NEW YORK — Two defining moments turned Tuesday night’s wild card opener at Yankee Stadium. Luke Weaver’s collapse in the seventh gave the Red Sox control. Aroldis Chapman’s escape in the ninth sealed the Yankees’ 3-1 defeat in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series.
A crowd of 47,027 watched the Yankees squander golden chances at both ends of the game. Weaver could not protect a slim lead, and the offense came up empty in the most critical inning. Boston used those failures to take command of the series.
The at-bat that unraveled everything for Yankees
Weaver entered in the seventh with one out and a 1-0 Yankees lead. Max Fried had just retired the first batter of the frame, and the assignment appeared straightforward. Retire the bottom of the Red Sox order and hand the lead to the late-inning bullpen.
Instead, Weaver’s duel with Ceddanne Rafaela changed the night.
The history between the two was mixed. Rafaela had seen Weaver seven times before, collecting two hits, two homers, three strikeouts, and a walk. Boone stuck with his right-hander.
Weaver jumped ahead quickly, 0-2. One strike away from finishing the at-bat, he had the count exactly where he wanted. But Rafaela refused to give in. He fouled off five straight pitches, worked the count full, and finally drew an 11-pitch walk.
“Just a really good at-bat,” Weaver said. “He’s had some really good at-bats in the past. It’s gone both ways.”
The free pass shifted the momentum.
“That’s a real tough one to swallow, when you know you have him at an advantage count,” Weaver said. “He did a really good job spoiling pitches and the next thing you know, it’s 3-2. He did a good job battling through. I didn’t want to give in and throw a cookie.”
Momentum swings to Boston
Nick Sogard followed Rafaela’s walk with a double into right-center. Aaron Judge’s weakened throwing arm allowed Sogard to stretch it to second. Suddenly, Boston had runners on second and third with one out.
Weaver was forced to stay in due to the three-batter minimum rule. Alex Cora called on Masataka Yoshida, who wasted no time. He lined a two-run single into center, giving Boston a 2-1 lead.
All three hitters Weaver faced reached safely. His night was over in a flash.
“The momentum kind of switched,” Weaver admitted.
The contrast with his 2023 postseason was striking. Last year, Weaver pitched 15 1/3 scoreless playoff innings. This time, he lasted just one-third of an inning and lost the lead.
“I felt the outing overall was competitive,” Weaver said. “I was throwing to areas I wanted to, but they weren’t perfect. It never is. There are a lot of disappointed people, including myself.”
The disappointment only deepened in the ninth.
Chapman stares down his past
Chapman, now 37, has lived through plenty of October highs and lows. He gave up Jose Altuve’s series-winning homer in the 2019 ALCS. Mike Brosseau took him deep in the 2020 ALDS. With the Cubs, Rajai Davis tied Game 7 of the 2016 World Series against him with a late blast.
Tuesday night threatened to bring another painful memory.
After David Bednar gave up an insurance run in the top of the ninth, the Yankees trailed 3-1. Then came their chance. Paul Goldschmidt, Judge, and Cody Bellinger opened the bottom of the ninth with three straight singles. Bases loaded, none out. Yankee Stadium shook with energy.
Chapman knew the moment.
“Just try to calm myself down, try to execute pitch by pitch,” Chapman said through an interpreter. “That was my mentality.”
His approach was tested.
“In that moment, you don’t hear anything. You don’t see anything,” Chapman said. “You just kind of 100 percent focus on your catcher and the next pitch.”
The escape act unfolds
Stanton had the first crack. Chapman overpowered him with triple-digit heat and a splitter for a strikeout.
Chisholm followed, but his shallow fly to right was not enough to score Goldschmidt. Two outs.
Trent Grisham, who had already struck out three times, represented the last hope. Chapman reared back and fired a 101.2 mph fastball past him for strike three.
The veteran pounded his chest and glared toward the dugout. His former team had given him a chance to fail. He didn’t.
Chapman’s history with the Yankees ended poorly in 2022 when he skipped a workout and was left off the playoff roster. Asked if the past fueled him, he dismissed the idea.
“The past is the past,” Chapman said. “Just happy to be able to close out the game.”
The Yankees took one silver lining. Chapman needed 24 pitches to survive the inning, possibly limiting his availability later in the series.
“I like us getting a little chance to see Chapman there,” Judge said. “We’ll see him over the next two days, that’s for sure.”
Two moments define one loss
Weaver’s failure to finish Rafaela after getting ahead 0-2 opened the door. The Yankees’ inability to score with the bases loaded and no outs slammed it shut.
Both teams had pressure situations. Only Boston executed. The Red Sox walked off with a 1-0 series lead. The Yankees were left with regrets and one more chance to save their season in Game 2.
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