Red Sox: Xander Bogaerts reacts to his game-changing relay throw

Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts made the play of the game

Xander Bogaerts had the biggest hit of the Wild Card game when his two-run homer put the Boston Red Sox on the board in the first inning against the New York Yankees. As pivotal as it was to take control early in this one-game playoff, it was a defensive play he made later in the game that the star shortstop was most proud of.

Nathan Eovaldi dominated the Yankees lineup through five innings but manager Alex Cora was out with a quick hook at the first sign of trouble. A cheap home run that wrapped around the Pesky Pole and an infield single was all it took for the Red Sox to turn to the bullpen.

Cora called in Ryan Brasier, who earned the manager’s trust with an outstanding final month of the regular season despite missing most of the year with a calf strain and a concussion.

Giancarlo Stanton caught up to a high fastball from Brasier, sending a towering shot to left-center field that put a dent near the top of the Green Monster. The ricochet off the wall bounced out of the reach of Alex Verdugo but was backed up by Kike Hernandez, who quickly hurled the relay throw to the infield. Bogaerts grabbed the ball on a hop and fired a laser to home plate in time to catch the sliding Aaron Judge.

The Red Sox would go on to defeat the Yankees 6-2 to advance to the ALDS but their lead wasn’t nearly as comfortable at that moment. If Bogaerts was late with the throw, Judge would have scored to trim the lead to a one-run game with only one out and Stanton standing on second base. The perfectly executed relay saved a run and led to the Red Sox escaping the inning without any damage done.

Instead of allowing the Yankees to shift momentum their way, the defensive gem tilted it further in Boston’s direction. Bogaerts stated after the game that it was a game-changing play, according to MassLive’s Christopher Smith.

"“I feel like that was one of the biggest moments in the game regardless of all the homers and all the walks,” Bogaerts said. “That changed momentum big time.”"

Bogaerts also told MLB Network’s Heidi Watney on the field after the game that he was more proud of that relay throw than he was of his first-inning home run.

He also couldn’t help but notice that Stanton seemed “pretty mad” that he was robbed of an RBI. When you crush a pitch with an exit velocity of 114.9 mph, you typically expect to come away with more than a single. The imposing green wall at Fenway Park stood in the path of what would have been a homer in many other ballparks.

It wasn’t the first time in this game that Stanton was blocked by the Monster. The Yankees slugger took a moment to admire a first-inning rocket that fell just shy of clearing the wall, forcing him to hold at first base. The lack of hustle from a player who assumed the ball was leaving the park was embarrassing. Almost as embarrassing as Yankees radio announcer John Sterling gushing over a “Stantonian” home run long after everyone else realized it was merely a single.

Stanton’s lack of hustle didn’t prove costly since Joey Gallo followed with a strikeout to end the inning. Failing to make it into scoring position on what should have been an easy double didn’t change the game. Xander’s defensive play on his next wall-ball single did.

Defense has been a weakness for the Red Sox this season and Bogaerts has taken his fair share of criticism for his glove work. He’s certainly no Gold Glove candidate but this relay throw shows he’s capable of making fantastic plays. This is one of the better defensive plays we’ve seen from a Red Sox player in the postseason and the moment will live on in infamy as a pivotal factor in vanquishing the Yankees in the latest chapter of their epic rivalry.