Red Sox Hold Off Yankees to Advance to ALCS vs. Astros & Prevent a Heart Attack in the Process

I just about had a heart attack.

At no point was I ever comfortable with the four runs the Red Sox scored in Game 4 of the ALDS. It was paltry compared to the 16 they scored yesterday in Game 3 which included the first ever post-season cycle by Brock Holt.

I became especially uncomfortable in the 9th inning when Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel didn't have his stuff and walked Aaron Judge on four pitches followed by a Didi Gregorius single. At this point, I moved from the sofa chair to this computer. It seemed to work because Kimbrel struck out Giancarlo Stanton. But Kimbrel issued another walk to Luke Voit to load the basesand then plunked Todd Walker to cut the lead to 4-2. From the computer, I made my way to the couch. When Gary Sanchez launched it I thought there would be a Game 5 in Boston on Thursday. I would breathe a sigh of relief when Andrew Benintendi caught the ball for a sacrifice fly. That relief would be momentary as Gregorius would score. The Red Sox led by one.

It all came down to Yankees rookie Gleyber Torres. I wasn't full of encouragement when TBS broadcasters Ron Darling and Brian Anderson emphasized that Torres had hit 7 3-run home runs. Torres instead hit a sharp ground ball to Red Sox third baseman Eduardo Nunez who tossed the ball off balanced into first baseman Steve Pearce's glove. Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged the play as Nunez was writhing in pain on the ground. The call was upheld. My coronary was averted and the Red Sox advance to the ALCS against the Houston Astros which commences Saturday night at Fenway Park.

I have been walking the streets of New York City wearing my Red Sox cap. There haven't been that many comments. I suspect this will change when I walk to work tomorrow morning. It will be worth every insult as the Red Sox play another day while the Yankees go home.