3. Take Your Pick: Chad Green Meltdown or Blown Domingo German Start
The Red Sox started the season 7-0 against the Yankees, but heartbreaking losses still managed to follow. Boston would triumph three more times, and two of them all but officially demoralized the Yankees.
In a late-July series at Fenway, the Yankees were one out away from taking the opener, but Chad Green allowed Kiké Hernandez to smack a two-run double in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extras. The Yankees would take the lead in the top of the 10th, but guess who came out to pitch the bottom half?
The newest member of the Baltimore Orioles: Brooks Kriske! Yup, that’s a guy the Yankees wasted a 40-man roster spot on, which let Garrett Whitlock stroll on over to Boston and become their best bullpen weapon in 2021.
Two wild pitches tied the game. A walk put Xander Bogaerts on first. Two more wild pitches moved him to third. and a sac fly front Hunter Renfroe put the nail in the coffin.
But perhaps the series finale was even worse. Domingo German, who was working to salvage a split, was tossing a no-hitter through seven innings. Awesome. The Yankees led 4-0. Six more outs and this baby was over.
German allowed a leadoff double in the bottom of the eighth and manager Aaron Boone immediately pulled him for Jonathan Loaisiga, who had arguably his worst outing of his season. Five runs later and this was 5-4. Three outs after that, the Yankees lost the game and dropped the four-game set. ONE of these wins gives the Yankees home-field in the ALWC.