Elsa/Getty ImagesThe Boston Red Sox held on for dear life with a5-4win over the New York Yankees in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Friday at Fenway Park. Shaking off any concerns about his recent dip in velocity Mike Marjama Jersey , Chris Sale shut down the dangerous Yankees lineup by scattering five singles and striking out eight over 5.1 innings. He was charged with two runs after reliever Ryan Brasier allowed both of his inherited runners to score.J.D. Martinez got Boston's offense going with a three-run homer in the first inning. Steve Pearce and Xander Bogaerts each added an RBI in the bottom of the third. The Red Sox chased off Yankees starter J.A. Happ after he gave up five runs on four hits and one walk in two innings.BYU鈥檚 Cosmo the Cougar Is the Next Superstar MascotJoshua Johnson Is HS Footballs Quadruple ThreatThe Champions x Queer EyeHappy 26th Birthday to OBJ 馃帀Happy Anniversary to the Cubs Curse-BreakingD-Rose Turned Back the Clock and Put Up 50Will Drake鈥檚 Favorite Teams Reverse the 6 God Curse?Sports Worlds Halloween Costumes Went HardUp Your Halloween Game with Giant Pumpkin RegattaThe Champions: Episode 6 Is ComingDubs Trolled Fergie So Hard It Became a ChallengePurdue Footballs No. 1 Fan Is Inspiring the TeamOne Road to MLB Starts with a Bottle Cap and BroomstickIts Been a Wild Month with Flyers鈥?Mascot Gritty馃専The Champions: Episode 5 馃専CP3-Rondo Blowup Was a Long Time ComingMahomes Is Showtime Off the Field TooCFBs Creative Entrances Put WWE to ShameWorld Pole Climbing Championships Are Something ElseNBA Let Players Know They Have to Cover Branded TattoosRight Arrow IconChris Sale Silences Critics with Outstanding StartOne of the major talking points in Boston coming into the playoffs was how Sale's velocity would look after a disturbing downward trend late in the regular season.Per CBS Sports'Mike Axisa, Sale's average fastball velocity was 90.2 mph in his final start Sept. 26 against the Baltimore Orioles.The seven-time All-Star seems to have figured out something in the eight days he had to prepare for Game 1:Alex Speier alexspeierSale: Average 95.2 mph, topped out 96.6, more sliders (10) than 4-seamers (9) in the first. 4 changeups, 1 two-seamer.New York appeared to be in for a long night. The Bronx Bombers didn't have a runner reach third base until the sixth inning.BYU鈥檚 Cosmo the Cougar Is the Next Superstar MascotJoshua Johnson Is HS Footballs Quadruple ThreatThe Champions x Queer EyeHappy 26th Birthday to OBJ 馃帀Happy Anniversary to the Cubs Curse-BreakingD-Rose Turned Back the Clock and Put Up 50Will Drake鈥檚 Favorite Teams Reverse the 6 God Curse?Sports Worlds Halloween Costumes Went HardUp Your Halloween Game with Giant Pumpkin RegattaThe Champions: Episode 6 Is ComingDubs Trolled Fergie So Hard It Became a ChallengePurdue Footballs No. 1 Fan Is Inspiring the TeamOne Road to MLB Starts with a Bottle Cap and BroomstickIts Been a Wild Month with Flyers鈥?Mascot Gritty馃専The Champions: Episode 5 馃専CP3-Rondo Blowup Was a Long Time ComingMahomes Is Showtime Off the Field TooCFBs Creative Entrances Put WWE to ShameWorld Pole Climbing Championships Are Something ElseNBA Let Players Know They Have to Cover Branded TattoosRight Arrow IconThis start was everything the Red Sox needed it to be and also the first of its kind for the team since 2013:Alex Speier alexspeierSale is the first Red Sox starter to record an out in the 6th inning since John Lackey in G6 of the 2013 World Series. Hes done after 5 1/3 innings, 93 pitches of shutout ball, though he does leave a couple runners on for Brasier.Jason Catania JayCat11Most strikeouts by a Red Sox lefty in a postseason game8: Chris Sale in 2018 ALDS Game 18: Jon Lester in 2013 WS Game 18: Jon Lester in 2008 ALCS Game 78: Bruce Hurst in 1986 WS Game 1It was also a vast improvement for Sale after he allowed nine runs on 13 hits in 9.2 innings over two appearances against the Houston Astros in last year's ALDS.Sale is one of the best pitchers in Major League Baseball when he's at the top of his game. Heledall AL starting pitchers with 13.5 strikeouts per nine innings andranked secondwith 6.5 FanGraphs wins above replacement (min. 150 innings).If the Red Sox have to turn to Sale again in the series, they can feel much better about his ability to silence one of the best lineups in MLB. Red Sox Bullpen Woes Threatening to Derail Dream SeasonUnfortunately for the Red Sox, their bullpen had to log significant innings in Game 1. Relief pitching has been their Achilles' heel all season, and it nearly cost them in their first playoff game.When Sale departed, the Red Sox held a five-run lead. That has virtually guaranteed them a victory since they acquired the 6'6" left-hander prior to the start of last season:ESPN Stats amp; Info ESPNStatsInfoChris Sale finished 12-1 in the regular season when the RedSox netted him at least 3 runs of support.Hes 27-4 in those games since joining the Red Sox at the beginning of last season.Boston leads New York 5-0 in #ALDS Game 1. yx96F2yjInOnce Boston manager Alex Cora went to his stable of relief pitchers, starting with Brasier, an air of panic set in over Fenway Park:Russillo ryenarussilloSale out after two hits allowed going 5 1/3 innings http://www.marinersf...-haniger-jersey , to bring in a guy that has pitched 30 innings after missing 4 seasons and is the 2nd best RP by default...this game has changed so much.The Yankees loaded the bases against Boston relievers in the sixth and seventh innings. Brasier and Brandon Workman combined to give up three hits, two walks and one run in just 0.2 innings.Rick Porcello and Craig Kimbrel settled things down by recording the final six outs to preserve the win.Boston's bullpen scuffled down the stretch with anAL-worst4.84 ERA in September. That group did everything possible to give away this game, but the Yankees weren't able to cash in on those chances in the later innings.After a historic season in which the Red Sox won a franchise-record 108 games, the bullpen has to pick up its performance to avoid an October disappointment. Yankees Missed Opportunities Set Up Must-Win Game 2The good news for New York is there's a quick turnaround heading into Game 2 on Saturday.The bad news is this is a game the Yankees will reflect back on if they don't win the series. It started out looking like a potential disaster. Happ, who had a 2.98 ERA in 21 career appearances against the Red Sox, only recorded six outs.Once Happ was gone, four Yankees relievers combined to allow four hits and two walks with five strikeouts over six scoreless innings.Their ability to put zeroes on the board gave the offense chances to at least tie the game. Gleyber Torres struck out as the go-ahead run with the bases loaded in the sixth inning. Didi Gregorius grounded out with the tying run on second to get Boston out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh.Aaron Judge closed New York's deficit to one run with a solo homer off Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel to start the ninth:BYU鈥檚 Cosmo the Cougar Is the Next Superstar MascotJoshua Johnson Is HS Footballs Quadruple ThreatThe Champions x Queer EyeHappy 26th Birthday to OBJ 馃帀Happy Anniversary to the Cubs Curse-BreakingD-Rose Turned Back the Clock and Put Up 50Will Drake鈥檚 Favorite Teams Reverse the 6 God Curse?Sports Worlds Halloween Costumes Went HardUp Your Halloween Game with Giant Pumpkin RegattaThe Champions: Episode 6 Is ComingDubs Trolled Fergie So Hard It Became a ChallengePurdue Footballs No. 1 Fan Is Inspiring the TeamOne Road to MLB Starts with a Bottle Cap and BroomstickIts Been a Wild Month with Flyers鈥?Mascot Gritty馃専The Champions: Episode 5 馃専CP3-Rondo Blowup Was a Long Time ComingMahomes Is Showtime Off the Field TooCFBs Creative Entrances Put WWE to ShameWorld Pole Climbing Championships Are Something ElseNBA Let Players Know They Have to Cover Branded TattoosRight Arrow IconKimbrel settled down after that to strike outBrett Gardner,Giancarlo Stanton and Luke Voit in order to earn the save.With the Yankees failing to take advantage of opportunities Boston handed them, they are facing a must-win scenario Saturday.Last season, they were able to overcome a 2-0 series deficit against the Cleveland Indians in the ALDS by winning three straight games. But winning away from Yankee Stadium in October has been a difficult task. They are 1-7 in their last eight road playoff games dating back to 2017.Trying to win three straight games against a Red Sox team capable of scoring runs in bunches鈥攁nd a potential return for Sale in Game 4 or 5鈥攎akes it imperative that New York doesn't continue to miss chances like it did Friday.What's Next?The Red Soxwill look to take a commanding lead in the series by sending David Price (16-7, 3.58 ERA) to the mound against Masahiro Tanaka (12-6, 3.75 ERA) and the Yankees for Saturday's Game 2 at 8:15 p.m. ET. NEW YORK — For the New York Yankees, the question is do they start J.A. Happ in the wild-card game or hold off on using him until a possible division series matchup with the Boston Red Sox.Based on the fact Happ is lined up to pitch Sunday’s series finale against the Baltimore Orioles and it is 10 days from the wild-card game Edwin Diaz Jersey , it appears the reliable left-hander might be the one designated to start the one-game playoff.It actually took until after Friday’s 10-8 victory for the Yankees to announce Happ as the starter, but they said the date of the wild-card game is not related to how their rotation lines up.Article continues below ...“We just feel like we want Happ going tomorrow,” said Yankees manager Aaron Boone, who considered going with a bullpen day. We feel like it’s important for him to go. Hopefully, that gives us the best chance to get a victory.”Happ is 6-0 with a 2.39 ERA in nine starts since becoming a Yankee in a trade from Toronto on July 26. He has gone at least six innings in seven starts with the Yankees, including Tuesday’s 3-2 victory over the Red Sox.Happ is 3-0 with a 0.50 ERA in his last three starts and that includes a 5-1 victory over Oakland on Sept. 4. He also said he is not cognizant of the timing of his next start lining him up to possibly start the one-game elimination game.“You might not believe me, but it’s not my focus,” Happ said. “I’m trying to finish the season strong, give us a good position (for the playoffs). I think we’re good with whatever option, we’re comfortable with whoever it is.”Happ is 7-6 with a 3.03 ERA in 19 games against the Orioles.Happ will be pitching after the Yankees (95-59) celebrated clinching a wild-card spot Saturday thanks to a game-winning double by Aaron Hicks in the 11th inning of a 3-2 victory.The Yankees are 1 1/2 games ahead of Oakland for the right to host the wild-card game. New York is 53-27 at Yankee Stadium.“We know what’s in front of us,” New York’s Neil Walker said. “This is a big accomplishment for this team, but don’t get it wrong, we know what we got to do to get to where we want to go. We feel like we’re capable of doing that.”The Orioles will try to avoid making dubious history for at least one day. After leaving the bases loaded in the 10th http://www.marinersf...x-colome-jersey , stranding 12 and going 3-for-15 with runners in scoring position Saturday, the Orioles (44-110) are one shy of the franchise record for losses, set by the 1939 St. Louis Browns.“It’s a good experience for us,” Baltimore rookie left fielder DJ Stewart said. “They’re trying to get into the playoffs and just to face a lineup like that and see how they’re fighting every single out, so are we. We’re not in the playoff hunt, but it gives you a little experience of what the atmosphere is like.”Baltimore will start Alex Cobb (5-15, 4.90 ERA), who has not pitched since Sept. 11 because of a blister. Cobb is 3-1 with a 2.40 ERA in his last eight starts and opponents are hitting .232 against him since the All-Star break.Cobb’s run of positive results began Aug. 1, when he allowed one run and seven hits in six innings of a 7-5 victory over the Yankees in New York.He exited his last start against Oakland with a blister after two scoreless innings but is hoping to finish his first season in Baltimore on a pleasant note after feeling better during a bullpen session on Friday.“It’s feeling a lot better,” Cobb said. “Definitely feel like I’d be able to pitch again this year with it.”Cobb is 7-4 with a 2.90 ERA in 16 starts against the Yankees.
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