For the first time in what feels like a few years, we have an impactful Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees series in the middle of the season. The Bronx Bombers—losers of 14 of their last 19 but having crushed the Red Sox the afternoon prior—needing a series win to try and kickstart any momentum before the All Star Break. The Boston Boys—one of the hottest teams in baseball—looking to take another series against the Yankees this season and continue to cement they’re a team worth buying into. Expectations for this game had to be high, right? You tell me if they got lived up to:

Key Moments

B1-B7: Kutting Up the Yankees Lineup

68 pitches in 7.0 frames is simply sensational. Frankly, I thought he was heading toward a Maddux a la Houck earlier this year, but not my call. Back to back seven pitch innings, working out of jams, it was a masterclass of pitching to easy contact outs. As homer giving up happy as Crawford has been of late, he was locked IN tonight.

T7, T8, T9: The Raffys Do It All

Carita did almost ALL of it tonight and then some. The bat flip on his go-ahead home run was audacious. The actual pitch he took deep for his second home run might be even more audacious. Rafael Devers has 11 go-ahead home runs at Yankee Stadium, the most in Red Sox history, beating out Jim Rice, David Ortiz and Ted Williams. That’s legendary,

Let’s not forget about the man who has Rafael in his last name because Ceddanne genuinely said CEE YA to his solo shot. Rafaela’s power is starting to show up, and that should intimidate a lot of other teams, considering he’s batting in the nine hole.

B6: Decidedly Clutch Double Play

Before the deadlock was broken, what a MASSIVE double play between David Hamilton and Dom Smith here. DJ Lemahieu hit a double right after this, imagine the Yankees breaking through first here. Crawford went on to whiff Ben Rice to end the inning emphatically.

B8: Devers Defensive Duties

How about another potential crisis averted by a web-gem barehand grab and rifle from Devers? Two batters on facing the top and heart of the Yankees lineup, even with two down? No thank you! What a night for Raffy.

Three Studs

Rafael Devers (3-for-4, 2 HR, 1 K)

Even with Crawford’s spectacular game, Devers is my no. 1 here. Clutch in every way he could tonight.

Ceddanne Rafaela (1-for-3, 1 HR)

And Ceddanne joins him with his homer sandwiched in between.

Kutter Crawford (7.0 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K)

Of course we won’t forget Kutter’s spectacular game though, when there was a glaring dud that could have really hurt his performance, he worked right through every challenge with ease.

The Duds

The Red Sox Offense (minus Dom Smith)

This is said big dud that could have hurt Kutter’s night. Aside from a very random two hit night from Dom Smith, no one else had a hit for the Sox tonight. Crawford did these guys a BIG solid keeping up and keeping the team in it until they could break through.

Alex Cora’s Pitching Decisions

Hindsight says Cora did the right thing by yanking Crawford when he did, but in the moment, it just felt really strange. Your starter—under 70 pitches and frustrating the Yankees lineup to no end and having just gone through Soto/Judge a third time—and you won’t let him go to Wells/Cabrera/Grisham? Again, this all worked out in the end, it was just an odd choice in the moment.

Play of the Game

It has to be Raffy’s first solo shot to break the scoreless tie. It’s giving…who’s your daddy vibes.

News Before The Game

And very fittingly before the game, Devers, Tanner Houck and Jarren Duran were named 2024 All Stars. Congrats to all those extremely deserving guys!

Poll

Who was the Red Sox Player of the Game

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Source: USA Today