Red Sox 8, Yankees 1: Yankees Suck

The idea that the Red Sox did nothing at the 2023 trade deadline is a myth. They may not have done enough to help this team climb back into a postseason spot. And, in the inverse, they may not have taken advantage of their sellable assets to build for the future. But they did not do nothing. What they did was acquire their starting second baseman for the next two years.

Luis Urias hit his second grand slam in as many games, and that was enough to down the Yankees, and (hopefully!) end their season. He’s probably not going to keep hitting grand slams every game for the rest of his Red Sox career. But there’s no reason to believe he can’t return to the 100+ OPS hitter he’d been for the previous two seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers. Swapping a mid-tier prospect in the lower minors for a big league starter is a no-brainer move, and the type of trade Chaim Bloom should be much more willing to make than he has been thus far.

On the other side of the box score, Kutter Crawford was outstanding, allowing just one hit (an Aaron Judge homer) over six innings of work in what might have been his best outing of the season. You can make an argument that he’s been the MVP of the Red Sox pitching staff this year, and you wouldn’t have to work too hard to do it (it’s probably Bello so far, but still, argue away).

Three Studs

1. Kutter Crawford: 6 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 HR, 5 K
2. Rafael Devers: 3-5, HR, 1 R, 1 RBI
3. Luis Urias: 1-3, GS, BB, 4 RBI, 1 R

Bonus Stud: Connor Wong: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, one tidy little defensive play

Three Duds

1. Justin Turner: 0-4, 2 K
2. Alex Verdugo: 0-4, 1 K, 1 BB
3. Yankee Stadium, Again: what a dumb, sterile, tiny little ballpark this thing is!

Play Of The Game

It was the Urias grand slam in the first inning, which represented the only four RBIs the Red Sox would need to win the game. But because defense is cool and fun, let’s give some special recognition to this play by Connor Wong. Athletic catchers kick ass.