The Red Sox needed a statement in the finale against the Yankees. Instead, they got flattened.
Boston was blown out 16-1 by New York in a loss that landed hard, not just because of the score, but because of what it did to the standings and the season picture. The Yankees controlled the series finale from the moment the game turned in the fifth inning, and the Red Sox never recovered.
Boston did get a boost from the return of Roman Anthony and Trevor Story, and both showed up at the plate. Anthony went 2-for-4 and opened with a double on the first pitch of the game. Story, back after a rough rehab stretch that had raised plenty of concern, also delivered, finishing 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
That wasn’t enough to keep pace with New York once the game swung. A controversial call in the fifth inning changed the inning’s shape and left the Yankees with two runners instead of a double play. New York cashed in with five runs in that frame, then piled on 10 more later.
The loss carries real weight for Boston. The Yankees took the season series, which means if the teams finish tied, New York gets the tiebreaker and the right to host the Wild Card series again.
Boston now has exactly one month left in the regular season. The defeat pushed the Red Sox four games behind the Yankees for the top Wild Card spot and five games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians in the final Wild Card position.
The closing stretch won’t be easy. Boston still has five series left against playoff-level teams, along with three softer matchups. If the Red Sox want to make a serious push for the top spot, they’ll need a much sharper final month than the one they just opened with in New York.
In Other News...
Yankees Suddenly Have A George Lombard Jr. Concern They Feared
George Lombard Jr.s first steps as a Yankees rookie shortstop had already given the club a new name to track, and now there is another issue hanging over his early run. During the second game of a doubleheader, Lombard left after three innings because of right knee discomfort after twisting the knee in an at-bat, though he initially stayed in the game before being pulled for imaging before the fourth inning.
Aaron Boone said the injury was being monitored as the game went on, and for a young player trying to carve out a role, any knee concern can quickly become the kind of thing a team would rather avoid. The Yankees have been encouraged enough by Lombard to keep watching closely, but the next update will matter, because this is the sort of setback that can change the conversation around a rookie in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Suddenly Have A Chance To Fix A Center Field Problem
The Yankees have a late-window chance to address one of their lingering roster questions, and it comes in the form of Luis Robert Jr. if they decide to claim him off outright waivers from the Mets. New York has been weighing whether a move like that could help with both the defense in center field and the overall lineup balance, especially with Trent Grisham at the heart of the discussion.
Robert brings the kind of glove that would fit the spot, along with a right-handed bat that could make a platoon arrangement with Grisham more workable. The appeal is obvious, even if the durability questions around Robert are part of the equation, and the Yankees also have the longer view in mind with Spencer Jones as a possible platoon fit down the line in 2027. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees May Be Near A Change Behind Austin Wells
Ali Snchez got a rare start for the Yankees after spending eight days out of the lineup, but it was the kind of night that did little to strengthen his case for a larger role. Even with his reputation as one of the better pitch framers, the backup catcher spot has remained a source of uneven production, and the problems have not stopped with the bat. The Yankees have seen too many situations where blocking issues behind the plate have turned into extra traffic and, ultimately, runs on the board against them.
Austin Wells has the everyday job, but the conversation around what comes behind him is clearly not settled. Snchez has been part of that mix, yet the team also has other internal options to weigh, including Mitch Garver and J.C. Escarra, if it decides the current arrangement is not sturdy enough. For a club trying to keep every edge it can in a tight season, the backup catcher role is starting to look less like a depth spot and more like one that could shift before long. [Read more 🡒]