For however much I hate the Yankees, I always have to give them this: their fans are great losers. I don’t mean this in the traditional sense of a gracious loser, someone who says “aww shucks, we’ll get
‘em next time” and offers to shake your hand — no, that’s milquetoast and boring and I have no time for it. I mean that — generally speaking — they don’t make excuses and, instead, go all in on eviscerating their own team with a fervor even we struggle to match (see, e.g., Mike Francesa’s famous post-mortem after the 2004 ALCS). This is why it’s always fun to take a look at the back pages of the New York papers the day after a big loss. (Matt Vautour, MassLive)
But what does it say about the once-proud New York Yankees Baseball Club that they had to geographically restrict ticket sales to this series in order to prevent their home park form being taken over by Red Sox fans? (NBC 4 New York)
Francesa actually had another entertaining post-mortem after last night’s game in which, among other things, he cited the Red Sox as having a huge managerial advantage in this series. And there is no question that between leaving Garrett Crochet in to start the eighth, pinch-hitting with Masataka Yoshida, and maneuvering the bullpen in such a way to take the bat out of Ben Rice’s hands, Alex Cora put on a masterclass last night. (Tara Sullivan, Boston Globe)
But let’s not forget that baseball is about the players first and foremost. And it was Garrett Crochet, not Alex Cora, who was most responsible for the Sox taking Game 1 last night. (Steve Buckley, The Athletic)
How good was Crochet in the Bronx? On the same day that the likely Cy Young-winner struck out 14 hitters in the battle of the AL Central, Aaron Judge called Crochet the best pitcher in the game. (Lauren Campbell, MassLive)
And while we’re celebrating Garrett Crochet, let’s take a moment to talk about the unusual way he wears his pants. Who doesn’t love some good playoff pants talk? (Andy Werle, MLB.com)
But enough about Crochet. Let’s not overlook the contributions of little-known role player Nick Sogard, who delivered the moment that swung the game thanks not only to his bat, but also to his shrewd base running. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Sogard and the Red Sox planned on being aggressive on the base paths against Aaron Judge in right, since the MVP hasn’t fully recovered from a right elbow strain he suffered in July. Of his soft, one-hop throw to second, Judge later told reporters that “he didn’t want to overthrow it.” (Lauren Campbell, MassLive)
But enough about last night, it’s time to look forward. And history has some good news for the Red Sox as they prepare for Game 2: in the three years since the introduction of the best-of-three Wild Card series, the team that has won Game 1 has gone on to win every single series. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
But even if the Sox do advance to the ALDS, they’re going to have some work to do just to cobble together a pitching staff, as Lucas Giolito was officially ruled out for the rest of the playoffs. (Jorge Castillo, ESPN.com)
But have no fear: Connelly Early is ready to take the ball in Giolito’s stead. (Chris Henrique, Boston Sports Journal)
