Yankees vs. Red Sox score: Yankees crush Red Sox, bring wild-card race closer

Let's take a look at the Yankees-Red Sox game and the fallout regarding the hotly-contested AL wild-card spots

Friday night in Fenway Park, two of the AL wild card contenders and two of baseball's biggest rivals squared off. It was a one-sided affair pretty much from the get-go. The Yankees beat the Red Sox, 8-3. Here are the takeaways both from this game and the wild-card implications across the American League. 

Cole dominated for five

This was a pitching matchup between the players I ranked second and third, respectively, in the AL Cy Young race Friday morning. One of them performed like it on Friday, at least for more than half the game. Yankees ace Gerrit Cole got through five scoreless innings before allowing a three-run homer to Rafael Devers in the bottom of the sixth. Overall, giving up three runs in six innings isn't a huge outing, but it was enough to gain the victory here and ultimately that's all that matters. One starter gave his team a chance to win this one. The other ... 

Eovaldi totally roughed up

Red Sox All-Star Nathan Eovaldi likely didn't inspire much confidence here in a possible audition to face the Yankees in a wild card game or even a game 163 playoff to get to the wild card. Eovaldi couldn't get through the third inning after allowing seven hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. He gave up seven runs, six of which were earned. It wasn't a bunch of fluky stuff, either. He got hit hard, giving up two doubles and a home run. He got only three swings and misses. 

The big blow of the night for the Yankees offense was a three-run shot from Giancarlo Stanton:

AL wild card race update

It's not just the Yankees and Red Sox in the AL wild card race. The Blue Jays entered the night just one game behind the Yankees and the Mariners were only two back (the A's are four back but need a miracle at this point, so we'll leave them out). With this win, the Yankees pull to within one game of the Red Sox for the top spot while simultaneously pulling the Red Sox back closer to missing out on the playoffs. 

The Blue Jays, however, appear to have missed an opportunity so far in Minnesota. They've now lost their first two games of the series to the last-place Twins. The Mariners kept pace with a win over the Angels and have now caught the Blue Jays. Here is how things stand right now.  

• Red Sox, 88-66, +1
  
• Yankees, 87-67 --
  
• Blue Jays, 85-69, 2 GB
• Mariners, 85-69, 2 GB

As such, we have four teams within three games of each other fighting for two playoffs spots with barely over one week left. 

[Sep 24, 2021 at 10:24 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

we're in the ninth with the Yankees still leading 8-3. Torres leads off the Yankees' half with a single

[Sep 24, 2021 at 9:48 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Gleyber Torres homered to get one back for the Yankees. Things could have been worse. The Yankees had two runners on when Anthony Rizzo just sent a rocket right back up the middle, but Xander Bogearts in the shift right behind second base made a slick play and then cut Rizzo down at first to end the threat. 

[Sep 24, 2021 at 9:30 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

perhaps this one isn't over? Rafael Devers comes through with a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to make it 7-3 Yankees. The Yankees' bullpen is vulnerable, too, so it's possibly in dangerous territory. 

[Sep 24, 2021 at 8:47 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Cole is now through four scoreless innings, having allowed just one hit (a JD Martinez double into the right field seats off a bounce). Four strikeouts and three walks. He's in total control even with the abnormally high walk count. It's still 7-0 Yankees, heading to the fifth. Absent a gigantic Red Sox comeback against a Cy Young contender, this is elementary. 

[Sep 24, 2021 at 8:17 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Schwarber whiffed on a pop up to allow one more run, but then Rizzo struck out to leave the bases loaded. So while it's 7-0 Yankees, it actually could have been a ton worse. 

[Sep 24, 2021 at 8:08 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Eovaldi got two outs, but he also allowed a Joey Gallo single and Brett Gardner walk and he's done. Eovaldi's line is currently: 2 2/3 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 0 K. The two runners on base are his responsibility, too. 

[Sep 24, 2021 at 7:59 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

and that just became a moot point. After an Anthony Rizzo double banged high off the Green Monster, mere feet from a homer, Aaron Judge walked and Giancarlo Stanton hit an opposite-field three-run homer. It's now 6-0 Yankees. 

[Sep 24, 2021 at 7:52 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Through two scoreless, hitless innings, Gerrit Cole has walked two and struck out two. It's 3-0 Yankees. Of note, Eovaldi really did settle in during the second inning. Of course, if Cole is on, three runs for the Yankees might just be enough. 

[Sep 24, 2021 at 7:26 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Rough first inning for Eovaldi, who ends up allowing three earned runs on four hits. It's 3-0 Yankees before the Red Sox offense even gets a chance

[Sep 24, 2021 at 7:17 pm ET · Matt Snyder]

Yankees jumping all over Cy Young contender Nathan Eovaldi right away. DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Rizzo singled before an Aaron Judge double. It's 1-0, but with runners on second and third with Giancarlo Stanton coming to the plate and no out.