"Jose De León was called up from Worcester and I think blew away everyone's expectations. Steven Matz, Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert were the only ones needed out of the bullpen. The Sox even allowed Alex Cora to take out Trevor Story midway through the game, sliding Nick Sogard to short and plopping Nate Eaton at third. It all worked out in the end."
"Yoshida ripped a homer down the right-field line to put the Sox on the board early. David Hamilton-fighting for a postseason roster spot-knocked a two-run dinger of his own. Did they leave nine runners on base and only go 1-for-10 with RISP? Yes, and those are issues that will get them knocked around in the playoffs no matter how far they do and even with not every regular in the lineup."
"Still, the tinkering worked enough for Alex Cora to have a number one team ready to go Tuesday at 6pm in the Bronx. A few hours to savor this win and a new season begins. I'm sorry, did anyone imagine the 33-year-old prospect, who hasn't pitched in the Majors since 2023 and had Tommy John, to overpower the Tigers? Aside from the three-run shot to Javier Baéz, he struck out eight and did one heck of a job eating innings. Massive, passive props."
With several regulars resting, the Red Sox aimed to finish strong and protect their AL five seed while avoiding overusing top bullpen arms Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock. Jose De León was called up from Worcester and exceeded expectations by striking out eight, allowing only the three-run Javier Baéz homer, and eating innings. Steven Matz, Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert were the only bullpen pitchers required. Offense featured homers from Yoshida and David Hamilton, though the team left nine runners on base and went 1-for-10 with RISP. Alex Cora made defensive and lineup adjustments that held up, setting the team up for the next game.
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