Home for good: Yankees eliminated by rival Red Sox in ALDS
NEW YORK — Aaron Judge and the New York Yankees couldn’t wait to get back home.
Now, that’s exactly where they’re staying.
CC Sabathia became the latest pitcher to put New York in an early hole as rookie manager Aaron Boone again stuck with his starter too long, and the Yankees fell just short of extending their season Tuesday night with a 4-3 loss to the rival Boston Red Sox in Game 4 of their AL Division Series.
New York mounted a last-ditch rally against wild closer Craig Kimbrel, scoring twice in the ninth inning. But the Yankees’ comeback stalled when Gary Sanchez’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly was caught on the left-field warning track, and rookie Gleyber Torres grounded out with two on to end it — sort of.
The play at first base was close, so both teams and a sellout crowd held their breath during a dramatic replay review before the out call was upheld following a 63-second delay.
Kimbrel and the Red Sox — suspended in mid-celebration for a minute — resumed bouncing around in excitement.
After racking up 100 regular-season wins and beating Oakland in the AL wild-card game, it was a humbling exit for a power-packed Yankees team that added reigning NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton last offseason and hit a major league-record 267 home runs this year.
With the stakes at their highest, however, the Yankees never left the yard in two home games versus Boston. They were outscored 20-4 as the AL East champs took the best-of-five series 3-1 and advanced to the ALCS against defending World Series champion Houston.
Last year, it was the Yankees who reached the AL Championship Series before their surprising run ended with a Game 7 loss to the Astros.
Then, a 2018 season of soaring expectations — now over in bitter disappointment.
While the Red Sox got strong starts from Chris Sale, Nathan Eovaldi and Rick Porcello during the series, Yankees starters provided only 13 innings in four games.
Adding to the humiliation, Mookie Betts and the Red Sox got to revel in a second champagne celebration at Yankee Stadium in less than three weeks.
Boston also clinched its third consecutive division crown on enemy ground Sept. 20.