Writing This Red Sox Blog of My Own Free Will

The opening game of the 2025 ALDS between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees had everything postseason baseball fans crave—high drama, clutch moments, and a bit of history. For a Boston team that most people counted out before the season, even making it to this matchup felt like a win.

That Game 1 victory, pulled off with surprising composure in hostile territory, hinted that these Red Sox might be a lot more dangerous than anyone thought.

Boston’s Road to October Glory

The Red Sox started 2025 with pretty low expectations. Most analysts put them far from the playoff conversation.

The first half of their season didn’t do much to change that, as Boston struggled against richer, deeper teams. But after the All-Star break, things shifted.

This group just wouldn’t quit. They pieced together winning streaks at the exact right moments and squeaked into a wild card spot almost out of nowhere.

The Challenge of Facing the Yankees

Drawing the Yankees in October is always a heavy lift. Doing it in the Bronx, with everything on the line, is a whole different animal.

The Red Sox knew they needed top-tier pitching and some clutch hitting to have a shot. Game 1 delivered both, starting with an unexpected showdown between Garrett Crochet and Max Fried.

The Pitchers’ Duel That Set the Stage

Crochet, Boston’s lefty, looked locked in from the first pitch. He mixed up his stuff, kept the Yankees off-balance, and worked out of trouble when he had to.

On the other side, New York’s Max Fried matched him almost pitch-for-pitch. Fried went 6.1 scoreless innings with six strikeouts, showing exactly why the Yankees trust him as their ace right now.

The Turning Point in the Seventh

Fried left after walking a batter in the seventh, and that’s where things shifted. Luke Weaver came in and just couldn’t settle down.

He issued a walk, then gave up a sharp double, and Boston’s Masataka Yoshida drove in two runs with a clutch single. Suddenly the Red Sox, who hadn’t scored all night, were up 2-1—and Weaver still hadn’t gotten an out.

Crochet’s Command and Chapman’s Close

Boston’s offense didn’t light up the scoreboard, but Crochet made sure they didn’t need to. He threw a gutsy 117 pitches over eight innings, scattered a few hits, and never let the Yankees get comfortable.

Crochet attacked the zone, challenged hitters, and just outlasted them. It was the kind of start that gets remembered in October.

The Ninth-Inning Drama

For the ninth, Alex Cora handed the ball to Aroldis Chapman to protect the lead. The inning started badly: three straight singles from Paul Goldschmidt, Aaron Judge, and Cody Bellinger loaded the bases with nobody out.

Yankees fans had to be thinking, “Here we go.” Down two, bases loaded, big bats coming up—it was set up for a walk-off.

But Chapman flipped the script. He blew a fastball past Giancarlo Stanton for a strikeout, got Jazz Chisholm to pop out shallow, and then struck out Trent Grisham to end it.

Somehow, the Yankees became the first team in MLB postseason history to load the bases in the ninth with no outs and not score. You just don’t see that.

Key Takeaways from Game 1

• Resilience: Boston fought through a rough first half and showed they belong here.
• Pitching excellence: Crochet set the tone, and Chapman slammed the door in the ninth.
• Clutch hitting: Yoshida’s single in the seventh changed everything.
• Historic finish: The Yankees’ missed chance in the ninth will stick in people’s minds for a long time.

Implications for the Series

Game 1 wins usually set the tone for a playoff series. When a team grabs a victory on the road, the impact feels even bigger.

The Red Sox have put all the pressure on the Yankees now. New York has to win, or they’ll face elimination at Fenway Park—a place that’s anything but friendly to visiting teams.

Boston fans must feel a surge of confidence after their team survived such a tense opener. The energy from that kind of win? You can’t really measure it, but you can feel it.

 
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