It’s Sox vs. Stros
NEW YORK — Eduardo Nunez charged Gleyber Torres’ fourhopper toward third base and whipped it across the diamond. Steve Pearce stretched, falling on his chest for a sprawling catch. The umpire signaled: “Out!”
The Boston Red Sox gathered around exhausted closer Craig Kimbrel, hugging and celebrating after the New York Yankees’ tworun rally in the ninth inning fell short.
But wait!
In 21st century baseball, the game doesn’t always end when it seems, hanging in limbo until umpires in a downtown Manhattan replay room agree.
A Yankee Stadium crowd of 49,641 wondered and the Red Sox watched from the infield, fixated on the center-field video board.
After 63 seconds that felt like a lot longer, crew chief Mike Winters made it official: The Red Sox beat the Yankees 4-3 on Tuesday night to win a four-game AL Division Series, setting up a postseason rematch with the World Series champion Astros.
“I’ve been talking about them the whole season, so now we go,” said Red Sox rookie manager Alex Cora, the Astros’ bench coach last year. “Best of seven. They know me. I know them. It should be fun.”
J.D. Martinez and the 108-win Red Sox reached the AL Championship Series for the first time since the Red Sox won the title in 2013. A year after losing to the Astros in a four-game ALDS, they will open the best-of-seven matchup against the 103-win Astros on Saturday night at Fenway Park. The Astros went 4-3 against Boston this year.
A New Jersey native who grew up a Mets fan, Rick Porcello held the Yankees to one run over five innings for his first postseason win. Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier followed with a perfect inning each to protect a 4-1 lead. Red Sox ace Chris Sale followed with a 1-2-3 eighth in a rare relief appearance, extending a string of 11 straight outs for Boston pitching.
New York had not put a leadoff runner on until Kimbrel, a seventime All-Star closer, walked Aaron Judge on four pitches leading off the ninth.
Didi Gregorius singled, and Giancarlo Stanton struck out. Luke Voit walked on four pitches, and Kimbrel hit Neil Walker on a leg with his next pitch, forcing in a run.
Gary Sanchez fell behind 0-2 in the count, worked it full and sent a drive that had the crowd roaring only for Andrew Benintendi to catch it on the left-field warning track, a few feet short of a gameending grand slam.
“I hit it well. But I got under it,” Sanchez said through a translator.
Then came Torres’ bouncer.