Trailing by nine runs after the first game of the Wild Card round, Boston found itself in a deep hole against New York on Tuesday night. Following that outcome, the squad now stands just one defeat away from being knocked out of the competition.
Pitching six and a third scoreless frames while racking up 10 strikeouts, Schlittler put together the most productive outing of any New York arm on the day. Two hits and a walk were all the Red Sox managed against him throughout the outing.
Four hits across five plate appearances — including a pair of home runs — drove in six runs for Rice on the day. Collecting three hits across four plate appearances in the series opener, Lombard also crossed home plate once.
Roman Anthony's night ended in the sixth inning after he sustained a partial tear to the CMC ligament in his ring finger. A comparable injury had already kept him sidelined for more than three months earlier in the campaign. Monasterio stepped into the batting order to fill that spot. No updates on his condition have reached the Red Sox, who remain in a holding pattern pending word from medical staff.
Tolle's outing offered one of the few reliable contributions to a Red Sox rotation that otherwise struggled to find consistency. Pitching in the postseason for the first time, the young hurler navigated 4 2/3 frames while surrendering only a single run and punching out four hitters. Tasked with retiring Rice, Miller instead gave up a solo home run to New York, extending the visitors' lead to 2-0.
According to MLB.com Red Sox data, the club ranked at the bottom of all major-league teams across three offensive categories during September — runs per game, batting average, and on-base plus slugging percentage. Over the final 24 games of the regular season, their offence averaged 3.0 runs per game while the lineup posted a collective batting average of .219. With Tracy's lineup at full strength, Schlittler still kept the opposing batters off the scoreboard throughout.
Of the 24 Wild Card series in which one club scored first, 21 of those opening-game leads ultimately translated into an advancement to the next round. In every series where the home side took a 1-0 lead, that same team went on to claim the series.
A loss in their next outing would end Boston's postseason run. Sonny Gray takes the mound for Boston against Max Fried when the series shifts to Game 2 on Wednesday.
