Photo: Jim MacKay/WBZ NewsRadio
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — After a four-year drought, the Red Sox are back in the playoffs and one win away from advancing to the American League Division Series.
With this Wild Card series in New York, the only chance the Red Sox have to host a playoff game would be if the Sox advance to the next round.
Meanwhile, outside of Fenway Park on Wednesday, Sox fans were still energized by Tuesday night's 3-1 win.
Pitching in his first career playoff game ever, Garret Crochet spun a masterpiece, striking out 11 Yankees.
And after giving up an opposite-field home run in the second inning to Anthony Volpe, Crochet settled down to retire the next 17 consecutive Yankee batters.
Sox closer Aroldis Chapman came on in the 8th inning to get the final four outs, preserving Crochet's well-deserved win.
It wasn't without its cardiac moments after Chapman in the 9th inning gave up three straight Yankee hits, loading up the bases with nobody out.
But then Chapman got a strike-out, a fly-out, and then struck out Trent Grisham to end the game, sending Red Sox Nation into a frenzy.
Joan from Maine is in town visiting her daughter, who lives on Boylston Street.
The two of them watched the game last night and are getting ready to watch what they hope is another Sox win tonight. "So excited!" she said. "Never so excited. This is like ... IT!"
Another fan said out loud what's on the minds of many other Sox fans: "There's nothing sweeter than going through the Yankees."
Brayan Bello takes the ball for the Red Sox tonight, going up against Carlos Rodon.
A Sox win knocks the Yankees out of the playoffs, while a win means the Red Sox advance to the next round, and the opportunity to play in front of their fans again.
WBZ News Radio's Jim MacKay (@JimMacKayOnAir) reports.