On Friday night in Boston, Massachusetts around 7 pm there existed a loud buzz over Fenway Park. It was shaping up to be another indication of some of the best baseball you can receive from an ancient rivalry. The Yankees come in having won three in a row while the Red Sox had amassed seven in a row themselves. Boston fans were looking for a sweep of the deeply loathed men in pinstripes, at least two out of three to maintain that top wild card spot. But the evil empire had other plans in store.
The Yankees came out swinging early piling up base hit after base hit when one of the Towers of Power, Aaron Judge stepped in, driving in one run with an RBI double in a very young first inning. The Yankees would end up going on to tac on three in the first but the real damage would come later in the third inning. The mammoth statue of Giancarlo Stanton took 2-2 cutting fastball and drove a piss missile over the right-field fence and into the Boston bullpen. After the age Gerrit Cole pitched six innings of three-run ball, the bullpen closed it out with three scoreless for the win.
Saturday and Sunday was a slightly different story… Nope, same heartbreaking ending for Red Sox fans. With the Red Sox up in the eighth inning 2-1 and Yankees bats silent all night, the almighty Giancarlo Stanton steps up and hits arguably one most memorable and meaningful home run in a regular-season game. A two-out bases-loaded bomb on the first pitch from lefty Darwinzon Hernandez sucked the oxygen away from the fans in the stands. Chapman comes in for the save in the ninth and finishes off the city of Boston, ending the night of misery. Then Sunday, fans in Fenway knew what it was like to be in the twilight zone.
With Yankees down 3-2 in the eighth inning, the offensive giant that is the Yankee lineup awakens. After LeMahieu walks and Rizzo hits rocket into the gap in right-center, Aaron Judge comes up in one of the more bizarre and questionable at-bats of the night. Judge fought to stay alive fouling off 5 pitches in a row before fouling a sixth into the glove of Christian Vasquez in which he drops the ball on the transfer from glove to hand. It was a clear as day strikeout but no challenge came from Alex Cora. That error turned out to be a costly one when Aaron Judge on the very next pitch smokes a 118 mph frozen rope off the wall in center tying the game at three. Then, who else but Giancarlo Stanton to walk in the box with yet another opportunity to put the Yankees ahead.
It was the moment the earth stood still. The metal spikes crushing the dirt underneath as Stanton’s footsteps were felt in Fenway. After a first-pitch strike from Adam Ottovino, he leaves an 0-1 slider smack center over the plate. Stanton’s eyes widened and rains down a 448 ft nuclear payload onto Landowes Street. For the third night in a row, the Giancarlo Stanton roadshow leaves Boston, Massachusetts in awe and deafening silence.
This season has certainly had its questionable parts to it. Those lingering questions of doubt on whether or not the Bronx Bombers had what it would take to make a postseason push. The lingering question of the health of the team or getting consistent performances up and down the lineup outside of the Twin Towers of Power Judge and Stanton. A lot of questions swirled around the pitching and whether they can help carry their load to help win games. But if there is one doubt that may be pondered from fans and Yankee fans specifically of the New York Yankees ever being out of the fight even in tough times, know there is only ever one answer to consider; the Yankees are never to be counted out, ever.
The Yankees have six, very tough games ahead of them with three in Toronto and three at home against the division champion Rays. The Yankees must take at least two of three from Toronto in order to hold one the wild card spots while still banking the Red Sox continue to lose. James Taillon gets the ball Tuesday with Cole getting the call Wednesday and Kluber finishing the series Thursday. The postseason is in sight, October baseball can be tasted. The key to the next six games is remaining consistent. The Yankees can not get cold right now. Now is the time to shine. Let’s get back to the postseason and truly upset the baseball world. The evil empire will prevail in the galaxy of October baseball once again.
