With the Boston bats ice cold at Yankee Stadium again, a couple of quick hooks by Red Sox rookie manager Chad Tracy led to another early postseason exit.
asserted
couple → lead → exit
And top starter Sonny Gray wasn’t happy about being lifted after only 70 pitches.
asserted
Gray → lift → pitches
“I think I’m the best pitcher in the American League going through the order the third time.
asserted
I → think → order
I think that’s a fact,” Gray said.
asserted
Gray → think → ?
“I would have liked to have been trusted in that moment.”
asserted
I → like → moment
For the second consecutive season, the Red Sox were sent home for the winter by their biggest rivals as the New York Yankees rolled to a 9-2 victory Wednesday night and a two-game sweep of their Wild Card Series.
asserted
Yankees → send → Series
Boston was outscored 18-2 overall and left to lament a miserable finish to this roller-coaster ride of a season that included Tracy taking over when Alex Cora was fired in April.
asserted
Cora → outscore → April
Tracy’s decision-making came under scrutiny after both playoff games against the Yankees.
asserted
making → come → Yankees
In Boston’s 9-0 defeat a night earlier, Tracy pulled rookie starter Payton Tolle after 4 2/3 innings and 83 pitches in a 1-0 game.
asserted
Tracy → pull → game
Last year, the Red Sox won their Wild Card Series opener before losing to New York in a deciding Game 3 as they got overpowered by Cam Schlittler, who pitched another playoff gem against his hometown team Tuesday night.
“To have it end here two times in a row is tough,” shortstop Trevor Story said.
asserted
Story → win → row
Facing a Yankees lineup missing injured slugger Aaron Judge, the Red Sox gave up 26 hits in two games despite a pair of effective performances from their starting pitchers.
asserted
Sox → face → pitchers
At the plate, Boston mustered only seven hits and finally snapped a 26-inning postseason scoring drought that dated to last year when Willson Contreras homered just over the right-center fence in the sixth Wednesday.
asserted
Contreras → muster → Wednesday
“It’s obviously been an eventful year,” Tracy said.
asserted
Tracy → say → ?
“In the moment right now you can’t think much more other than anything but the fact that we just lost a playoff series.”
asserted
we → think → series
Needing a victory to extend their season, the Red Sox sent Gray to the mound and the 18-game winner certainly gave them a chance.
asserted
winner → need → chance
Boston trailed 1-0 in the fifth when the right-hander allowed a two-out single to Ben Rice that put runners at the corners.
asserted
that → trail → corners
Tracy then yanked Gray, eager to hand the ball to baseball’s best bullpen during the regular season.
asserted
Tracy → yank → season
“I felt good.
asserted
I → feel → ?
You know, I felt crisp.
asserted
I → know → ?
I felt sharp.
asserted
I → feel → ?
I felt like I was just out there competing.
asserted
I → feel → ?
And yeah, I mean, I got clipped for a solo homer and then some singles, but I felt like I stayed on the attack throughout.
asserted
I → mean → attack
I was just executing what I wanted to do,” Gray said.
asserted
Gray → execute → what
“I’m frustrated, for sure.
asserted
I → ’m → ?
You know, not ready for it to end.
asserted
it → know → ?
Asked about the move, Contreras put his finger over his lips to zip them shut.
asserted
Contreras → ask → them
“It’s not enough when you have talent or you have data or you have computers that’s telling you what to do, because this is baseball,” he said.
asserted
he → ’ → what
“The data is here to help us, but at the end of the day you are going to have to need experience and veteran guys to win games.”
asserted
you → help → games
In both games of the series, Tracy gave the ball to left-handed reliever Erik Miller after taking out his starting pitcher.
asserted
Tracy → give → pitcher
On Tuesday, Rice greeted Miller with a 423-foot solo homer to straightaway center field.
asserted
Rice → greet → field
On Wednesday, Tracy summoned Miller to face a different left-handed hitter, Cody Bellinger — who batted .274 against lefties this season and .259 versus right-handers.
asserted
who → summon → handers
Bellinger made Tracy and the Red Sox pay, lining an RBI single to right field.
asserted
Tracy → make → field
“We’re struggling to score runs,” Tracy said.
asserted
Tracy → struggle → runs
“And when you get in spots where you’re struggling to score runs and you’re already trailing, you feel like you’ve got to be aggressive and go.”
asserted
you → get → runs
Back from a shoulder injury, ace starter Garrett Crochet entered in the sixth for his first outing since April 25 and first relief appearance since 2023 with the Chicago White Sox.
asserted
Crochet → enter → Sox
The left-hander opened with a strikeout, but Spencer Jones reached safely on a wild pitch, and Crochet never got an out.
asserted
Crochet → open → out
Bellinger’s three-run homer off right-hander Garrett Whitlock capped a six-run inning that made it 8-1, and the Red Sox were done.
asserted
Sox → cap → inning
A bullpen that led the majors with a 3.00 ERA during the regular season finished this series with a 20.25 ERA after giving up 15 runs, 15 hits and seven walks in 6 2/3 innings, with a .484 opponents’ batting average.
asserted
that → lead → average
Boston’s latest downfall in the Bronx was a crushing end to a wild 2026 season for the Red Sox, who stumbled to a 32-46 start.
asserted
who → crush → start
Tracy was the skipper at Triple-A Worcester before getting promoted to interim manager in Boston, and the team finally began to take off with a four-game sweep of the Yankees at Fenway Park in late June.
asserted
team → promote → June
…and 9 more, not listed.
The Aporia
