Red Sox Outfielder Mookie Betts during batting practice on October 8th, 2016. Photo from Wikimedia.
On October 9th, 2018, the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees continued their historic rivalry in game four for the American League Division Series (ALDS). The Yankees put up a good fight against the Sox but not enough to tie the series. The Sox won with a score of 4-3, which allowed them to secure a spot in the American League Championship Series (ALCS) against the current World Series champions, the Houston Astros.
The best of five AL Division Series has been hyped up over the past few weeks as the Red Sox won game one with a score of 5-4 then the Yankees quickly answered back with a 6-2 win in game two. The Red Sox bounced back by taking game three with dominant score of 16-1. After winning game three, the Sox led the series 2-1 leaving the Yankees with two options: win game four and force a game five or let the Sox take the series in four games.
The Yankees started off with 38 year old Carsten Charles Sabathia on the mound. The Sox had Mookie Betts at the plate but Sabathia quickly sat Betts down with an infield groundout, as well as Andrew Benintendi. First baseman Steve Pearce fired back with a line drive single up center field, putting a runner on first. Designated hitter J.D Martinez hit an infield single allowing two bases to be loaded.
Red Sox pitcher, Rick Porcello started in Tuesday night’s game and quickly sat down Yankees outfielder, Aaron Hicks in a deep centerfield out. It was still scoreless in the second inning, with Sabathia getting Betts with a fly out to right field. Porcello got the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton and Luke Voit in a ground out to third base.
Sabathia’s first pitch in the top of the third inning hit Andrew Benintendi in the shoulder causing him to take an automatic walk to first base. At the end of the third inning the Sox were up 3-0. Bottom of the fifth inning, the Yankees were up on the board 4-1 due to a sacrifice fly from Brett Gardner, allowing Gary Sanchez to score from third base.
Top of the ninth inning and the Yankees put Aroldis Chapman on the mound, he quickly outed Martinez, Pearce, and Xander Bogaerts, causing it to quickly switch over to the Yankees at bat. Red Sox closer, Craig Kimbrel, entered the game and gave Yankees outfielder, Aaron Judge a walk after throwing four balls.
Shortly after, Yankees outfielder, Didi Gregorius hit a single and Voit walked causing the bases to be loaded. Kimbrel hit Yankees second baseman Neil Walker, causing the Yankees to score their second run of the night 4-2. Sanchez hit a sacrifice fly, bringing them up one run again. Yankees fans were ecstatic at this point in the game but were soon disappointed when Yankees second baseman/shortstop, Gleyber Torres, hit a soft ground ball to Red Sox infielder, Eduardo Nunez, who then fired to Pearce and got the out.
The game had Red Sox and Yankees fans on the edge of their seats the last few innings but it was truly a spectacular game. The Red Sox triumphantly ended the Yankees season but now they face the current World Series Champions, the Houston Astros in the American League Championship Series. The AL Championship Series is tied 1-1 with the Astros taking game one 7-2 and the Red Sox taking game two 7-5. Game three will be played on October 15, 2018, at Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX.
