Brock Holt’s Cycle Is First In MLB Postseason History
Mookie Betts began the night by hitting a ball on the nose to deep center field, sending Brett Gardner back as Yankees fans throughout the audience gasped.
It wouldn’t go out, but it was a message that Boston was ready to out-slug their rivals.
In a night where the ball was flying around the park, it was the Boston Red Sox doing all of the hitting as they pounded their bitter rivals.
The Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees 16-1 on Monday night at Yankee Stadium in Game 3 of the ALDS to take a 2-1 series lead.
Boston Red Sox second baseman Brock Holt would hit for the first cycle in MLB postseason history vs the Yankees in Boston’s blowout victory.
With the game all but salted away, Brock Holt would hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning to hit for the cycle vs the Yankees in a next to empty Yankee Stadium.
With wins and losses having heightened importance, Holt’s magical night in which he batted seventh on the night and went 4-for-6 with 5 RBIs will be quickly forgotten if Boston loses this series.
Still, not bad for a guy who’s mostly used as a utility infielder and had not played in over a week.
The Red Sox won all season long on the strength of an outstanding offense that was the best in most offensive categories this season.
On Monday night they used that strength to overmatch and embarrass the Yankees, who had tied the series in Game 2.
The Boston Red Sox would strike first in this critical Game 3 with three runs in the third as Mookie Betts sparked the Red Sox with his bat and aggressiveness on the base paths as Boston took a 3-0 lead.
After watching his young starter Luis Severino load the bases with nobody out to begin the fourth inning, Aaron Boone would be forced to go to his bullpen early for right-hander Lance Lynn.
Luis Severino, shaky, would exit Game 3 of the ALDS to light boos from the crowd as he failed to deliver for the New York Yankees on Monday night.
Those boos in Yankee Stadium would turn into stunned silence at what was a raucous environment at the start of the game as left fielder Andrew Benintendi followed a bases loaded walk to Mookie Betts by unloading the bases with a three-run RBI double to stake Boston a statement 7-0 lead.
…… Oh, you’re saying there was MORE?
The Red Sox turned the skill difficultly to rookie on the Yankees in the fourth inning as three more runs would come in to score to cap a seven-run inning that saw a grand total of 11 men reach base.
11!!!
The New York Yankees would get a run back with the inning switching over on a RBI infield single by shortstop Didi Gregorious to make it a 10-1 game, but the mountain would be too large for the Pinstripers on this night.
Nathan Eovaldi (1-0), who spent two seasons with the Yankees from 2015 and 2016, got the ball for the Red Sox in Game 3.
The hard throwing righty would give Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox a much-needed performance that exceeded expectations.
Eovaldi would shutdown the New York Yankees high-powered offense on a cool night in the Bronx. The 28-year-old would allow one run on five hits while striking out five over seven dazzling innings.
He used his four-seam fastball that would touch 100 mph and his cutter to befuddle a Yankees lineup that was hot entering the postseason.
Eight days of rest did the Red Sox right-hander well as his performance on Monday gave the Red Sox a pulse with their starting pitching woes.
The Red Sox piled up 18 hits and a total of 25 men on base as their 16 runs vs the New York Yankees are the most all-time in the postseason.
Aaron Boone and the Yankees will have to go back to the drawing board quickly as their season is now on the line tomorrow night vs a team that would love nothing more than to celebrate a ALCS birth on their field.
What are your thoughts on the Boston Red Sox victory tonight? Leave your comments below!
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