Losing is never easy but it hurts even more when the Yankees don't have Aaron Judge on the roster and they still spanked the Red Sox! That could've been an advantage for the Red Sox because we have all seen how different this team can be when there is no Judge but Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger stepped up and took care of business.
But that didn't matter. Even without Judge, the Yankees out scored Boston 18-2 and the starters had a miniscule 0.73 ERA. Cam Schlittler and Max Fried shut Boston down! It's the second year in a row the Yankees stomped Boston in the Bronx. The Yankees outplayed Boston in every aspect of the game. It's one thing to not be at full strength, and both sides arguably had some holes but the Yankees had more holes. The Red Sox had a door to walk through, but they couldn't make it happen. It was shut in their faces! Boston was lifeless and they had plenty of mistakes mixed in that it was their own downfall. Chad Tracey made some interesting decisions this series, and it didn't pay off. Now the Red Sox need to do a lot of self reflection. They didn't look like the same team that was breathing down the Yankees neck the second half of the regular season.
When the Yankees hit and pitch on all cylinders this team CAN beat anyone. If the Yankees continue to play the way they did in this series, they can beat Tampa in the ALDS, but they have to be consistent. They have to carry this into Saturday and they can't get complacent.
So for now, I am going to enjoy this moment. We've been waiting to see this team click on all cylinders like this. It's a nice victory, but Tampa is next. The work is not done yet but it feels freaking fantastic to beat Boston. How SWEEP it is!
To the Boston fan who heckled me in the breakroom yesterday....I am lookin for ya! Watch out.
