Yankees Season Comes to End in Wild Card Game

RED SOX 6 - YANKEES 2 

And just like that the season is over. 

The 2021 Yankees limped into the night, and into an uncertain future for many of its star players and manager, after suffering a 6-2 defeat at the hands of the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday in the AL Wild Card game. 

It will be remembered as a night of missed opportunities. A night where Gerrit Cole, the Yankees' $324 million man, spit the bit and couldn't get out of the third inning. A night where bad base-running became an epidemic -- just ask Giancarlo Stanton who didn't run out of the box when he though his hit off the facade of the green monster was good enough for a home run, or just ask third base coach Phil Nevin who never put up a stop sign on Aaron Judge as the slugger rounded third and into the waiting arms of catcher Christian Vasquez. 

Tuesday's loss was a total nightmare for the Yankees. A reminder of how far this franchise has fallen when compared to the Red Sox or even the Tampa Bay Rays in their own division.  It was season of ups and downs, and it was fitting that it would end it such a downward spiral. 

Cole just never had it. He served a mammoth two-run homer to Xander Bogaerts in the bottom of the first inning that set the stage for Boston with a 2-0 lead. Two innings later, Kyle Schwarber took Cole deep some 435 feet into the right field stands for a solo shot that made it 3-0 Red Sox. 

That was really all Aaron Boone needed to see. After 50 pitches of not-so-stellar command, Cole was out of the game. There was no injury. Just a guy who continues to struggle on the hill since the whole spider tack incident from earlier this year. 

In fact since May, Cole's ERA has been on the rise. It was 4.65 in June; 4.71 in July and 5.13 in September. He was not good in his last outing of the regular season up in Toronto a week ago. He was worse here.

For a guy who is making over $30 million a year, the Yankees needed Cole to be an ace, and he came up snake-eyes. No excuse for that. 

However, the most painful moment of the night had to come when the Yankees were actually showing signs of rallying in the sixth inning. A home run by Anthony Rizzo was followed by a single by Aaron Judge. Stanton came up, and for the second time on the night, crushed a pitch that caromed off the Green Monster. Keke Herenandez made a terrific relay throw to Xander Bogearts, who spun and threw out Judge at the plate. 

Upon further review, Judge never got a stop sign from third base coach Phil Nevin. In retrospect, he should have stopped Judge at third, and set up a situation with second and third and one out.  Instead, the gaff took the Yankees right out of the inning. 

The Yankees would never get closer, as Alex Verdugo would drive in the final three runs for Boston on a double in the seventh inning, and a two-run single in the eighth to make it 6-1. 

Stanton, for as frustrating a night as he had at the dish, was 3-for-4 with a solo home run in defeat. 

The Yankees now limp into the off-season with plenty of questions. One of which will be the status of manager Aaron Boone, who has drawn the ire of Yankees fans all season. Will Boone, who is not under contract for 2022, return? It remains to be seen.