Red Sox clinch Wild Card rematch with Yankees as Roman Anthony heats up in win over Cubs

Start spreading the news. The Red Sox are officially headed back to the Bronx.

Boston locked up the American League’s second Wild Card spot Friday afternoon, setting up a rematch with the Yankees in the best-of-three Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

A year after the Yankees ended Boston’s season in three games in the same round, the Red Sox will get another shot at their longtime rival.

They punched their ticket behind a player who suddenly looks ready for October.

Roman Anthony doubled twice, tripled, walked and scored twice as the Red Sox rallied from an early three-run deficit to beat the Cubs, 4-3, in Game 1 of Friday’s split doubleheader at Fenway Park.

The victory improved Boston to 86-74 and locked the Red Sox into the No. 5 seed with two regular-season games remaining.

For an offense that has spent much of September searching for a spark, Anthony’s emergence is particularly encouraging.

Anthony reached in all four of his plate appearances and sprayed the ball across the field, doubling to left and center before tripling to right. It marked his eighth career game reaching base at least four times and his second with at least three runs scored.

Since returning from the 60-day injured list on Aug. 30, Anthony is batting .265 with an .811 OPS, six doubles, two triples, four homers and 10 RBI in 23 games.

His first double went to waste in the opening inning, but Anthony eventually scored Boston’s first run in the third when Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson committed a throwing error.

By then, the Red Sox were already in a 3-0 hole, after Alec Gamboa, serving as Boston’s opener, allowed a two-out RBI double to Tyrone Taylor in the first before Michael Busch and Swanson scored on Miguel Amaya’s double in the second.

Gamboa had allowed only four earned runs over his first 20 major league appearances. He surrendered three in two innings Friday in what will likely be his final appearance of the season.

Jake Bennett took over in the third and immediately settled things down.

Making his first major league appearance out of the bullpen after starting his first 19 games, Bennett delivered 3 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits and one walk while striking out one.

Bennett isn’t expected to start during the Wild Card Series, but Friday provided a glimpse at how Boston could deploy him in October. He could offer multiple innings out of the bullpen against New York and remains a potential starting option should the Red Sox advance to the AL Division Series.

While Bennett kept the Cubs quiet, Boston finally erased the deficit in the fifth inning. 

Isiah Kiner-Falefa opened the frame with a single and Anthony followed with his second double of the afternoon. Cubs starter Clay Holmes was removed after striking out Mickey Gasper, and Adley Rutschman greeted left-hander Caleb Thielbar with a two-run single to tie the game at 3.

Holmes allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits and three walks while striking out three over 4 1/3 innings.

Anthony started the decisive rally two innings later when he ripped a triple to right in the seventh before Connor Wong drove him home with a double down the third-base line, giving Boston its first lead of the afternoon at 4-3.

Wong wasn’t originally supposed to be in the game but was needed after Gasper was removed after striking out in the fifth because of right biceps discomfort. He could be seen flexing his right arm during the at-bat before Wong replaced him behind the plate in the sixth.

Chad Tracy told reporters after the game that Gasper will undergo an MRI on his arm. 

“I think he’s going over to get an MRI right now,” Tracy said after the victory. “He’s in some pretty good discomfort. So I don’t know exactly what it is but he struck out on that last swing and had some discomfort in his biceps.”

Losing Gasper with just two games left on the schedule is less than ideal for a tea already without Willson Contreras, who has been unable to swing comfortably because of the bone bruise and inflammation in his right hand.  

Boston had been counting on the switch-hitting Gasper as a potential designated hitter against right-handed pitching in October. 

Contreras’ uncertain status could create an opening on the Wild Card roster for someone such as Andruw Monasterio, who started Friday’s opener at first base. Nick Sogard and Kiner-Falefa also give Boston options on the right side of the infield if Contreras is unavailable.

Greg Weissert recorded four outs after Bennett before Raymond Burgos handled the final two innings.

Burgos retired the Cubs in order in the ninth, winning a 10-pitch battle with Pete Crow-Armstrong for the second out before closing out the victory.

Boston’s pitching staff entered Friday having allowed one run or fewer in 41 games, the most in the majors and the franchise’s highest total in a season since the Live Ball Era began in 1920. The Red Sox also entered the day with the third-best ERA in baseball, a position that would represent their best finish since 2007 if they maintain it through the weekend.

Rutschman went 2-for-4, including the game-tying two-run single in the fifth inning. It marked his 24th multi-hit game of the season and seventh since joining Boston, as well as his fourth multi-RBI game with the Red Sox.

Rutschman has settled in nicely at Fenway Park, batting .289 with an .844 OPS, four doubles, two homers and eight RBI in 13 home games.

The Sox finished with nine hits and four walks Friday but went just 2-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded eight. Through 22 September games, the Red Sox have averaged 7.5 runners left on base per game.

Anthony, at least, gave them something encouraging to take into October.

Cubs fans made up a sizable portion of the crowd at Fenway, and their presence was particularly noticeable as Chicago built its early 3-0 advantage. The Cubs entered the day still fighting for National League postseason positioning, adding some late-September intensity to an unusual Friday afternoon game.

Boston and Chicago will play Game 2 of Friday’s doubleheader at 5:35 p.m., with Brayan Bello (6-7, 4.49 ERA) facing left-hander David Peterson (9-8, 4.86).

Paez Recalled Between Games

The Red Sox made a roster move between games of Friday’s doubleheader, recalling right-hander Jedixson Paez and optioning left-hander Raymond Burgos to Triple-A Worcester.

Paez, 22, has appeared in four major league games this season between the White Sox and Red Sox, allowing 14 runs over 6 2/3 innings. He has been considerably better in the minors, posting a 3.69 ERA with 82 strikeouts over 70 2/3 innings between Double-A Portland and Worcester.

The move comes after Burgos earned his second save of the season with two scoreless innings in Boston’s 4-3 win in Game 1. The 27-year-old has a 4.22 ERA over 21 1/3 innings in nine appearances for the Red Sox this season.

Paez gives Boston another fresh arm capable of providing length for Game 2 as the club navigates Friday’s doubleheader and an uncertain schedule for the remainder of the weekend.