Brayan Bello wasn’t given a heads-up from Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora about that his outing in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series would be a brief one. Bello threw just 28 pitches; his outing was over.
At Yankee Stadium, the bullpen door for the visiting team kept swinging open. That revolving door approach could have long-term consequences for Boston’s postseason hopes. The Red Sox used seven pitchers in total but fell short, losing 4-3 to the New York Yankees and missing their chance to advance to the next round. The series will now be decided in Game 3 tomorrow night.
“We did everything we could to get to the ninth inning tied” Cora said after the game. “We tried to win that game but it didn’t happen.” Boston has not yet announced a starting pitcher for a potential Game 3. After the game, Cora revealed that 23-year-old Connelly Early, who has made four big league starts, will get the nod if needed.
Early Eager for the Mound
After hearing the news from pitching coach Andrew Bailey, Connelly Early expressed his excitement about taking the mound. “Everything comes down to this game and I’m eager to get out there. I’ve done all my preparation and I feel really good, so I’m ready to go out and do this,” said the young lefty.
Early will become the first pitcher in Major League history to start a postseason win-or-go-home game within 30 days of his big-league debut. With Cam Schlittler set to pitch for New York, the game will mark the first playoff matchup between two starters who have each made 15 or fewer career appearances.
Boston, which took the opening game of the series on Tuesday, leaned on starter Garrett Crochet for just 7 2/3 innings and closer Aroldis Chapman to secure the final four outs. Chapman impressively escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the ninth inning, giving manager Alex Cora the flexibility to use his bullpen extensively in Game 2, even though it wasn’t initially part of the plan.
Brayan Bello, making his first postseason start, allowed four hits in 2 1/3 innings, including a two-run homer to Ben Rice. Cora said he believed New York’s left-handed-heavy lineup matched up too well against right-handers and decided to act before things got out of hand.
“I said, ‘We have to do this.’ It’s not a good feeling because you want the kid to go out there, gain experience and pitch deep into the game. But at that moment, I felt we had to make a move,” Cora explained.
That bold call paid off. Lefty reliever Justin Wilson navigated out of a jam in the third and recorded five outs. He was followed by Justin Slaten, Steven Matz, Zack Kelly and Garrett Whitlock. For most of the night, the strategy worked.
“They have a good bullpen and they tried something,” Yankees starter Carlos Rodón said. “They threw the ball well and kept the game close.”
A Heavy Workload and a Costly Miss
Whitlock, who entered in the eighth inning, issued a walk to Jazz Chisholm Jr., then surrendered an RBI single down the right field line to Austin Wells, which gave the Yankees the lead. Whitlock threw 47 pitches, more than in any regular season outing this year. Cora called the decision to stick with him an example of “leaving it all on the field.”
“I got tired toward the end, but I thought I made good pitches and they did a good job too,” Whitlock said. “I lost my command and unfortunately, that’s how it ended.”
Cora turned to Payton Tolle to keep the game within one run, and he did. But in the ninth, the Red Sox were retired in order by Yankees closer David Bednar. Chapman was up in the bullpen but never got the call.
“He was either going in during the ninth or not at all,” Cora said, adding that the team would monitor Whitlock and have all other relievers ready for Thursday. One of Boston’s most trusted arms, Whitlock made it clear he’s not backing down. “They’re not taking the ball out of my hand,” he said.