The New York Yankees got the job done in Game 3 against the Boston Red Sox. The 4-0 shutout win was a historic one, as rookie Cam Schlittler tossed eight innings in the blanking.
Beyond Schlittler’s fantastic performance, the Yankees’ win came down to a fateful fourth inning. It was that inning that sealed the victory for the Yanks. Neither club was able to score outside of the fourth, as Boston’s pitching was equally dominant.
Boston starter Connelly Early had held his own through three innings. Early kept the Yankees lineup in check for the first go-around in the lineup. But as fate would have it, the second go-around would not be quite so successful.
The fourth inning started with a miscommunication in the outfield by the Red Sox’s center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela and right fielder Wilyer Abreu. Abreu ran as if looking to make the catch, but held up at the last minute. That hesitation forced Rafaela to attempt a diving catch.
The misplay allowed Cody Bellinger’s fly ball to land for a base hit. Alertly, Bellinger hustled and took second on the play.
After Early walked Giancarlo Stanton and struck out Ben Rice, Yankees third baseman Amed Rosario delivered an RBI single to open the scoring. Rosario’s hit was well-placed in the hole at short. Even if Trevor Story had fielded the ball, there would have been no play at first.
The hit was a harbinger for the following sequence of events.
Red Sox Fielding Woes Open Floodgates for Yankees
The Yankees loaded the bases on a Jazz Chisholm Jr. single. That brought Anthony Volpe to the plate. Promptly, he delivered a single that squeaked past a sliding Romy Gonzalez for a base hit. That hit scored the second Yankees’ run of the game.
The interesting sliding attempt by Gonzalez seemed like a last-minute attempt to keep the ball in the infield. Had Gonzalez attempted a head-first diving stab, he might have had a better chance to at least keep the ball in the infield.
Anyhow, that hit kept the bases loaded for Austin Wells. Wells smacked a ball off Red Sox first baseman Nathaniel Lowe’s glove. Unfortunately for the Sox, the ball caromed into the outfield, bringing two more Yankees’ runs.
Had Lowe fielded the ball cleanly, the Red Sox might have had a play at the plate. Looking at the replay, it seems that Lowe got ahead of himself. But He took his eye off the ball as he possibly thought of making a play at the plate.
Yanks Made the Most of their Chances in Game 3
Beyond the fateful fourth inning, the Yankees’ bats fell silent. The Red Sox pitching staff did well to keep everyone in check.
But the Yankees deserve credit. They were able to capitalize on the Red Sox’s horrific lapse, putting four runs on the board.
Ultimately, the Yankees only needed one to win. Schlittler’s gem led the way, with David Bednar nailing the victory down in the ninth inning.
Moving forward, the Yankees will need to cash in on every opportunity they can get on a much better fielding Toronto Blue Jays club. The Jays and Yankees are set to begin their ALDS series in Toronto on Saturday.
Yankees Ride Red Sox Implosion, Advance to ALDS