Pitcher Aroldis Chapman locked down the save for the Red Sox in their playoff opener Tuesday—but only after a treacherous ninth inning that had Boston fans on pins and needles.
The Red Sox summoned Chapman in the eighth inning in relief of starter Garrett Crochet, who'd flummoxed the Yankees with 11 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings to start this American League wild-card series. After inducing third baseman Jose Caballero to fly out, Chapman returned for the ninth up 3–1.
The first batter, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, singled. The second, right fielder Aaron Judge, did the same. When left fielder Cody Bellinger added a third, New York was able to load the bases.
After that, it was all Chapman. First, the eight-time All-Star fooled designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton on a nasty 92 mph splitter—one of the best pitches of the day in baseball.
Yankees had the bases loaded with no outs in the 9th.
— MLB (@MLB) October 1, 2025
Then Aroldis Chapman retired three straight 😤 #Postseason pic.twitter.com/WbbZvSC7SM
Then, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. flied to shallow right before Chapman punched out center fielder Trent Grisham on a 101 mph four-seamer to end the game.
The two teams will meet again Wednesday, with Boston hoping for a smoother landing.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Aroldis Chapman Loads Bases, Escapes Jam in Heart-Stopping Red Sox Win at Yankees.
