Chad Tracy's Questionable Bullpen Management Won't Impact Red Sox's Key Relievers For Game 2

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The Boston Red Sox fell 9-0 in the first game of their Wild Card Series matchup against the New York Yankees and now have their backs up against a wall facing elimination. Despite the daunting task of now having to take two straight games not just in the Bronx but also against Max Fried and Gerrit Cole, the team is still in a good position thanks to its bullpen.

In the first game of the series, Payton Tolle did all that was asked of him, tossing 4 2/3 innings while allowing just one earned run on five hits and a walk. He also struck out four in his first postseason start. The biggest issue was when he was pulled, as the young left-hander had thrown just 83 pitches and had retired five straight Yankee batters. While he had thrown a decent number of high-leverage pitches as the Yankees managed to get runners on base in nearly every inning he was on the mound, the imposing left-hander appeared to have things under control.

Despite that, Red Sox manager Chad Tracy decided to turn to left-handed reliever Erik Miller to try and get Ben Rice out to complete the fifth inning instead of letting Tolle a chance to face the Massachusetts native for a third time. That move backfired immediately as Miller (who struggled down the stretch in September) left a sinker over the heart of the plate that Rice drove 423 feet to center field for a home run and a 2-0 Yankee lead. Against Cam Schlittler, that would prove to be insurmountable.

With that in mind, Tracy went with a distinct plan moving forward with his bullpen, one that could give Boston a chance to come back and win the series. He refused to go to any of his high-leverage arms regardless of the situation and saw things through to the end using his other bullpen pitchers.

Of the arms who appeared in the Game 1 loss, only Miller was a true late-game option for the team since arriving from San Francisco, while both Brayan Bello and Alec Gamboa had provided quality innings for the team but aren't more than long and middle relievers, respectively. At the very least, they aren't in the same echelon as Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock or even Garrett Crochet.

For the team to succeed in the next two games, both Chapman and Whitlock need to be used in the most key situations. Seeing that the team was trailing against the likely AL Cy Young winner, Tracy instead turned to a bevy of relievers to mixed results. Greg Weissert did his job, giving the team a perfect inning of relief on just 15 pitches. That outing will likely keep him available for Wednesday’s Game 2. Miller, who threw just nine pitches, could also make an appearance if needed against a left-handed batter... though after his struggles in Game 1 (only getting one of the three batters he faced out), that might need to be in a low-leverage situation.

Both Gamboa and Wyatt Olds also remained low on pitches as they threw 15 and 18, respectively, giving up the bulk of the runs. The two had been key mid-inning relievers for Boston throughout the season but succumbed to the pressures of postseason baseball. Despite that, the duo helped preserve a bullpen that is rather thin after losing Justin Slaten in the second half and Tyron Guerrero just before the start of the playoffs.

On Wednesday night, the bullpen will have to be managed more aggressively. Tracy will have to go to his high-leverage arms of Whitlock, Crochet, and Chapman instead of attempting to walk a thin line with his other relievers. However, the biggest obstacle will be choosing when and how to use Crochet.

The left-hander has been out of commission since late April, having only thrown side sessions and bullpens as he attempted to rev back up for postseason baseball. The team felt he was good enough to contribute, adding him to the roster. However, despite his best attempts to build back up, it’s likely that he will only be able to go once in the series. Tracy will have to determine when that should be.

With Whitlock and Chapman, the duo would be able to go on back-to-back nights now, a much easier task than having to potentially pitch in three straight games.

While the Red Sox may have lost Game 1 to the Yankees in a terrible fashion, they kept their best chances to compete in the remainder of the series alive. The push to face Tampa Bay in the ALDS isn't dead just yet.