BOSTON -- The Red Sox not only solidified their playoff seeding and a Wild Card Series matchup with the Yankees that starts on Tuesday in New York, but they got some of their recently missing offensive swag back in the process.
In a 4-3 victory over the Cubs in Game 1 of a split doubleheader Friday at Fenway Park, Roman Anthony was the headliner, belting two doubles and a triple as part of a three-hit day in which he reached base four times.
Connor Wong, who entered midgame as a substitution when Mickey Gasper exited with right biceps discomfort, drove in Anthony with a go-ahead double down the line in left in the bottom of the seventh.
For weeks, a rivalry rematch of last year’s Wild Card Series – which the Yankees won in three games – felt all but inevitable.
Now that it’s here, excitement is building.
“You can definitely tell there’s just a different level of buzz with [Red Sox-Yankees], just with the atmosphere of the stadium and everything going on,” said Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman. “So definitely, it's a little bit more elevated, and I'm sure in the playoffs, it’s going to be even more than that.”
It took a while for the matchup to become official with Boston losing six of its last nine entering Friday. But now the Red Sox will be right where they thought they would be on Tuesday.
“I said when we clinched [our postseason spot] in Tampa and I was asked about the opponent, I said, ‘You're going to have to win four rounds, and we don't much care who we play.’ Whoever it is, we’re going to go there prepared and be ready to play. So obviously it's official now and it’s Yankees-Red Sox,” said Red Sox manager Chad Tracy.
For Anthony, getting to play in the postseason this year carries something extra because he was down with a left oblique strain during last year’s series and had to watch the rivals square off on television from Fort Myers, Fla.
That’s why he’s especially focused on getting locked in for the games that count most, starting on Tuesday. Anthony missed nearly four months with a right hand/wrist injury before returning to action on Aug. 31.
One of his doubles was to left and the other was to center. His triple was ripped down the line in right. When Anthony is using all fields, he becomes very dangerous.
“I think for me, when I'm using that other way, that's the biggest thing for me. I've had a lot of success in the past [going to the opposite field],” said Anthony. “And when I'm going well, I'm hitting it where it's pitched and taking advantage of that wall over there, even on windy days like today. So yeah, it's always great to hit the ball where it's pitched and use all fields, and like I said, continue to pass the baton and try to be a problem any way that you possibly can.”
The Sox snapped a streak in which they had scored three runs or fewer in five straight games.
“Yeah, quite a few guys swung the bat well,” said Tracy. “We got tons of big hits, especially in the second part of the game. We were able to put runs up there. It was a really good offensive show for sure.”
Rookie lefty Jake Bennett, who made 19 starts for the Red Sox this season, was deployed for his first relief appearance in this one. Bennett did well in his crash course, firing 3 2/3 scoreless innings. It served as valuable experience for what he could be asked to do next week in New York.
“Definitely a little bit of an adrenaline rush, but at the end of the day, it's the same game,” said Bennett. “I had a decent idea of when I might go in, so I tried to keep my routine pretty similar to what it is when I start. And it was good just in case I have to come out of the bullpen in the Wild Card Series. Just good to have some experience doing it at this level.”
In a few days, when they get to the Bronx, the Red Sox will try to take their game to the next level and win that one extra game they couldn’t after taking the opener in last year’s series.
During the regular season, the rivalry flowed just as you would expect, with the Yankees winning the season series, 7-6.
“I’ve been watching Red Sox-Yankees since I was a kid,” said Tracy. “It’s Red Sox-Yankees. It's no secret as far as the rivalry that exists over the years, for a very long time. That's obvious, to everybody. So I know there's always a little extra when those two teams meet.”