"Despite Boston having several opportunities to close out the Yankees' season, several critical lapses loomed large for the Red Sox in a 4-3 loss to New York in Game 2 of the Wild Card round. It was a frustrating night for Alex Cora and his club, with Boston exhausting several of their relievers in an effort to close out the series - only for several squandered chances pushing their own season to the brink."
"After Garrett Crochet spun a gem on the mound in Game 1 against the Yankees, the Red Sox liked their chances on Wednesday with Brayan Bello getting the ball in New York. The 26-year-old righty has dominated the Yankees in his career - sporting a 1.44 ERA across five starts at Yankee Stadium. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton were a combined 4-for-31 against Bello entering the game, with the righty yet to allow a home run over 31.1 innings pitched in The Bronx."
"But, despite his strong showing against Boston's top rival, Bello was pulled by Alex Cora with one out in the bottom of the third inning. Cora opted to turn to his relievers to counter a lefty-heavy New York lineup - with Bello taken out of the game after allowing four hits and two earned runs over his 2.1 innings of work. With Boston's starter getting the hook in the early going, Cora and the Red Sox were going to need several relievers to step up in order to bridge the game to the back end of the bullpen."
The Red Sox fell 4-3 to the Yankees in Game 2 of the Wild Card round, creating a winner-take-all Game 3 in New York. Brayan Bello, despite strong career numbers at Yankee Stadium, was removed after 2.1 innings as the manager countered a lefty-heavy lineup. Boston used six relievers as the club attempted to bridge to the back end of the bullpen. Several critical lapses and squandered scoring opportunities prevented Boston from closing out the series. The bullpen exhaustion and strategic pitching changes left the Red Sox facing a decisive game in the Bronx.
Read at Boston.com
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