Pitching is the difference. Just ask the Red Sox and Tigers.
Is Aaron Boone managing to save his job? Another big day for NFL ratings
Good morning, all! It’s hump day!
Over the weekend I wrote about why the Red Sox would be tough in a short series. The reason? Garrett Crochet. The left hander has been dominant all season long and Tuesday night was no exception, as he pitched Boston to a 3-1 win over the Yankees in a scintillating Game 1 of the best-of-3 AL Wild Card series. After serving up a home run to Anthony Volpe, Crochet did not allow another batter to reach base, until Volpe singled with one out in the eighth inning. He struck out 11 in 7 2/3 innings and threw a career-high 117 pitches. Manager Alex Cora then turned the ball over to lights-out closer Aroldis Chapman, and the rest is history.
The ninth inning had to be especially galling to the Yankees. The first three batters reached base on singles off of the hard-throwing Chapman, a former Yankee. Then he came back to retire the next three batters, striking out Giancarlo Stanton, getting Jazz Chisholm to fly to right and striking out Trent Grisham to save the game. With an ace like Crochet and a closer like Chapman, the Red Sox have the recipe for post season success.
Do they have the best lineup in the playoffs? Not by a long shot. But with strong pitching, a tremendous closer, and gritty players like Trevor Story and Alex Bregman, a team such as Boston can make some noise.
Take nothing away from Yankee starter Max Fried, who pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, before manager Aaron Boone inexplicably lifted him to bring in right hander Jeff Weaver with no one on base. Weaver, who is not the money-in-the-bank pitcher he was last year for the Yanks, promptly blew the 1-0 lead on a walk, double and two-run single by pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida.
Pitching, pitching, pitching. You saw it with the Tigers Tarek Skubal, as he struck out a career-high 14 in pitching Detroit’s to a 2-1 win over Cleveland in Game 1 of their Wild Card set on Tuesday. Pitching is the name of the game, especially in post season baseball.
Here are some other thoughts, during these nerve-wracking baseball playoffs:
Yankees manager Aaron Boone is getting second-guessed for lifting starter Max Fried with one out and no one on base in the seventh inning in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card series with the Yankees leading the Red Sox, 1-0. The move proved costly as reliever Jeff Weaver allowed the next three hitters to reach base, with two scoring. Fried had thrown 102 pitches, not a career-high. Meanwhile, you have to wonder if the Red Sox bounce the Yankees in this series, if Boone will be fired. He does have two years left on his contract, but there are capable replacements out there, including Bob Melvin and Bruce Bochy.
The baseball managers carousel continues with word the Angels have parted company with manager Ron Washington, who took a leave of absence in midseason because of quadruple heart surgery. Interim manager Ray Montgomery was also told he will not return. Late Monday night the Texas Rangers announced they were relieving Bruce Bochy of his managerial duties. He has been offered an opportunity to stay with the organization, although rumors are rampant he could return to San Francisco.
NFL ratings continue to skyrocket. The Sunday night game on NBC, which ended in a 40-40 tie between the Packers and Cowboys, attracted 26.9M viewers. That number, which blows away any World Series game, wasn’t even the highest rated telecast of the season. It came in number 3. And we are only four weeks into the 2026 campaign.
Speaking of ratings, NBC’s Ryder Cup viewership took a dip on Sunday, even though the USA rallied to make it close. With the Europeans having a big lead, entering the final day, many people decided not to tune in.
The news keeps getting worse for the Baltimore Ravens. QB Lamar Jackson reportedly could miss two to three weeks with a hamstring injury.
That is it for today’s newsletter. Thank you for subscribing, enjoy the baseball playoffs and have a terrific Wednesday.
DAN