The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees entered their June 25-28 series with the worst and best records in the American League, respectively. The Red Sox's shocking four-game sweep lifted it back within 4.5 games of a Wild Card spot and 10 games below .500 — still a long way to go from potential playoff contention.
The Yankees, meanwhile, have hit a low point this season. They've won three of their last 11 games and fell out of first place in the AL. Losing to the Red Sox without those two outcomes still would've been brutal.
New York's tough streak has resulted in a few breakdowns across Yankee territory, the first of which happened during the Jnue 28 game. While the Yankees were down by two runs in the sixth inning, second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. was called out on a check swing strike three. The home plate umpire didn't appeal to third base, which is standard practice for check swings, explaining Chisholm's anger. But his outburst, during which he slammed his helmet into the ground, earned him an ejection.
Chisholm's irritation showed the Red Sox were in his head. At the time of his ejection, Sonny Gray was no-hitting his team with relative ease, which, coupled with the Yankees' struggles in the last week-plus, came to a head in the form of a screaming match with the home plate umpire. Red Sox fans got to enjoy the dismissal of one of New York's more polarizing players, as well as the best camera angle of any ejection ever.
Red Sox fans are reveling in the cacophony of Yankees noise after four-game sweep at Fenway Park
More Yankee fumbles came after the game when manager Aaron Boone was seemingly unable to properly process the sweep. He gave a bumbling quote that has both Yankees and Red Sox fans confused.
"That's what we do, baby. You've got to love this stuff. You've got to eat this stuff up. It's a sickness. That's what the grind is. We got a really good frickin team. We played crappy on this trip kinda," Boone said.
Boone's reaction is strange — there's nothing to love about being swept by the team that had the fewest wins in MLB when the series started (unless you're a fan of said low-win club). Also, the Yankees played crappy "kinda?" New York gave up nine unearned runs over the four-game series and struck out 34 times. The Red Sox didn't have to do much heavy lifting to fight them off until late in Sunday's game.
Arguably no reaction resonated with Red Sox and Yankee fans more than streamer Joez McFly's. The Jomboy Media podcast host and personality let New York have it after Sunday's loss, screaming and wondering why he turned the game on at all when he could've done something else with his evening.
Red Sox fans have been asking themselves the same question for months, as it's no fun watching a team incapable of overcoming a three-run deficit at any point against even the worst opponents. But finally, Sox fans were rewarded with a series sweep at home over their biggest rival, one of the best teams in the American League and one of the top two squads in their division.
Even when it's struggling, Boston can often pull itself together long enough to embarrass New York in a series or two a season. In this Red Sox campaign that's been breaking more ugly records than good ones, a four-game sweep against the Yankees — and fuel from team and fan reactions — could be exactly the thing the Sox need to get going.
Add us as a preferred source on Google