YANKEES VS. RED SOX
Season Series: Red Sox won 10-9. BIG PICTURE
Yankees: New York became the first team to hit 20 or more home runs from all nine slots in the batting order, a big reason behind the Yankees’ 100-62 record, their best since winning the 2009 World Series. Still, they finished way behind rival Boston in the AL East . ... Several key players are coming off injuries, but the Yankees got healthy just in time. Aaron Judge missed seven weeks with a broken right wrist, returned in mid-September and hit .220 with one homer and six RBIs in 13 games. Didi Gregorius missed five games in late September after tearing cartilage in his right wrist while sliding across home plate to score the run that clinched a postseason berth. Aaron Hicks, who doubled in Gregorius with that run, missed three games during the final week with left hamstring tightness. Aroldis Chapman did not pitch between Aug. 21 and Sept. 20 because of left knee tendinitis. All of them were able to play in the wild-card game.
Red Sox: In winning their third straight AL East title and setting a franchise record for wins, the Red Sox (108-54) improved by 15 victories over 2017.
... Finished eight games ahead of the Yankees, their largest AL East victory margin. The previous high was seven games in 1995 . ... Spent 141 of the season’s 186 days alone in first place and another seven in a tie for first, taking sole possession of the division lead for good on July 2 . ... Twelve teams in baseball history have won as many as 108 games. Seattle won 116 in 2001 but lost in ALCS to the Yankees. The previous four won the World Series. The Red Sox led baseball with 876 runs, 355 doubles and 594 extra-base hits.
WATCH FOR
Red Sox Starters. There isn’t a single pitcher in the Boston rotation who has won a postseason start. They are a combined 0-19. David Price has won two games as a reliever, and pitched well in two relief appearances during last year’s ALDS against Houston. Chris Sale gave up seven runs over five innings in Game 1 against the Astros last year in his first career playoff appearance, but pitched well in relief on three days’ rest. The seven-time All-Star was sidelined by injury in the second half this season and had a very limited workload. Whether he will be at the top of his game remains to be seen.
Young Stars. The Yankees’ lineup was invigorated by two rookies who came up early this season in Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres. Andujar’s 47 doubles broke the franchise rookie record set by Joe DiMaggio in 1936. The energetic Luke Voit, an under-the-radar July acquisition from St. Louis, has filled the offensive void at first base created by Greg Bird’s season-long slump. Boston Bullpen. The biggest — or maybe only — weakness on the best team in baseball, the Red Sox don’t really have a set routine to bridge the gap from the starters to Craig Kimbrel. Manager Alex Cora is hoping experienced starters Eduardo Rodriguez and Steven Wright can account for some of those innings. Whoops. Gary Sanchez’s defense has remained a problem for the Yankees. His 18 passed balls were five more than any other big league catcher, raising his two-year total to 34. He also was behind the plate for 45 wild pitches in
76 games, raising his two-year total to
98 allowed. He does have a powerful arm and threw out 12 of 40 runners attempting to steal.
Betts On It. The likely AL MVP, Mookie Betts has a six-game postseason hitting streak — that’s six of his seven career playoff games. He has three extra-base hits, all doubles. The Red Sox are hoping he can continue to get on base to set the table for J.D. Martinez, who has three homers in seven postseason games.