4 things to know as Red Sox secure No. 5 seed, earn matchup with Yankees in wild-card round starting Tuesday
Boston defeated Detroit, 4-3, and Toronto beat Tampa, 13-4, on Sunday.
When asked to share his thoughts heading into the Red Sox-Yankees wild-card series, Trevor Story responded with two questions of his own.
“Is it done?” Story inquired. “Is it official?”
A reporter told him that the Blue Jays were up nine runs on the Rays, which meant — barring a truly epic collapse from Toronto — it would, in fact, be Boston-New York in the postseason.
Story, who helped revitalize the Red Sox and steer them to their first playoff berth since 2021, quickly shifted his focus to the Yankees.
“It’s going to be exciting,” Story said. “Obviously a bunch of history there. Like we said this whole time, we don’t really care who we play, as long as we get in.”
After outlasting the Tigers, 4-3, on Sunday, the Red Sox (89-73) officially clinched the No. 5 seed to earn a crack at the fourth-seeded Yankees.
The series begins Tuesday at 6 p.m., with all three games in the Bronx and the winner facing Toronto in the divisional round.
“It’s New York against Boston,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “It’s going to be big.”
Here are four things to know as the Red Sox begin the postseason:
Dream for De León
Sunday’s starter José De León finished the season in Worcester with an 0-9 record and 6.93 ERA. He was at home in San Juan, Puerto Rico, when he got a call from the Red Sox.
He admitted he lied and said he had been playing catch to stay fresh, when in reality, that wasn’t the case.
De León, who said he would have been at the beach otherwise, left at midnight, arrived in Philadelphia at 4:30 a.m., got to Boston at 7 a.m., briefly slept at a hotel, then came to Fenway Park to pitch.
He grew up a Red Sox fan and frequently received team apparel from his godfather, who lived in Brookline for 35 years.
“When I started playing baseball, they gave me No. 5,” De León said. “Like every kid, I was the shortstop. The manager started calling me Nomar [Garciaparra]. I didn’t know who Nomar was. I got very upset. I told him my name wasn’t Nomar. When I found out he was Nomar, that was my team.”
De León, who was “star struck” when he met Jason Varitek, said it was “a dream” to pitch at Fenway.
His last time at the park was in 2019, with the Rays, when his flight was delayed and he was only able to watch two innings. This visit was a bit more memorable, as he allowed three earned runs and struck out eight in 6 ⅔ innings to secure the win.
“Honestly, I was trying to hold the tears,” De León said. “I’ve been through a lot. Being able to go out there and perform in front of I don’t know how many people were out there, a packed house on the last game of the year, kind of a meaningful game, it’s special.”
Fast and furious
When Ceddanne Rafaela stole second base Sunday, it marked the first time the Red Sox have had four players with 20-plus steals since 1912: Jarren Duran, Story, David Hamilton, and Rafaela.
Duran, who had the winning RBI in the fourth, and Hamilton, who homered along with Masataka Yoshida, illuminated a larger trend. The Red Sox are only the 11th team ever to feature three players with 15-plus homers and 20-plus steals (Story, Rafaela, Duran).
Rafaela, who officially sent the Red Sox to the playoffs with a walk-off triple Friday night, hit .424 in his final nine regular-season games.
They meet again
Nothing will ever come close to topping the 2004 series, but every Red Sox-Yankees postseason showdown is memorable in its own way.
Boston also won the divisional series in 2018, plus a single wild-card game in 2021.
“As a fan of the game, growing up, you know pretty well about the rivalry and what it means to both cities,” Story said. “It’s a special thing. I think it’s the best in all of sports. It’s going to be special to see them in the postseason.”
The Red Sox have a 9-4 record against the Yankees this season, including a 5-2 mark at Yankee Stadium.
For starters
Game 1 starter Garrett Crochet is 3-0 with a 2.90 ERA in his career against the Yankees.
Brayan Bello, the likely Game 2 starter, has a 2.35 career ERA against New York.
The Red Sox certainly won’t be intimidated, given their success against their rival, but they understand that history means nothing now.
“We know it’s going to be a battle,” Story said. “We know it’s going to be a grind.”
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