NEW YORK — Chad Tracy left Game 1 with a pitching decision to explain and no more room for another loss.
After the Yankees beat Boston 9–0 on Tuesday, the Red Sox manager faced questions about how he had handled a game that was still within reach before New York broke it open. His explanation centered on trying to stay competitive while keeping relievers available for the rest of the series.
“Now you have to win two in a row,” Tracy said.
The most revealing exchange concerned his choice to use Gamboa with Boston trailing 2–0. Asked why he had not turned to a higher-leverage arm, Tracy pointed to the possibility of needing another back-end reliever for the following inning, with New York already nearing its own late-inning options.
That reasoning gives Red Sox fans a specific decision to debate. Preserving pitchers has value in a best-of-three series. So does keeping a two-run game close enough for one rally to change it.
The result exposed the cost: New York scored twice in the seventh and five times in the eighth. Boston now has to win consecutive games to advance.
Tracy also explained removing Payton Tolle with two outs in the fifth. He cited more than the pitch count: the lineup was turning over for a third time, Rice had already doubled off Tolle, and the manager liked the matchup available with Miller. “Just felt like it was the time to go,” Tracy said. Rice subsequently homered off Miller.
The offense left little margin for those decisions. Boston managed three hits in the shutout as Schlittler struck out 10.
There was another concern beyond the score. Tracy said Roman Anthony’s hand became too uncomfortable for him to continue after swings aggravated it. At the postgame press conference, the manager could not say whether Anthony would play Game 2.
Tracy expressed confidence in Sonny Gray for the next start. Boston needs that confidence to translate into innings, and its lineup needs to give the pitching staff something to protect.
The Red Sox still have a route through this series. Every remaining game is now an elimination game.
Read Chad Tracy’s complete postgame transcript from ASAP Sports · Watch Tracy’s postgame clip on MLB · More Red Sox–Yankees series coverage
