The Gary Sanchez Redemption Game
I did tell you not to panic. A game like today was exactly what I thought would happen when I pictured a Price-Tanaka matchup for game two. Price is entering “Who’s your daddy” territory with this Yankee team and it is malpractice by the Red Sox at this point to trout Price out to the mound against the Bombers.
With yet another thrashing of Price, the big talking point will be the game by Sanchez at the plate. Sanchez hit two towering shots with one rattling around the monster seats and the other clearing everything and ending up Lansdowne street. This game was validation for Sanchez following a season where everything seemed to go wrong. From a .186 batting average, to being shelved for a considerable amount of time, to his defensive struggles behind the plate — Sanchez quieted the doubters with the tape measure shots. Aaron Boone’s decision to keep faith in Sanchez paid off big time with Yankee fans hoping that Sanchez can continue to have good at-bats and drive the ball.
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However, nothing was as big as the outing from Tanaka going five innings and shutting down the Red Sox bats. After Boston hammering Happ from jump street, Tanaka having a one, two, three inning was a huge confidence booster to this ballclub. Tanaka might be the pitcher the Bombers trust the most when it comes down to pitching a big game. From last year’s postseason outing to this surgical performance, Tanaka is worth the money that the Bombers are dishing out to him.
Looking ahead to the rest of the series, the Yankees can now put their foot through the floor and bury the Red Sox with the switch in home field. This is the situation that the Yanks want to have because of the electricity that the Yankee Stadium crowd behind them. The Yankees also have Severino and Sabathia going in games three and four while the Red Sox have Eovaldi and Steven Wright. Eovaldi and Wright have limited playoff experience while the Yanks have a bountiful amount of postseason innings.
Boston also has an issue with their bullpen and their inability to get outs and secure the bridge to Craig Kimbrel. In game three Nathan Eovaldi must have a good outing in order for the Red Sox to shift the momentum back to the Boston clubhouse. No matter how good the bats are for the Red Sox, the Yankees can slug right along with them, and the Red Sox have shown the biggest liability in the postseason with the lack of quality arms in their bullpen. Someone has to step up for the Red Sox or their last home game of 2018 will be a painful memory of a Gary Sanchez beatdown.
