The Red Sox lost the game, but won the division title. I think they’ll take that trade.
Top Play (WPA)
No surprises here. This one ended in dramatic fashion, and the last play of the game was far and away the most important. Mark Teixiera came up to face Joe Kelly with the bases loaded and two out, trailing by two. Kelly, who had gotten two outs after inheriting a bases loaded situation, made a mistake and Teixeira punished it. The walkoff grand slam (+.827) was a bit of a jarring moment in what should’ve been pure celebration. The Red Sox still won the division, though. People forget that.
Bottom Play (WPA)
Most of this game was wholly uneventful, as the two starting pitchers took care of business and gave their opponents very few opportunities to start rallies. The Yankees actually had the two worst plays of the game. In fact, remember when I said Kelly recorded two outs before giving up the walkoff? Well, those were the two bottom plays by WPA. First, Starlin Castro struck out (-.172). Then, Didi Gregorius popped out to Xander Bogaerts in foul territory (-.155). Bogaerts had the worst play of the game for Boston, when he lined out to third (-.090) with runners on second and third and no outs. It actually could’ve been worse, as the liner was right next to the bag and Marco Hernandez was almost doubled up. The Red Sox still won the division, though. People forget that.
Clay Buchholz Shines
The Red Sox received some tough news on Monday when they had to scratch Drew Pomeranz from his Thursday start and any future starts in 2016. That handed Buchholz the final spot in the postseason rotation. Although the righty has been solid since shifting to the bullpen in the middle of the season, there is still plenty of reason to be wary whenever he takes the mound. He did his best to make everyone feel better on Wednesday, though. He cruised through the Yankees lineup for six innings, allowing just one hit and striking out six. More importantly, he had all of his pitches working. There will still be worry if and when he takes the mound in October, but if he looks anything like he did in this one there won’t be many problems.
Are The Bullpen Worries Back?
Although this was mostly a happy night, it’s hard to ignore what we saw out of the bullpen in the ninth inning. Specifically, Craig Kimbrel totally imploded. The closer faced four batters, allowing a base hit then walking the next three. On the one hand, he’s had these control issues all season and that creeping back up in this one feels rough. On the other hand, he’s been utterly dominant since coming back from the DL at the start of August. It’s worth noting it was raining, so maybe (hopefully?) that played a part in this. Kelly giving up that home run is also rough, though he’s been largely impressive since shifting to the bullpen. All in all, it’s hard to get too worked up after just one game.
Coming Next
The Red Sox finish off their series in New York tonight. Typically after a division-clinching night, teams put out a hangover lineup that features those who almost never play. This time will be interesting, though, as it’s David Ortiz’s last game in Yankee Stadium. They will honor him before the game, but who knows if they’ll be able to see him hit. Henry Owens takes the mound for Boston in place of Pomeranz. He’ll face off against CC Sabathia.
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