Boston Red Sox looked disinterested against Yankees in series finale opener

Would someone call the Boston Red Sox players and let them know that they are playing against the New York Yankees and this series has a lot at stake?

If Friday’s game was any indication of how the rest of the series between these rivals will turn out by Sunday night, the folks in Beantown will have reason to pout.

An 8-3 drubbing, headlined by three runs in the first and third innings, left Boston fans and their players aghast and ended the winning streak headlined by yellow and blue jerseys that would make you believe the UCLA Bruins were playing out east.

For whatever reason, Nathan Eovaldi picked the wrong time and the wrong team to have one of his worst performances since his arrival, allowing seven runs on seven hits and two walks in 2⅔ innings. He let up seven runs before the fans in Fenway could even sing “Sweet Caroline.”

In contrast, Gerrit Cole, sticky stuff or not, had one of his better outings against the Red Sox, not allowing a hit in the first three innings. Though he gave up a three-run bomb to Rafael Devers in the sixth, Cole played masterfully and gave way to the Bronx’s solid bullpen, who did not give up a single run the rest of the way.

As of right now, providing that Boston is not swept and handles their business against Baltimore and Washington, Fenway Park would be the site of an AL Wild Card game between the two rivals. Would Alex Cora go with Eovaldi, or would he opt to go in a different direction? We can’t know for sure.

A one-game wild card means that more often than not, a team will pull out all the stops to ensure victory, even if it means going against the more analytical approach.

The Boston Red Sox had better wake up as this series could shift things quickly if errors are not fixed.

If fans were allowed to make managerial decisions, Friday’s performance would have Eovaldi heading for the dugout and not coming back out for a very long time. But those in the stands don’t make such decisions; instead, they make other important decisions, such as how much to pay to watch their team.

Furthermore, expecting a sweep against the Yankees in any capacity is largely wishful thinking, almost as wishful as expecting the Patriots to hold video ceremonies for Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit Foxborough on October 3rd.

Nonetheless, one game won’t be the end all- be-all, at least not yet. There are still two games to go, of course, and Boston, as previously mentioned, does have other teams left to play, although they will be traveling for both.

It’s just something about watching Yankee fans celebrating in Fenway that may not sit well, almost as sickening as watching someone order an XL Boston Creme Pie and letting it go to waste.

A bit of warning to the Red Sox, this is not a good time to let the bats run the dry and pitching to lose their ammunition. In fact, it’s never a good time, let alone against the Bronx.

One game down, two games to go. Things can change, but Game 1 was not what it was expected to be, and also, it would do the Red Sox good when Fenway Park does not sound like Yankee Stadium, as it did for most of Game 1.