BSJ Game Report: Red Sox 6, Yankees 2 - Boston heads to Tampa for ALDS

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' win over the Yankees, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

On to ... Tampa Bay: Again, really? Ugh. We didn't get our fill of saying that town with that quarterback enough over the past week, now the Sox have to play a five-game AL Division Series against them? Oh well, maybe Tommy and Gronky can throw out the first pitches. In any event, the Rays won the season series 11-8, but it was very close. The average score was Rays 5.6, Sox 5.5. Tampa won 7 of the 10 games at Tropicana Field, where they will play Games 1 and 2 on Thursday and Friday. Schedule:

Eovaldi wakes up the postseason echoes: No one in these parts will ever forget what Nathan Eovaldi did in Game 3 of the 2018 World Series against the Dodgers ... but this was pretty good too, considering the opponent (even Bucky Dent was in attendance). Eovaldi continued to be a postseason hero for the Red Sox as he completely dominated the Yankees (eight strikeouts, 4 hits, 1 run) in 5.1 innings as he allowed the Red Sox to enjoy a 3-1 lead by the time he exited the hill for four relievers, who weren't bad either: 3.2 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 3 Ks. All five Red Sox pitchers combined for zero walks. Meanwhile, the Yankees walked seven and only got 2-plus innings out of starter Gerrit Cole (3 runs on 4 hits).

"He's so calm," Alex Cora said of Eovaldi. "When he shows up to the ballpark, he's the same guy when he pitches and when he doesn't. He was waiting for this one. ... When I went to the mound, he gave me -- I mean, he gave me this look, like, 'What are you doing.' ... But it's just such a tough game to manage."

Bogaerts, Schwarber, Verdugo carry the offense: The Red Sox were limited to just seven hits, but they made them count as Xander Bogaerts and Kyle Schwarber each had blasts to center and right field, respectively, and Alex Verdugo had the only multi-hit game with two knocks, including a double and a two-out, two-run single in the 8th to give Boston a ton of breathing room at 6-1.

"Xander put a great swing on a slider and hit it out of the ballpark, and Kyle hit the home run," Cora said. "I think the top of the order was amazing today. It's what they do. It's what they do."

TURNING POINT 

In the sixth inning, the Yankees were threatening to make this one — and Fenway — very tight after Anthony Rizzo made it 3-1 with a one-out homer, and then Aaron Judge singled. Alex Cora shockingly removed Eovaldi, and things looked downright scary as Ryan Brasier came in and promptly allowed a scud missile from Giancarlo Stanton off the Monster. It appeared as if the Yankees would have the tying runs in scoring position with just one out.

However, Yankees third base coach Phil Nevin decided to have Judge score from first, and he was thrown out by 10 feet when Bogaerts deftly handled a tough throw from center fielder Kike Hernandez, and thew a dime to catcher Kevin Plawecki to nail Judge. 

That seemed to take the air out of the Yankees, as the Red Sox outscored them 3-0 the next two innings to make it 6-1.

"When we play defense, we're good," Cora said. "That kid in center field, his instincts are amazing. (Verdugo) went for the ball, played it off the wall. He misses it, but Kike was right there. And he made a great throw to Xander and Xander made a great throw to Plaw, and it was a great tag."

THREE UP 

Nathan Eovaldi: Completely outclassed the high-priced Cole and gave the Red Sox the type of start they needed. He's 2-1 with a 1.63 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, and .188 opponent AVG in seven career postseason appearances. He's won each of his first three career postseason starts (also 2 in 2018).

Kyle Schwarber: Speaking of missiles, this bomb in the third inning was the definition of a no-doubter. Schwarber also walked and scored another run. In 25 career postseason games, the unlikely lead-off hitter is batting .290/.410/.609/1.018 with 7 HR and 12 RBI (20-for-69, 12 R, 14 BB).

The Bullpen: For all the talk about how the Yankees' bullpen would dominate if the game came down to it, here was the tale of the tape:

Red Sox (Brasier, Tanner Houck, Hansel Robles, Garrett Whitlock): 3.2 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 0 walks, 3 Ks and 12 batters faced.

Yankees: 6.0 innings, 3 hits, 3 runs, 5 walks, 6 Ks, 23 batters faced.

ONE DOWN

Bobby Dalbec: Did just fine in the field — zero errors for the Sox overall — but was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts and three runners left on base.

QUOTE OF NOTE

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING 

• Eovaldi joined David Price (Game 5 of the 2018 ALCS at Houston) and John Lackey (Game 3 of the 2013 ALCS at Detroit last the only Red Sox pitchers with eight-plus strikeouts and zero walks in a postseason game.
• Verdugo was 2-for-4 with 3 RBI in his first-ever playoff game.
• Yankees lost the Wild Card Game for the second time in four trips (2015 loss vs. HOU; 2017 win vs. MIN; 2018 win vs. OAK).
• Dating back to Game 4 of the 2004 ALCS, the Yankees are 1-8 in postseason games vs. Boston, and are 12-12 in 24 postseason games vs. Boston (6-6 at Fenway Park).
• Cole made his shortest career postseason start after reaching 5.0+ IP in each of his first 13 career playoff starts.

UP NEXT

The opening game of the American League Division Series between the Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays will be 8:07 p.m. Thursday at Tropicana Field with Boston like going with (TBA officially) LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (13-8, 4.74 ERA)  vs. LHP Shane McClanahan (10-6, 3.43). Sox could also throw Chris Sale on three days rest.