The Red Sox erupted for seven runs in the 4th inning of Game 3
That's the way to take pressure off the bullpen.
NEW YORK – The Red Sox exploded for a seven-run fourth inning against the Yankees in Game 3 of the American League Division Series, tying a franchise postseason record for their most runs in a single inning.
Though Yankees starter Luis Severino struggled in falling behind, 3-0, through three innings, New York manager Aaron Boone elected to leave him in for the fourth inning. The decision quickly proved disastrous.
Brock Holt – part of a revamped bottom of the order – led off with a first-pitch single, and advanced to second when Christian Vazquez lined a hit-and-run first-pitch fastball to right for another single.
Rather than summoning a lefty from the bullpen for Jackie Bradley Jr., Boone stuck with Severino against the lefthanded Bradley, and was rewarded with a four-pitch walk. Boone then finally made it to the mound, but opted for a surprising choice with the bases-loaded, no outs, and MVP favorite Mookie Betts due up. Rather than a reliever accustomed to coming into games with traffic, Boone brought starter-turned-long reliever Lance Lynn into the game.
Lynn missed the strike zone badly on four straight pitches to force in a run – the first postseason RBI of Betts’s career – and put the Red Sox up, 4-0. They weren’t done. With Lynn pumping nothing but fastballs to the plate, Andrew Benintendi ripped a three-run double down the right field line to put the Red Sox up, 7-0.
After a J.D. Martinez groundout, Xander Bogaerts followed by ripping a cutter to left for another run. (At that point, Bogaerts was 2-for-3 for the night with all three balls in play having an exit velocity of at least 100 mph.)
With the Red Sox up, 8-0, Boone again made a move, bringing Chad Green into the game. After Green got Rafael Devers to pop up to second for the second out of the inning, Steve Pearce smoked an RBI single to left and Brock Holt concluded the damage with a run-scoring triple to right.
When Christian Vazquez grounded out to end the inning with the Red Sox up, 10-0, the dust had settled on one of the biggest innings in Red Sox playoff history.
The Red Sox had three prior seven-run innings in franchise history: One in the 2004 ALDS against the Angels, one in the 2007 ALDS (also against the Angels), and a third in Game 1 of the 2007 World Series against the Rockies. Their six hits tied a team record for the most in an ALDS inning.
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