Red Sox season ends in ugly fashion as Yankees erupt in sixth, complete Wild Card sweep

The Red Sox spent months fighting to save a season that once appeared lost. When October finally arrived, it was over almost as quickly as it began.

Boston’s offense disappeared against the Yankees for a second straight night, and when Willson Contreras finally gave the Red Sox a pulse with a sixth-inning homer, the pitching staff immediately gave it away.

New York erupted for six runs in the bottom of the sixth, turning a one-run elimination game into a rout and sending the Red Sox home with a 9-2 win Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium. With the win, the Yankees completed a two-game sweep of Boston in the American League Wild Card Series.

Boston’s offense, a concern throughout September, never found its footing in October. The Red Sox scored just two runs and managed seven hits over 18 innings in the series after finishing September last in the majors with a .219 batting average and near the bottom in both on-base percentage (.295) and slugging percentage (.356).

New York outscored Boston 18-2 in the two games, with 15 of those runs charged to the Red Sox’ bullpen.

For much of Wednesday night, Sonny Gray gave the Red Sox a chance.

Gray retired the Yankees in order on 11 pitches in the first inning and allowed only a pair of infield singles through three. New York finally broke through in the fourth when Luis García Jr. hammered an 85.1 mph sweeper 387 feet into the right-center field seats for a solo homer.

Boston had its first legitimate scoring opportunity an inning earlier. Nate Eaton dropped a shallow single into center and, seeing Trent Grisham was slow to get the ball back to the infield, hustled into second for a double.

Max Fried stranded him there after Jahmai Jones struck out looking before Adley Rutschman grounded out to end the inning.

It was another missed opportunity against a pitcher who has repeatedly frustrated the Red Sox since signing with New York before the 2025 season. Fried entered the night 5-1 with a 1.66 ERA in nine starts against Boston since joining the Yankees, and he continued that dominance Wednesday.

Gray kept the deficit at one until the fifth. After retiring Austin Wells and Grisham to begin the inning, he allowed a two-out single to Ben Rice that put runners at the corners.

Despite Gray sitting at just 70 pitches, manager Chad Tracy went to left-hander Erik Miller to face Cody Bellinger. The move backfired when Bellinger lined an RBI single into right to make it 2-0.

Gray was charged with two runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings, striking out five without issuing a walk.

The Red Sox finally broke through against Fried in the sixth with two outs; Contreras drove a 375-foot solo homer just over the right-field wall, snapping Boston’s 26-inning postseason scoreless drought at Yankee Stadium and cutting the deficit to 2-1.

Garrett Crochet emerged from the bullpen for the bottom of the sixth, making his first appearance since April 25 after spending more than five months working his way back from a shoulder and lat injury. Crochet had thrown only two live batting practice sessions before being activated for the postseason.

His long-awaited return quickly went sideways in a hurry. 

Crochet got Spencer Jones to chase a pitch in the dirt for strike three, but Rutschman couldn’t complete the play, and Jones reached first. Jones then stole second and advanced to third when Rutschman’s throw sailed into center field.

George Lombard Jr. followed with an RBI single to right, restoring New York’s two-run lead. Jazz Chisholm Jr. singled up the middle and Grisham dropped down a bunt single to load the bases.

Crochet’s return was over without recording an out, and Garrett Whitlock couldn’t stop the inning from spiraling.

Wells brought home a run with a sacrifice fly before Ryan McMahon added an RBI single. After Rice was intentionally walked to reload the bases, Bellinger delivered the crushing blow, launching a three-run homer that made it 8-1.

In a matter of minutes, Boston went from being one run away from tying an elimination game to watching its season slip away.

Nick Sogard homered in the seventh to make it 8-2, but the Yankees answered in the bottom half when Wells singled home Chisholm, who had walked and stolen two bases.

Contreras provided one of Boston’s few offensive bright spots, going 2-for-2 with a homer and two walks to reach base in all four plate appearances.

Jones went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts out of the leadoff spot, while Rutschman, Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Caleb Durbin combined to go 0-for-16. Boston finished with four hits in the loss. 

Fried allowed one run on three hits over six innings, walking one and striking out six.

Aroldis Chapman provided the Red Sox’ lone clean inning out of the bullpen, striking out the side in the eighth. Durbin struck out against David Bednar for the final out.

Boston's season is now officially over after an impressive summer that put the Sox in a position to play in October. There will be many questions in the days and weeks ahead. Tracy will get criticism for how he managed his starters and the bullpen, the offense that struggled in the series and all of September, and how Craig Breslow will address the team's needs in the offseason before the impending lockout.