Alex Cora rules all. Barely.
For the second-straight game and, really, all series, the Red Sox manager pushed every single right button to help the Red Sox advance to the AL Championship Series against the Astros by virtue of Boston’s 4-3 win in Game 4 at Yankee Stadium.
It looked like the Sox were going to cruise 4-1, but the ninth was a circus after Craig Kimbrel allowed the first two runners to advance, walked the bases loaded, hit a batter to drive in one, and allowed a sac fly to get the Yankees to within one run. Kimbrel eventually got Gleybar Torres to ground out to third on a great play by Eduardo Nunez and stretch at first by Steve Pearce.
Until the ninth, it appeared Cora was going to be the hero again. He elected to have Christian Vazquez catch Rick Porcello for the first time all season and, not only did Vazquez help to guide Porcello to one run allowed in five innings of work, but Vazquez hit a solo home run in the fourth inning to make it 4-0.
Ian Kinsler and Eduardo Nunez, who both sat in Game 3, were back in the lineup and contributed RBIs.
And then there was the bullpen. Cora had the Midas touch there as well. First, he lifted Porcello at the right time, as Matt Barnes pitched a perfect sixth. Ryan Brasier pitched a one-two-three seventh.
Then, when it came to the bridge to Craig Kimbrel, Cora elected to go with Chris Sale, the presumed Game 5 starter. A risky move, to be sure, but Sale was perfect in the eighth.
It wasn’t easy in the ninth — Kimbrel walked Aaron Judge on four pitches, and Didi Gregorius singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Kimbrel whiffed Giancarlo Stanton easily, then walked Luke Voit on four pitches to load the bases before hitting Neil Walker. But the end result was another win, and another shot at the defending world champions.
GAME COVERAGE FROM BEDARD
Bottom of the ninth
- Four-pitch walk to Judge.
- Gregorius single. Now the tying run will come to the plate in Stanton. You knew this wasn't going to be easy.
- Struck out Stanton easily. Two outs to go.
- Voit walked on four pitches to bring winning run to the plate. Hechavarria pinch runs. Neil Walker, who has had some good swings tonight, is up as the winning run. Gulp.
- Hit him on first pitch. Tying run at second. RUN: Red Sox 4, Yankees 2.
- Sanchez just misses a full-count meatball. Sac fly. RUN: Red Sox 4, Yankees 3.
- Torres ground ball to third and he's called out ... being challenged. Looks like he's out. OUT. GAME OVER. SERIES OVER.
Top of the ninth
Chapman in
- Back to back ground outs.
- Bogie strikes out.
Onto the final three outs and Kimbrel.
Bottom of the eighth
Here comes Sale.
- Torres long fly out to right center.
- McCutchen pinch hits. ... Full count, grounds out to third.
- Called strike three. A perfect inning for Sale. I heard Cora can heal the sick as well.
https://twitter.com/CaseyBake16/status/1049859487958478848
Top of the eighth
CHRIS SALE IS WARMING UP.
https://twitter.com/GregABedard/status/1049852093811576832
- Kinsler whiffs.
- Nunez doubles after having the tower buzzed.
- Voit boots one. First and third with one out. ... Bradley steal second.
- Vazquez strikes out on a filthy curveball. Two outs.
- Mookie intentionally walked for Benintendi. He strikes out looking, didn't like it, and let Hernandez know.
Bottom of the seventh
Brasier in.
- Betts makes a running catch down RF line to retire Voit.
- Whiffs Walker. Seven outs to go.
- Sanchez vs. Brasier II. Brasier 2-0. Pop out.
Top of the seventh
- Benintendi strikes out.
- After a long at-bat, Pearce is rung up on a check swing by the first-base umpire.
Braiser warming up.
- Martinez walks and that will be it for Robertson, who pitched well. Betances coming in.
- Wild pitch, Martinez to second.
- Bogaerts grounds out.
Bottom of the sixth
Barnes in. Bullpen game now.
- Barnes fell behind Judge 2-0 but retired him on a groundout when Judge got jammed on a meat fastball.
- Gregorius pops out.
- Stanton grounds out.
Nice work by Barnes getting through 2-3-4.
Top of the sixth
Robertson in.
- Bradley grounds out.
- Vazquez strikes out looking.
- Betts strikes out looking terrible again. He's too up and down in the box. Needs to start bending his knees again.
Bottom of fifth
- Walker hits one on the nose at Bradley.
- After a loud foul, Sanchez lines a ground rule double to left center. Yankees have hit three balls very hard in this inning. First indication of trouble for Porcello.
- Swinging bunt down third-base line for Torres. First and third one out. LeVangie to the mound. He has a deft touch like Cora.
- Barnes warming.
- Gardner sac fly. RUN: Red Sox 4, Yankees 1.
- Hicks crushes a ball down the line ... foul by 10 feet.
- After a nine-pitch at-bat, Hicks finally pops out to end the threat.
- Porcello: 65 pitches, 48 strikes.
Top of fifth
- Martinez grounds out to short.
- Bogaerts reaches on a single off Britton's glove.
- Kinsler strikes out on a couple of nasty pitches.
- Nunez flies out.
Bottom of the fourth
- Judge flies out to right.
- Gregorius doubles to right-center.
- Stanton grounds out to short. Gregorius to third.
- Voit grounds out.
- Porcello: 40 pitches, 32 strikes.
Top of the fourth
Zach Britton in for Sabathia. Thanks for coming out.
- Vazquez eeks one out to right for a home run. Judge was lost, watched it go out. Alex Cora can do no wrong. RUN: Red Sox 4, Yankees 0.
https://twitter.com/Soxlunch/status/1049829941620150272
https://twitter.com/DingerTracker/status/1049829551579324416
- Betts whiffs. He's batting .200.
- Benintendi whiffs.
- Pearce retired on a nice picks by Gregorius and Voit.
Bottom of the third
- Porcello leaves a pitch up to Torres, but Benintendi tracks it down sprinting in left-center.
- Gardner grounds out to second.
- Hicks pops out weakly. Very quiet at the morgue ... I mean Yankee Stadium.
- Porcello: Only 28 pitches (24 strikes).
Top of the third
- Benintendi hit by pitch.
- Jam shot single to single and Benintendi goes to third when Hicks and his bad hammy take forver to get to it. First and third, no outs for Martinez.
- Sac fly for Martinez. Hicks isn't moving well. RUN: Red Sox 1, Yankees 0.
- Sabathia falls behind Bogaerts 3-1, Boone still doesn't have anyone up, and a ground out with Pearce in motion averts the double play.
- Pearce advances to third on passed ball to Sanchez. Scored a wild pitch, but it was a passed ball. Sanchez didn't even see it.
- Kinsler doubles just over the head of Gardner in left. RUN: Red Sox 2, Yankees 0.
- Nunez singles down the left-field line, scoring Kinsler. RUN: Red Sox 3, Yankees 0.
- Leaving Sabathia in to face Bradley. Boone is living dangerously.
- Inning over.
Bottom of second
- Nunez makes two good throws to retire Stanton and Voit.
- Neil "Sky" Walker singles to right on a weird hop to Betts.
- Sanchez grounds out.
- Porcello: 17 total pitches, 15 strikes
Top of second
- Nunez, who can't hit at all, pops out weakly to right
- Bradley strikes out when he yanks his head off the ball.
- Sabathia falls behind Vazquez, the No. 9 hitter, 3-0 and then walks him in front of Mookie. Playing with fire, bro.
- Betts gets out in front on his front foot and pops out weakly.
- Sabathia: 35 pitches (20 strikes).
Bottom of the first
- Similar to Betts last night, Hicks bombs the first pitch but Bradley catches it 2 feet in front of the wall.
- Judge grounds out to 2nd.
- Gregorius strikes out on a high and away fastball
- 8 pitches (7 strikes).
Top of the first
- Well, if first pitches are any indicator — could be a good night for the Sox. Sabathia threw the 58-footer in the dirt ... After getting ahead 2-0, Betts hits a loud foul and hen grounds out to short.
- Benintendi grounds out to first.
- Pearce singles to center with two outs.
- Martinez has a seeing-eye single to second with the shift to bring up Bogaerts, who has been quietly stinging the ball.
-Bogaerts walks on five pitches to load the bases with two outs for Kinsler.
-Kinsler almost got it out to left field for a grand slam but Gardner tracked it down in front of the 318-foot sign.
- 20 pitches for Sabathia (12 strikes)
- Red Sox first: 0 runs, 2 hits, 1 BB, 3 LOB.
NEW YORK —
WHO: Red Sox vs. Yankees
WHEN: 8:07 p.m.
WHERE: Yankee Stadium
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox are coming off a record-setting victory in Game 3, winning 16-1 at Yankee Stadium Monday night. It marked the largest margin of victory by a road team in the postseason history and is the second-largest margin of victory in a postseason game. It also featured the first cycle in the postseason, with Brock Holt making history with his ninth-inning homer. The 16 runs were the most ever scored by any team in a postseason game at any version of Yankee Stadium. ... The seven-run fourth inning tied for the most runs in any inning of a postseason game. ... It was also the seventh time the Red Sox had a postseason game in which every member of the starting lineup had at least one hit. Two of those other games have taken place at Yankee Stadium: Game 6 of the 2003 ALCS and Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS. ... In Division Series history, teams with a 2-1 lead have won 45 of the 61 Game 4's. The Sox have led 2-1 in nine postseason series and have gone on to win seven of those series. ... Boston has won six of the last seven postseason games against the Yankees. ... The Sox are 21-for-22 in stolen base attempts against the Yankees this season, with two steals in two tries Monday night. ... Rick Porcello was 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA this year. ... He also appeared in the eighth inning of Game 1 Saturday night, allowing one infield hit while recording two outs. ... Of the Yankee regulars, Giancarlo Stanton is 3-for-8 (.375) with five RBI. ... Luke Voit, in limited exposure, is 2-for-3 against Porcello. ... As for the Red Sox vs. CC Sabathia, the lefty is 18-13 with a 4.14 ERA in 42 career starts. ... Since last Sept. 29, Sabathia is 6-0 with a 2.09 ERA...Mookie Betts is 12-for-28 (.429) lifetime against Sabathia while Steve Pearce is 12-for-38 (.316) with three homers off the lefty.
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Rick Porcello (17-7, 4.28) vs. LHP CC Sabathia (9-7, 3.65)
TV/RADIO: TBS/WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Betts RF
Benintendi LF
Pearce 1B
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Kinsler 2B
Nunez 3B
Bradley CF
Vazquez C
YANKEES
Hicks CF
Judge RF
Gregorius SS
Stanton DH
Voit 1B
Walker 3B
Sanchez C
Torres 2B
Gardner LF
NEWS AND NOTES:
- Apparently becoming the first person in baseball history to hit for a postseason cycle isn't enough to get you in the lineup the next night. Brock Holt was watching instead of playing for ALDS Game 4. "Tough league, tough league,'' said Alex Cora with a chuckle. "It's more about the guy on the mound (CC Sabathia) - he's been tough against lefties.'' It wasn't a surprise to Holt, who was told Tuesday morning that the Sox would go with Ian Kinsler at second. "He knew,'' said Cora. "Like (Monday), we felt that that was the best lineup for us to attack (Luis) Severino, and tonight we feel this is the best lineup to attack Sabathia.''
- Christian Vazquez got another start, despite not having much experience in catching Rick Porcello. "The last month, he's been really great behind the plate,'' said Cora of Vazquez. "Blocking balls, throwing people out, sticking with the game plan. I feel like he gave enough (offensively Monday) that we feel comfortable with him.''
- Mitch Moreland remained out of the lineup, still dealing with a tight hamstring. "Day to day,' said Cora. "He feels better today, but he's not ready to go out and play nine. But he's available -- we'll use him if needed.'' Moreland has been hitting off the tee and getting treatment.
- Cora was asked about the availability of Chris Sale for a few batters in relief tonight. Sale, of course, is the Game 5 starter for the Sox if such a game is necessary. "He's been talking a lot the last two days about possible scenarios tonight,'' said Cora smiling. "He feels he can pitch today. We've talked about it. I'll talk with Dana (LeVangie) after batting practice, but it has to be something that's too perfect...too perfect. The chances are very slim.''
- Cora said David Price "is in the equation'' out of the bullpen. "We'll have to see where we match up,'' Cora said.