The night after the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees walked off two other teams battling for postseason spots, they faced each other in the Bronx.
The game wasn't the barn-burner fans hope for during a playoff race. Early solo homers from Gleyber Torres and Danny Jansen had the rivals in a 1-1 tie in the 10th inning. Boston didn't break through in the top half of the 10th, and New York wasted no time.
Juan Soto drilled a hard ground ball past a diving Trevor Story to score the ghost runner Jon Berti. The 2-1 victory helped the Yankees maintain a two-game lead over the Orioles at the top of the American League East and a one-game advantage over the Guardians to remain the best team in the league.
It was also Soto's first career walk-off with New York.
Juan Soto walks off the Red Sox to keep them far from the Wild Card with 15 games left
Juan of a kind. pic.twitter.com/J8bEOa5mBj
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) September 13, 2024
Soto has posted a stellar season with the Yankees, and he's given them a slew of good incentives to sign him after he hits free agency this offseason. The 24-year-old is batting .289/.418/.577 with a .995 OPS with 39 homers, 28 doubles, four triples and 101 RBI.
The Red Sox's bats have failed them repeatedly during a critical stretch in the season. They fanned 14 times against the Yankees' pitching and collected just four hits on the night. New York didn't fare much better — it racked up seven hits and struck out eight times, but Soto was inevitable. The Yankees are banking on it.
Soto's first walk-off in New York is a glimpse of what the Red Sox could have to deal with for years to come if the Yankees sign Soto long-term. The Yankees and Mets are widely expected to be the top players for Soto's services once he reaches free agency, but more teams will surely be in the mix for the generational talent.
Boston could sign Soto and has plenty of money to do so. But if the Yankees sign him this winter, he could spoil the Red Sox's playoff chances more than once. The Sox are 4.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot, and if it doesn't take the rest of this series from New York, their postseason deficit will be insurmountable.