MLB playoffs ALDS, October, and a Rematch 14 Years in the Making
After beating the A’s in the American League Wild Card game, the Yankees meet the Boston Red Sox in a MLB playoffs series, for the first time in 14 years
As the later innings approached at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday night, “WE WANT BOSTON!” chants erupted around the ballpark. The enthusiastic fans donned in Yankee blue shouted in reference to the ALDS, and the fact that whoever won this game, would fly directly to Boston to face the Sox in the MLB playoffs.
“WE WANT BOSTON!,” they proclaimed.
At the end of a 9-inning contest that, if we’re being honest, the Yankees had won from the second Aaron Judge deposited a home run into the left-field seats, fans got what they wanted.
They got Boston.
Boston, however, is a powerhouse that the Yankees may not be strong enough to beat. They won 108 games in the regular season and demolished virtually every baseball that ventured within the bounds of the strike zone.
This is the series that the American League has been building towards all season long. It’s a series that’s 14 years in the making.
Let’s take a look at how it could play out.
GAME ONE STARTING PITCHING MATCHUP: J.A. HAPP VS. CHRIS SALE
When Aaron Boone tabbed Luis Severino as the starting pitcher for the AL Wild Card game, there was some skepticism as to why he didn’t go with J.A. Happ, but it’s because he was thinking ahead; he was thinking about Boston. J.A. Happ has pitched great against Boston in his career and looks to dominate at Fenway Park on Friday.
The Yankees have options when it comes to starting pitching but, for Boston, there was really only one.
Tonight, they hand the ball to Chris Sale, the undeniable ace of that squad. Sale, who boasts a 2.11 ERA at home and on the road, has been phenomenal against the Bronx Bombers this season. He went 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA over 13.0 innings pitched, allowing only 9 hits and 1 run.
That said, Sale did not pitch well in the postseason last year against Houston. He went 0-2 with an 8.38 ERA, giving up 9 runs in 9.2 innings to the eventual World Series champs.
He looks to bounce back this October, and lead the Red Sox to their second championship this decade.
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It won’t be easy, though. The Yankees would have won their division by a mile if they played anywhere other than the AL East. Both of these teams are forces to be reckoned with.
That brings us to those aforementioned forces, known as the sluggers of the Yankees and the Red Sox.
The sluggers in the Bronx and Boston have been here before…
Going back to as recent as last year’s postseason, a lot of the sluggers on these squads have seen the bright lights of October before. Most notably, reigning AL Rookie of the Year Aaron Judge enters his second postseason in two years. J.D Martinez, who partook in last year’s playoffs as a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks, enters this year’s pennant chase as one of the strongest hitters in baseball.
Andrew Benintendi, who’s played in the postseason every year he’s been in the majors, looks to continue his success in the ALDS.
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The guys to watch in this series, however, are
and
. Betts is a strong candidate for AL MVP, and Aaron Hicks is quietly having the best season of his career.
It would take hours, days even, to sum up the rivalry between these two clubs. It goes back generations and is quite possibly the most historic rivalry in sports.
So, as we sit back and watch this series unfold, pay attention to the history behind it. The last time these two teams met in October, the Red Sox broke an 86-year curse that began with the trading of a certain player to the New York Yankees.
Next. Cubs options with Addison Russel this offseason. dark
We know what happened in the MLB playoffs in 2004, the question is, what happens now?