Red Sox Defeat Yankees 3-1 in Playoff opener, Chapman Shines Under Pressure
BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees 3-1 in the opening game of their best-of-three playoff series on Tuesday, silencing Yankee Stadium with a dominant performance capped by a clutch outing from closer Aroldis Chapman. the victory gives Boston a crucial advantage in the series, with the winner advancing after the next game. This marks the 10th time in 12 previous playoff series between the teams that the Game 1 winner has gone on to sweep the series.
The Red Sox took the lead in the seventh inning with a double by Nick Sogard and a subsequent single by Masataka Yoshida. alex Bregman then extended the lead with a double to left field,scoring another run. Despite a promising start from Yankees pitcher Max Fried, who pitched six and one-third innings allowing only one run, the bullpen faltered, allowing Boston to capitalize. The game was a tense affair, with the Yankees loading the bases in the ninth inning, but Chapman retired Giancarlo Stanton, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Trent Grisham to secure the win.
Volpe gave New york a brief lead in the sixth with a line drive that would have been a home run in any ballpark but Fenway Park, but Boston quickly responded.
Chapman emphasized the importance of composure in high-pressure situations, stating, “The mentality of one is to calm down, breathe and lower tensions.”
Boston manager Alex Cora expressed hope for continuing the ancient trend of Game 1 winners sweeping the series, saying, “I wish we can continue that.”
Wednesday’s game will feature a pitching matchup between Boston’s brayan Bello (11-9, 3.35 ERA) and New york’s Carlos Rodón (18-9, 3.09 ERA). The Red Sox aim to close out the series, while the Yankees face elimination.Yankees manager Aaron Boone lamented a key moment where reliever Josh Weaver lost the strike zone against Ceddanne Rafaela, stating, “Mounting up 0-2 against Rafaela and losing it, that is what hurts a bit.”
