"And Tuesday night's Game 1 turned out to be everything that Aaron Boone & Co. dreaded about this legitimately scary matchup. From Crochet's dominant playoff Picasso to Cora's nifty deployment of pinch-hitter Masataka Yoshida for the go-ahead seventh-inning single to former Astros' nemesis Alex Bregman adding an insurance RBI double in the ninth that cemented the Yankees' 3-1 loss to the Red Sox."
"For the record, Boston is now 9-1 in their last 10 playoff games against the Yankees, with six of those wins decided by two runs or fewer. Those tight margins are a hat tip to Cora's managerial brilliance, which was on display again Tuesday night, as he seemed to stay one step ahead of his Yankees counterpart and even stuck with Crochet (7 2⁄3 IP, 11 Ks) for 117 pitches, five beyond his regular-season max, to outduel Max Fried (6 1⁄3 IP, 6 Ks)."
The Yankees publicly avoided naming an opponent to fear, but the Red Sox presented a clear danger from the same division. Garret Crochet delivered a dominant outing, piling up 7 2⁄3 innings and 11 strikeouts while working 117 pitches. Alex Cora made decisive tactical choices, including inserting Masataka Yoshida as a pinch-hitter for the go-ahead seventh-inning single. Alex Bregman added an insurance RBI double in the ninth. Boston has now won nine of the last ten playoff games versus New York, often by narrow margins. Aroldis Chapman closed with a four-out save after the Yankees loaded the bases.
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