Nick Sogard's aggressiveness on base paths sparked Red Sox offense in Game 1 win over Yankees
The Boston Red Sox took a 1-0 lead over the Yankees in the AL Wild Card round Tuesday night thanks mostly to a gem by Garrett Crochet. But the ace's outing nearly went to waste, until the Red Sox got a big spark from some unlikely heroes late in New York.
Boston manager Alex Cora is always reminding his team that it takes everyone on the roster to win at this time of the year. As great as Crochet was on the mound, the ace can't put any runs on the board.
Boston was in a 1-0 hole in the top of the seventh after missing out on a number of chances against Max Fried over the first six innings. But then the Red Sox got some key plays from the bottom of the order, which turned the tide in their favor at Yankee Stadium and lifted the team to a 3-1 victory.
Ceddanne Rafaela's 11-pitch walk
Jarren Duran grounded out to start the top of the seventh, which ended Fried's night. He walked off the mound to a huge ovation, as Aaron Boone turned the game over to reliever Luke Weaver.
It looked like a wise move at first, as Weaver got up 0-2 on Ceddanne Rafaela, who swung and missed at a pair of changeups. Not known for his patience, Rafaela was in quite the hole.
He fouled off two pitches before Weaver threw a ball, and then Rafaela fouled off another.
Another ball from Weaver and two more fouls by Rafaela followed. The outfielder then showed some uncharacteristic patience at the plate by taking a low changeup to work the count full. Weaver tried to get him to chase a fastball low and out of the zone, but Rafaela didn't bite. He took his trot to first base thanks to an 11-pitch walk.
The free-swinging Rafaela walked just 28 times during the regular season. But his free pass Tuesday night was huge for Boston.
Nick Sogard takes second
After Rafaela's walk, Boston's No. 9 hitter Nick Sogard stepped to the plate. Though he spent most of the 2025 season in the minors, Sogard ended up authoring the biggest turning point for the Red Sox in Game 1.
Sogard had never faced Weaver, but credited Rafaela's at-bat for letting him see the reliever's arsenal. He got a 1-1 changeup from the righty and hit a soft liner into right field.
The hit sent the speedy Rafaela to third base, and Sogard didn't settle for a single. He showed off his own wheels as he busted his backside to stretch the hit into a double.
"Sogy was frickin' amazing," Cora said after the win.
It was a risky play, but it was part of a plan by Boston to take advantage of Aaron Judge's arm in right field. Judge hasn't had a strong arm since he dealt with a right elbow strain during the regular season, so the Red Sox tested him in one of the biggest moments of the game.
"They kind of took a little while to field it and then it was Judge that fielded it moving away from second base. I just tried to challenge the arm in that spot and it worked out," Sogard said. "It was something we went over before the game. It felt like a good time to make that decision."
"It can make a difference, one base here, one base there," third baseman Alex Bregman said of Sogard's agressiveness. "I thought the guys did a good job of being aggressive and smart. I feel like you want to be both."
"That's preparation," said Cora. "We talk about their outfielders and what can we do or what we cannot do, and he saw it right away and took advantage of it."
With runners on second and third and one out in a 1-0 ballgame, the Red Sox got to Weaver again one pitch later.
Masataka Yoshida swings away
With the Red Sox threatening, Cora pinch hit Masataka Yoshida for lefty Rob Refsnyder. The move paid off instantly.
Yoshida didn't wait around in his first career postseason at-bat, and socked a two-run single off Weaver to put Boston ahead, 2-1. That hit was the difference in the game, as Boston held on for a 3-1 victory.
After watching Weaver throw three changeups to Sogard, Yoshida was expecting something with a little more speed when he stepped to the plate. He guessed right, and came through big for Boston.
"I'm just really glad I could contribute to this team," Yoshida said through his translator.
In the span of three plate appearances, the Red Sox completely flipped the game on its head. A rare Rafaela walk. Aggressive baserunning by Sogard. Another clutch hit from Yoshida, who now has seven hits in his last 11 at-bats with runners in scoring position.
Those are the little things that end up making a big difference in the MLB Playoffs. Along with Crochet's gem, they added up to a Game 1 road victory and put the Red Sox one win away from moving on in the postseason.