The New York Yankees refused to go gently into the night.
With the score tied late in Game 2 of their American League Wild Card Series, Austin Wells ripped a two-out single down the right-field line in the eighth inning, sending Jazz Chisholm Jr. around from first and pushing the Yankees ahead 4-3. New York held on to force a deciding Game 3.
For Boston, Trevor Story carried the offense, accounting for all three of his team’s runs, a two-run single in the third followed by a solo homer in the sixth.
But the Red Sox bullpen, especially Garrett Whitlock, was unable to close the deal. Whitlock held the Yankees scoreless through seven, but after issuing a walk to Chisholm, he yielded the go-ahead hit to Wells.
With the series now knotted at one apiece, Baseball’s most storied rivalry will go to the brink. Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday night at Yankee Stadium, and the winner will advance to face the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL Division Series.
Yankees wear down Boston’s bullpen in crucial frames
Ben Rice set the tone early for New York, launching a two-run homer in the bottom of the first to give the Yankees an early 2-0 lead over Brayan Bello.
Aaron Judge added an RBI single in the fifth to stretch the lead to 3-1.
Boston clawed back in the third when Story delivered a two-run single to tie the game, capitalizing on a pair of good at-bats by the Red Sox. In the sixth, Story tied it again with a solo shot.
Starter Carlos Rodón was steady through six-plus innings, allowing three runs on four hits, but he exited after that, having surrendered all of Boston’s offense.
The bullpen then held Boston scoreless for the final frames, with Fernando Cruz, Devin Williams, and David Bednar combining to preserve the narrow lead.
Chisholm’s contributions extended beyond his walk and daring score. He made crucial defensive plays, including a diving stop on a Masataka Yoshida grounder in the seventh that kept Boston from seizing momentum.
After his at-bat, Chisholm described his mindset: “Going through my head, I am already running, so any ball that an outfielder moves to his left or right, I have to score, in my head. That’s all I was thinking.”
Wells, reflecting on his approach, said: “Just got a pitch to put in play. He was making some tough pitches there throughout. I felt I made a decent swing on one of his best pitches.”
Boston manager Alex Cora saluted the execution from Chisholm and Wells: “They’re pretty good at-bats. The walk to Jazz, I don’t know where that pitch was. Then Wells put good at-bats, hit it down the line. That happened.”
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