NEW YORK — If the Boston Red Sox were hoping their win that came amid the drama between Gerrit Cole and Rafael Devers on Saturday would serve as a springboard for the final two weeks of their season, their results on Sunday did little to bolster that idea.
One day after a big 7-1 victory, the Red Sox fell 5-2 to the New York Yankees, losing three of four in New York and falling 4 1/2 games back of the third American League wild-card spot with 12 games to go.
“It’s getting tougher and tougher,” manager Alex Cora said after the loss.
Momentum has been elusive for the Red Sox in the second half, a stretch in which they’ve gone 22-32. The team has shown it’s capable of pulling out big wins like a 12-run outburst on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles, a walk-off win two days later and Saturday’s victory in the Bronx. But the Red Sox lost the next day after each of those wins, the type of victories that should propel a scuffling team.
The Red Sox have not won more than two games in a row since Aug. 4-6. As it is, they’ve only won back-to-back games six other times in the second half.
Before Sunday’s game, Cora had remained hopeful that the team rallying around Devers would jumpstart his club.
“I was talking to a veteran today, if this happens (making the playoffs), we’re going to look back at (Saturday) and we’re probably going to thank Gerrit Cole to get us going, to be honest with you,” Cora said. “And hopefully it happens, and hopefully we can face them in the playoffs because he will have to pitch. But, we still have a long way. I’m not promising we’re going to make it to the playoffs, but if we do, I think everybody’s going to look back at Saturday and hopefully it happens.”
The odds are long and getting longer by the day. The Detroit Tigers, Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners, all ahead of the Red Sox in the standings, each won on Sunday. The Red Sox are off on Monday before three games in Tampa Bay.
As the days have ticked off the calendar in September, the Red Sox have largely hung in the wild-card hunt, mainly because the teams around them have not done enough to pull away. Just this past week, the Red Sox had a tough stretch with seven games against the Orioles and Yankees, going 3-4. But reality is setting in.
“Every game was a close one, but that’s not enough in this league,” Cora said. “You don’t get wins by playing tough games. You get Ws when you win games. And we didn’t do it.”
Kutter Crawford, who entered the day with a 2.83 ERA in his career against the Yankees, didn’t have it on Sunday.
In the second, Jazz Chisolm Jr. hit a hard shot to first that clanged off Connor Wong’s glove but was ruled a single. Wong was playing at first in lieu of Triston Casas to maximize the number of righties in the lineup against lefty Carlos Rodón. Giancarlo Stanton followed with a double scoring Chisolm and Jasson Domínguez singled, threatening a big inning as the first three batters reached. Crawford buckled down, however, with three straight strikeouts to minimize the damage, but it resulted in a 26-pitch inning.
The next inning wasn’t much easier for Crawford, as Gleyber Torres led off with a solo homer, Juan Soto singled and Aaron Judge added a two-run homer, making it 4-0. After 31 pitches, Crawford got out of the inning, but was already at 69 pitches through three.
“I just didn’t make pitches when I need to,” he said. “Obviously you can’t throw a Judge a 92-mph fastball right down the middle. I just didn’t do my job tonight.”
Crawford pitched a 1-2-3 fourth and recorded first out of the fifth before walking Judge. Cora turned to rookie Zach Penrod in a big spot, who struck out Chisolm and got Stanton to ground out.
The Red Sox pulled within 4-2 on a two-run homer from Tyler O’Neill with one out in the fourth but after the next two batters reached, Trevor Story struck out and Danny Jansen grounded out. The Red Sox had other chances, stranding eight runners on base.
TO for 2! 💪 pic.twitter.com/RNKezG9izs
— Red Sox (@RedSox) September 15, 2024
The Yankees added an insurance run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly after second baseman Romy Gonzalez misplayed a would-be inning-ending double play.
“It’s been tough and we’ve lost games in a lot of different ways,” Cora said.
Sunday marked two weeks until the final game of the regular season. Time is running out for the Red Sox.
(Photo: Gregory Fisher / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
