NEW YORK - 48,737 fans at Yankee Stadium chanted, "MVP! MVP!" But those chants weren't for Aaron Judge. The Yankees' three-time MVP captain wasn't even in the dugout, let alone on the field for pregame introductions. Yet, the New York Yankees destroyed their arch-nemesis, the Boston Red Sox, 9-0 in AL Wild Card Game 1 like a child's play.
It wasn't just a victory, it was a statement that the Yankees can win even without Judge.
1. Where is Aaron Judge? Why isn't he playing?
That was the biggest question. When the Yankees announced the Wild Card roster on Tuesday morning, everyone was shocked. Aaron Judge's name wasn't even included.
Judge was originally ruled out on September 16th due to a right calf strain. He had already been out for three months with a fractured right rib. He returned for only seven games and suffered a moderate-grade calf strain.
Team doctors said he is still running on an anti-gravity treadmill. MLB rules prohibit a player from being added to the roster mid-series, so the Yankees had to make the decision. Manager Aaron Boone didn't take the risk and kept Judge out. Giancarlo Stanton was activated in his place.
In other words, the player who was the most important player of the entire season didn't even exist on the most important night. But that opened the door for others.
2. The Massachusetts Boy Who Destroyed Boston - Cam Schlittler
If there was a true MVP this night, it was Cam Schlittler. The boy from Walpole, Massachusetts, who had been a fixture in New England sports since childhood, became the biggest weapon in destroying the Red Sox.
Schlittler ne kya pitching ki:
- 6.1 innings, sirf 2 hits, 1 walk, 11 strikeouts
- 117 pitches feke, jo 2012 me CC Sabathia ke baad kisi bhi Yankee starter ka sabse zyada hai
- Ek samay par lagatar 13 Red Sox batters ko out kiya, usme se 7 ko strikeout karke
- 1-0 ki lead ko 5th inning tak aur 2-0 ki lead ko 7th inning tak sambhale rakha jab tak bullpen garam hua
Yeh koi pehli baar nahi hai. Pichle saal bhi Wild Card ke Game 3 me Schlittler ne Boston ke khilaf 8 shutout innings me 12 strikeouts kiye the aur series clinch karwai thi. Ab uska career ERA Boston ke khilaf sirf 0.47 hai - 6 starts, 38.2 innings, 49 strikeouts. Red Sox ke liye wo ek bura sapna ban gaya hai.
Jab wo 7th inning me mound se bahar aa raha tha to poora Yankee Stadium khada ho kar "M-V-P!" chilla raha tha. Judge ka chant ab Schlittler ka ban gaya tha.
Baad me Paul Blackburn aur John Schreiber ne bachi hui 2.2 innings me koi run nahi diya aur shutout pura kiya.
3. Dusra Massachusetts Hero - Ben Rice, The Cohasset Crusher
Schlittler ne Boston ko roka, lekin unhe toda Ben Rice ne. Cohasset, Massachusetts ka ek aur ladka, jo bachpan me enemy territory me rehkar bhi Yankees ka fan tha.
Ben Rice ne jo kiya wo Yankees ke history me likha jayega:
- 4-for-5, 2 Home Run, 6 RBI
- Yankees ke postseason history me ek game me 6 RBI karne wale 5ve player bane, 2011 me Robinson Cano ke baad pehle
- 5th inning me 423-feet ka solo home run Payton Tolle ke khilaf - lead 2-0 ki
- 7th inning me ek aur RBI single
- 8th inning me game ka sabse bada moment - Brayan Bello ke khilaf garbage time nahi, balki statement grand slam, score 9-0
Rice ke 4 batted balls ka exit velocity 100 mph se zyada tha. Matlab wo ball ko maar nahi raha tha, tod raha tha.
Woh Dartmouth se padha hua ladka, jo clubhouse ka sabse shant aur samajhdar insaan mana jata hai, aaj sabse khatarnak slugger ban gaya.
4. Sirf Do Ladke Nahi, Poori Team Ne Maara
Is 9-0 ki jeet ka score dekh kar lagega ki ye ek aasan game tha, lekin asal me 7th inning tak sirf 2-0 tha. Yeh pitching duel tha.
- Austin Wells ne 2-for-3 aur 2 RBI ke saath scoring shuru ki
- Rookie George Lombard Jr. ne apne pehle hi playoff game me 3-for-4 kiya
- Yankees ke total 12 hits the, jabki Red Sox ke sirf 3
- Red Sox ka best hitter Adley Rutschman pehle inning ke baad kuch nahi kar paya
Yeh total team effort tha. Boone ne sahi kaha - "Judge nahi hai to kya hua, hamare paas 26 ladke hain jo jeetna chahte hain."
5. Ab Aage Kya? Kya Yankees Judge Ke Bina World Series Jeet Sakte Hain?
Game 1 ki is jeet ne Yankees ko AL Division Series se sirf ek kadam door kar diya hai. Series best-of-three hai. Game 2 aaj raat Wednesday ko phir se Yankee Stadium me hai.
Boston ki taraf se Sonny Gray season bachane ke liye pitch karega, jabki Yankees ke liye lefty Max Fried mound par hoga.
Red Sox ke liye sabse badi problem hai momentum. 9-0 se harne ke baad wapas aana aasan nahi. Dusri taraf Yankees ke liye confidence sky-high hai. Agar wo aaj jeet gaye to ALDS me unka samna Detroit Tigers ya Tampa Bay se ho sakta hai, aur tab tak shayad Aaron Judge bhi wapas aa jaye.
Lekin ek baat tay hai - is raat ne dikha diya ki 2026 ke Yankees sirf Aaron Judge ki team nahi hai. Jab tak Cam Schlittler jaisa pitcher 11 strikeouts kar raha hai aur Ben Rice jaisa ladka grand slam maar raha hai, tab tak ye team kisi ko bhi hara sakti hai, chahe samne Boston Red Sox hi kyun na ho.
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