{"id":46018,"date":"2022-08-15T14:26:04","date_gmt":"2022-08-15T14:26:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/latest-win-over-yankees-keeps-red-sox-believing-anything-is-possible-in-playoff-hunt\/"},"modified":"2022-08-15T14:26:04","modified_gmt":"2022-08-15T14:26:04","slug":"latest-win-over-yankees-keeps-red-sox-believing-anything-is-possible-in-playoff-hunt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/latest-win-over-yankees-keeps-red-sox-believing-anything-is-possible-in-playoff-hunt\/","title":{"rendered":"Latest win over Yankees keeps Red Sox believing anything is possible in playoff hunt"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

Check the patient, there seems to be a pulse. The Sox, while still in last place in the division, have won three of their last four and are now 4\u00bd games out of a playoff spot with 46 to play.<\/span><\/p>\n

Center fielder Kik\u00e9 Hern\u00e1ndez is expected to come off the injured list on Tuesday in Pittsburgh and second baseman Trevor Story should make his return before the end of the month.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

Get 108 Stitches<\/span><\/p>\n

An email newsletter about everything baseball from the Globe’s Red Sox reporters, in your inbox on weekdays during the season.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Is there a chance this gets interesting?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMost definitely,\u201d Wacha said. \u201cEveryone in this clubhouse believes that we’re still in this thing and we really are. A lot can happen and that’s the mentality that we’ve got, coming out and keep winning series.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wacha retired the first 14 Yankees in order on only 47 pitches before Miguel Andujar singled. But Wacha remained focused, allowing only another single. He struck out nine with one walk.<\/span><\/p>\n

The sellout crowd of 36,581 was invested in the game. The Sox had a 1-0 lead when old friend Andrew Benintendi singled with one out in the sixth inning for the Yankees. That brought fearsome Aaron Judge to the plate.<\/span><\/p>\n

Wacha struck him out on four pitches, the last a fastball Judge swung through. Then Wacha whiffed Josh Donaldson to end the inning.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
Wacha retired the first 14 Yankees on the way to a dominant performance.<\/span>Carlin Stiehl for The Boston Globe<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The fastball that sent Judge back to the dugout had the fans roaring.<\/span><\/p>\n

The top five hitters in the Yankees lineup \u2014 Benintendi, Judge, Donaldson, Anthony Rizzo, and Gleyber Torres \u2014 were 1 for 15 with seven strikeouts against Wacha.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cReally good. Outstanding,\u201d Sox manager Alex Cora said of his starter. \u201cGood fastball, great changeup. In command \u2026 To have him back means a lot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Sunday was Wacha’s first start against the Yankees this season. Going back to last year while a member of the Tampa Bay Rays, he has held New York to one unearned on six hits in 17 innings over three starts.<\/span><\/p>\n

That’s something to remember with the Sox having six more games against the Yankees.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s a horse,\u201d said third baseman Rafael Devers, whose two-run homer in the sixth inning gave Wacha some cushion.<\/span><\/p>\n

Beyond the quality of his pitches, Wacha and catcher Kevin Plawecki worked at a crisp pace, which helped the defense stay alert. The game lasted 2 hours 15 minutes.<\/span><\/p>\n

That’s usually what it takes to complete five innings when the Sox play the Yankees, especially in a Sunday night game.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I work better that way,\u201d Wacha said. \u201cMy successful outings are getting back on the mound and in attack mode. They came out swinging early and I was able to make quality pitches and get quick outs.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The rotation has a different look with Wacha. He’s 7-1 with a 2.44 earned run average in 14 starts this season. Sunday marked only the second time in 44 games that a Sox starter pitched more than six innings.<\/span><\/p>\n

A starter who can work deep into games makes it easier to win subsequent games as the bullpen is better rested.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\"A
A two-run blast from Devers was the big blow Sunday night for the Sox.<\/span>Carlin Stiehl for The Boston Globe<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Before the game, Cora expressed faith in his team getting back in the playoff race.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI think math-wise, obviously it looks challenging. But I still believe that we’re going to have one of those big runs,\u201d he said. \u201cWe’re going to pitch; we’re going to play good defense.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Could the Sox pull a reverse of the 2011 collapse and get back into a race that seems lost? The odds are against it. Winning one series, even against the first-place Yankees, doesn’t change how poorly they’ve played over the last six weeks.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe’re getting healthy and we believe in what we’re doing,\u201d Wacha said. \u201cLet’s see where this goes.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Peter Abraham can be reached at peter.abraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n