BOSTON, Mass. - After the rollercoaster that was the final month of the season, the American League Wild Card matchup was the only fitting way to end the season. Having the best rivalry in baseball, the Boston Red Sox vs. the New York Yankees, in a win-or-go-home one-game playoff, was just too perfect.

The Yankees had their guy, AL Cy Young-favorite Gerrit Cole, toeing the rubber in the pivotal Wild Card game. However, pitching in Fenway Park had been Cole's Achilles heel in 2021.

Unfortunately for the Yankees, Fenway did Cole in again. The Red Sox (92-70) piled on three runs through Cole's two innings of work, chasing the Yankees' ace before the third inning ended. The Red Sox offense continued to thrive while the Yankees (92-70) were shut down.

Boston dominated to escape with a 6-2 victory. They advance to the American League Division Series while eliminating their rivals from the postseason.

The Red Sox jumped on Cole in the first inning as Xander Bogaerts drove a monster two-run homer to centerfield. Two innings later, a solo shot from Kyle Schwarber ended Cole's night.  

Meanwhile, the Red Sox got everything they needed from starter Nathan Eovaldi. He surrendered just one earned run through his 5.1 innings pitched, striking out eight Yankees throughout the night.

"After we scored early, it was just attack, attack, attack from that point on," said Eovaldi.

Nursing a three-run lead, the Red Sox got more insurance runs thanks to Alex Verdugo. His clutch two-run single in the bottom of the seventh gave the Red Sox a five-run lead, essentially ending the Yankees' chances of coming back.

Boston will face the AL East champion Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS. The Yankees finish their 2021 season with a heartbreaking loss.

Stanton Nearly Ties the Game, Red Sox Cut Down Judge

The Yankees had a real shot to make a comeback in the top of the sixth inning. Trailing by three runs, Anthony Rizzo sparked some life in the Yankees' lineup with a solo homer off Eovaldi. After an infield single from Aaron Judge, Eovaldi's night was done and the Yanks were in business. Power hitting Giancarlo Stanton was coming to the plate, one swing away from tying the game at three.

It looked as though Stanton had done just that as he blasted a four-seam fastball to center field. Unfortunately for the Yankees, the ball hit off the very top of Fenway's green monster and back into play. Stanton would have to settle for a double.

However, it would get even worse for the Yankees. A questionable decision by third base coach Phil Nevin led to Judge trying to score from first base. A perfect throw from Hunter Renfroe and a perfect relay from Bogaerts had Judge gunned down at the plate by a pretty big margin.

With Judge being out by a few feet, fans and analysts questioned the decision to send Judge home in that situation. Had he been held at third, the Yankees would have had runners on second and third with one out for Joey Gallo.

"The ball coming in looked like it was going to be an in-between hop to the infielder. Bogaerts did a good job of creating a hop, catching it clean, and obviously throwing it home and getting him," Yankees' manager Aaron Boone said postgame. "That kind of squashed a potential rally there."

Cole's Fenway Struggles Continue

There is just something different about Gerrit Cole and the Yankees when they play in Fenway Park. The most dominant pitcher in the AL is just not the same when he is pitching in Boston; he entered the game with a 1-4 record and a 5.21 ERA in seven career starts in Fenway Park.

Even in one of Cole's most dominant individual seasons, he just has not been himself at Fenway. Red Sox hitters had slashed .302 BA/.361 OBP/.603 SLG, hit five home runs, and drawn seven walks in three games against Cole in Boston in 2021. Those five homers were the most he had given up in any ballpark other than Yankee Stadium.

On Tuesday, Cole struggled to keep the ball in the ballpark again. Mistake pitches to Bogaerts and Schwarber led to monster home runs off of Cole, leading to his early exit. With the best pitcher in the AL out, the Red Sox had little to worry about the rest of the night.

When asked about his disappointment, Cole was very straightforward.

"Sick to my stomach," said Cole.

Up Next

Red Sox at Rays, Thursday, October 7, Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Fla.