4 takeaways from the Red Sox’ dramatic Game 1 victory in the ALDS
Boston leads 1-0.
The Red Sox jumped out to an early 5-0 lead against the New York Yankees Friday night and appeared to be on their way to a Game 1 win in the ALDS.
They would still claim the victory and a 1-0 series lead, but the W wouldn’t come without some wrinkles. The Yankees tallied four runs in the second half the game, as the wobbly Red Sox bullpen, once again, couldn’t find its command.
Here’s what we learned from Boston’s 5-4 win:
Sandy Leon was the unsung hero.
Catcher Sandy Leon didn’t register a hit Friday night.
But Leon, whose batting average was an underwhelming .177 during the regular season, managed to boost — or save — the Red Sox in other ways. The 29-year-old blocked several pitches that seemed destined for the bottom of the backstop, including a seventh-inning breaking ball from reliever Matt Barnes that “almost bounced in the grass,” according to manager Alex Cora.
“[Sandy’s] really good at blocking pitches, and, actually, I don’t know how he does it,” said Cora. “But he blocks it and he keeps the ball in his hand.”
Both Barnes and Ryan Brasier each had a wild pitch, though the team’s count could have been higher had Leon not been a brick wall.
“We put him through the ringer tonight, top to bottom, from the start of the game to the very end,” said Chris Sale, who earned the W after his eight-strikeout, 5⅓-inning performance. “When you look back at this game, look at how many balls we threw in the dirt to try to get swing and misses. He was as solid as you can possibly be behind the plate. I think that helps tremendously.”
“For him to command the game the way he did, command the plate the way he did, it’s hard to calculate the statistics and his value behind the plate, but we all have a ton of confidence throwing to him,” added Game 3 starter Rick Porcello, who made a brief 15-pitch, eighth-inning appearance. “He’s really the one who has kept this pitching staff together the entire year.”
The bullpen is a concern.
Had it not been for Leon, the Red Sox could have found themselves in a precarious situation due to their shaky bullpen — which looked far from the “pretty good” label president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had used after not bringing in additional relief at the trade deadline.
The very first pitch from right-hander Ryan Brasier — who relieved Sale in the sixth inning — was rocked for a single, bringing in one of his two inherited runners. The other would score on the next at-bat, too. After Brasier walked the subsequent batter, he was pulled from the game. Brandon Workman, Matt Barnes, Porcello, and Craig Kimbrel all proceeded to make appearances on the mound. Despite loading the bases in the seventh, the Yankees drove in only one run that inning. Their fourth and final score came on a solo Aaron Judge homer in the ninth.
“We just couldn’t get that back-breaking hit that allowed us to have that big inning,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said.
Though they didn’t blow the victory, the Sox bullpen is certainly a worrisome topic. The group had an AL-worst 4.84 ERA in September — and things don’t appear to be trending upward. Porcello’s usage Friday was likely not the ideal outcome, given that he’s scheduled to start Game 3 in the Bronx Monday.
“We went to Barnes probably a little bit earlier than expected,” Cora said. “That’s why you saw Rick in the eighth inning.”
Cora also revealed that knuckleballer Steven Wright had an MRI during the game because he was complaining of knee pain. He reportedly will be replaced on the playoff roster. Options include Heath Hembree and Bobby Poyner.
Chris Sale looks to be just fine.
Sale was limited to only 14 innings during August and September due to left shoulder inflammation, but the ace showed no signs of rust Friday. The 29-year-old threw 93 pitches (61 strikes) in 5⅓ innings and said after the game he would have had no problem throwing more.
“If [Cora] didn’t take the ball out of my hand, I would have kept throwing,” Sale said. “There’s no holding back. They want me to throw 150, I’m throwing 150. If they ask me to throw tomorrow, I’ll throw tomorrow. I think that’s the mindset for every person in this clubhouse.”
He finished with eight strikeouts, two walks, and two earned runs. Sale is the probable Game 5 starter (if necessary).
J.D. Martinez feels right at home.
Picking up right where he left off in the regular season, designated hitter J.D. Martinez got the Sox on the board early with a three-run homer into the Green Monster during the bottom of the first inning.
YEP, that just happened. 💥 pic.twitter.com/erjjSmi5gv
— Red Sox (@RedSox) October 6, 2018
“It was important to get that lead right away,” Martinez said. “I think it kind of took a little pressure off everyone. Any time you go into a playoff game, everybody’s adrenaline is high and tensions are going, stuff like that. I think giving Chris that lead, being able to let him settle in and go out there and pitch, I think that definitely just helped relax everybody.”
Martinez signed a five-year, $110 million contract with the Red Sox in February. The 31-year-old has easily integrated himself into the lineup, putting up career numbers during the regular season (43 home runs, 130 RBI). Martinez partially attributed the seamless transition to his previous experience switching teams, but he also highlighted the dynamic of the Red Sox.
“This is a team without any egos,” he said. “Everyone here is just a humble group of guys. And everybody is just kind of pushing for each other. It’s just an easy fit. It was an easy situation to come into.”
