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| Date | October 5, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Venue | Fenway Park | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| City | Boston, Massachusetts | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Managers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Umpires | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 38,324 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonial first pitch | Jerry Remy[2] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Television | ESPN ESPN2 (Statcast Edition) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TV announcers | Matt Vasgersian,Alex Rodriguez andBuster Olney (ESPN) Jason Benetti,Eduardo Pérez andMike Petriello (ESPN2) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Radio | ESPN | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Radio announcers | Dave O'Brien andXavier Scruggs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The2021 American League Wild Card Game was aplay-in game during theMajor League Baseball (MLB)2021 postseason, contested between the twowild card teams in theAmerican League (AL), theNew York Yankees and theBoston Red Sox. It was played on October 5 atFenway Park inBoston, with the winner—the Boston Red Sox—advancing to theAmerican League Division Series to face theTampa Bay Rays, winner of theAL East.
The game was televised nationally byESPN.[3] An alternative telecast, featuringStatcast analytics, aired onESPN2.[4]
Entering the final day of the regular season, October 3, four teams were in contention for the two wild card berths: theBoston Red Sox (91–70),New York Yankees (91–70),Seattle Mariners (90–71) andToronto Blue Jays (90–71).[5] The Yankees defeated theTampa Bay Rays, thus assuring New York of a spot in the Wild Card Game due to their 92–70 record.[6] The Red Sox won, defeating theWashington Nationals, to finish at 92–70 and also secure a spot in the Wild Card Game.[7] The Blue Jays defeated theBaltimore Orioles, to finish at 91–71,[8] while the Mariners lost to theLos Angeles Angels and finished at 90–72.[9]
With New York and Boston having identical records, the Red Sox earned home field advantage due to their 10–9 head-to-head record over the Yankees.[7] This was the fifth postseason meeting featuringthe long-time rivals. They previously met in the1999 ALCS,2003 ALCS,2004 ALCS, and2018 ALDS,[10] with each team winning two series.[10]
This was the Yankees' fourth Wild Card Game appearance, having lost in2015 and having won in2017 and2018. This was the Red Sox’ first Wild Card Game appearance.
Boston's usualdesignated hitter,J. D. Martinez, was not included on Boston's roster for the game due to an ankle injury he suffered in the final game of the regular season.[11]
Longtime Red Sox and formersecond baseman Jerry Remy performed the ceremonial first pitch. It was his first public appearance after stepping away from his duties as the team'scolor commentator in August, due to a resurgence oflung cancer. It would ultimately be his last, as he died just over three weeks later on October 30, 2021, at the age of 68.[12]
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |||||||||||||||||||||
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| New York Yankees | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston Red Sox | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | X | 6 | 7 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| WP:Nathan Eovaldi (1–0) LP:Gerrit Cole (0–1) Home runs: NYY:Anthony Rizzo (1),Giancarlo Stanton (1) BOS:Xander Bogaerts (1),Kyle Schwarber (1) Attendance: 38,324 Boxscore | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Boston took an early 2–0 lead, via a two-run homer byXander Bogaerts in the first inning. A solo home run byKyle Schwarber in the third inning extended the lead to 3–0.Gerrit Cole left without recording an out in the third, having allowed three runs on four hits; he was replaced byClay Holmes. A solo home run byAnthony Rizzo in the top of the sixth made it a 3–1 game.Nathan Eovaldi left with one out in the sixth; he was replaced byRyan Brasier. A New York rally was snuffed out whenAaron Judge was thrown out at the plate attempting to score from first on aGiancarlo Stanton single off of theGreen Monster.Alex Verdugo's RBI double in the bottom of the sixth put Boston ahead by three again, 4–1. Verdugo drove in another two runs in the seventh, extending Boston's lead to 6–1. Stanton homered with one out in the ninth, but the Yankees could not rally further as the Red Sox won, 6–2.[13]
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