Now I really know I'm back home. The Boston Red Sox have beaten the New York Yankees 6-2 to win the AL Wild Card and will advance to the ALDS against the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays.
Of course, I picked the Yankees to beat the Red Sox and to go on and win the World Series. Perhaps it is the New England pessimism I have accrued over time but what I want and what I believe will happen are seldom the same thing.
In this instance, I am delighted to have been wrong because the Red Sox beating the Yankees never gets old and all is well with the world for now.
With that I don't see the Red Sox getting past the Rays. But that's another conversation for later. Here's what happened tonight.
The Red Sox got off to a quick 2-0 lead in the 1st on a 2-run HR by Xander Bogaerts. Kyle Schwarber, acquired from the Washington Nationals in mid-season, hit a solo shot in the 3rd to give the Bosox a 3-0 lead and knocked out Gerrit Cole after only 2 plus innings.
Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi struck out 8 batters over 5.1 IP. But Eovaldi gave up a solo HR to Anthony Rizzo and was then removed by Sox manager Alex Cora when Aaron Judge beat out a ground ball hit to Bogaerts. Red Sox radio broadcaster Sean McDonough seemed exasperated, "I'm stunned."
Ryan Brasier appeared to have given up a game tying HR to Giancarlo Stanton but it grazed the Green Monster. Inexplicably Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin gave Judge the green light to go home. Centerfielder Kike Hernandez made a perfect relay throw to Bogaerts who threw Judge out at the plate by a mile. Disaster averted.
Alex Verdugo would have two key hits in the game. He doubled in the sixth off Luis Severino to give the Sox a 4-1 lead and then hit a two run single off Jonathan Loaisigia in the seventh to give the Sox a 6-1 lead.
Verdugo's two hits gave the Red Sox enough breathing room that Stanton's solo HR with one out in the 9th off Garrett Whitlock didn't matter. Whitlock got both Joey Gallo and Gleyber Torres to fly out to Hunter Renfroe in right field to beat the Yankees.
I think it is safe to say Aaron Boone will not be managing the Yankees in 2022. Although he reached the post-season in each of his four seasons in the Yankee dugout he did not win an AL pennant.
On a personal note, I opted not to go to the sports bar near Porter Square to watch the game. While it would have been nice to share a collective experience back in my spiritual home, I instead listened to it streaming on the radio. After all, it's a school night. I don't think I could have committed to staying at a bar for three hours and not buy any booze without some funny looks. And while there's a very high rate of vaccination here in Massachusetts, COVID is still spreading too fast for my liking and spending a prolonged period in a large crowd in a small indoor space does not appeal to me. Perhaps on a weekend for an hour or so like I did last Sunday. We shall see.
I also cannot stand ESPN which talks about everything under the sun except for what is happening on the field. Listening to Sean McDonough, Joe Castiglione and young Will Flemming's broadcast was the perfect combination of three generations of sportscasters who know their craft.
Anyhow I shall go to bed content and look forward to my commute to work tomorrow aboard the Red Line. I think there will be a few more smiles than usual.
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