the 1st and got ahead of Rafael Devers, 1-2 — but then he walked Devers. Xander Bogaerts the next batter hit a homerun to centerfield and it was 2-0 Boston just like that.

Cole pitched around a 1-out double for a scoreless 2nd inning, but allowed a leadoff 435-foot homer to right field by Kyle Schwarber in the 3rd and it was 3-0 Boston. Cole then allowed an infield single and walked Devers and was gone — replaced by Chad Holmes.

Holmes struck out Bogaert and got Alex Verdugo to hit into an inning-ending double play.

Cole finished with 50 pitches thrown.

Cole described his evening: “Just a couple of big mistakes, and obviously Bogaerts’ big situation, and a big mistake to Schwarber.” When asked how he felt, Cole said he was “sick to my stomach.”

3. Eovaldi Cruising — And then Not

Meanwhile Nathan Eovaldi was cruising. His stuff was electric. He was shutting out the Yanks on 2 hits through 5 innings; Boston up 3-0 and it looked bad for the Yanks.

Eovaldi struck out Rougned Odor to start the 6th. And then Anthony Rizzo hit a deep fly ball down the line in right hooking foul — but stayed just fair for a homerun around the Pesky Pole.

Suzyn Waldman on Yankee radio got so excited when Rizzo hit the homer she was a word-a-second saying how Boston wanted to trade for him because of the Pesky Pole but the Yanks got him. Soon “Suzyn” was trending on Twitter.

Aaron Judge then hit a chopper to short that he just beat out for an infield single — and Eovaldi was gone. Just like that.

4. Green Monster Knocks Down Another Stanton Missile

Cora took out Eovaldi because Giancarlo Stanton was due up; and Stanton had hit that ballistic missile off Eovaldi in the 1st.

Red Sox Manager Alex Cora brought in Ryan Brasier. Stanton hit ANOTHER BALLISTIC MISSILE to DEEP left center — but the Green Monster was there again to knock it down to earth, where Tyler Renfrow grabbed it, and fired to Xander Bogaerts who threw a perfect strike to home. Yankee 3rd base coach Phil Nevin ran Judge. The perfect relay nabbed Judge at the plate. It was a massive mistake by Nevin.

Had Judge scored it would have been a 3-2 game. One of the reasons why Nevin ran Judge was probably because Joey Gallo was up next and the possibility of a strike out was high — which might have stranded the runner on 3rd with less than 2 outs anyway.

5. Yankee Bullpen Coughs Up 3

Boston got back the run in the very next frame. Luis Severino had pitched a scoreless 5th and struck out Devers to start the 6th but Bogaerts walked and Verdugo doubled him home and it was 4-1 Boston.

In the 7th, Jonathan Loaisiga got the 1st out but then walked 2. Chad Green came in to get an out but then walked Boegarts to load the bases with 2 outs. Alex Verdugo singled to center to plate 2 runs — Verdugo out at 2nd trying to stretch the single into a double. But it was 6-1 Boston.

6. Giancarlo Finishes With Homer

After bombing pitches off the top of the Green Monster all night and getting no runs produced, Giancarlo Stanton hit a homer to right —  the opposite field — in the 9th with 1 out.

But Joey Gallo and Gleyber Torres both flied out, and that was the old ballgame. And season.

As Mother Superior put it on Yankee Twitter, “So what are we supposed to do now?”

The Boxscore

https://www.espn.com/mlb/boxscore/_/gameId/401361933

1 Comment

  1. Green Monster ate the little turtle. too bad. Was an amazing night for Giancarlo Stanton. He won me over. Too bad the game wasn’t plaid at Yankee Stadium those hits by Stanton would have been homers. Yanks needed to get the home field. That game Friday night when they lost to Tampa by a run hurt.

    Reply

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