The Red Sox Just Became The First Team Ever To Win The First Game Of A Three Game Wild Card Series And Then Lose In That Series

Yankee fans - and most baseball fans - will remember this Red Sox/Yankees series for the otherworldly performance of rookie Cam Schlittler in Game 3. 

Red Sox fans will remember it as a series the Red Sox could have won. 

After winning Game One, they were in a great position. The first 12 teams in this best-of-three Wild Card Era who won Game One went on to win the series. 

Like Schlitter, the Red Sox made history - just the wrong kind.

Tip your hat to Schlittler; he was awesome on Thursday night. He started the night throwing 100 MPH and never seemed to stop. The sleepy Red Sox bats never came close to getting to the Massachusetts native. How bad was the Sox offense? 

Ultimately, it was the offense, defense, and fundamentals that let the Red Sox down. Over Games 2 and 3, the Boston bats had 11 hits - just one of those for extra bases (Trevor Story solo HR). 

They were credited with just two errors in those two games, but that doesn't include a Jarren Duran dropped fly ball. Or Cora asking Rafalea to bunt. Or third base coach Kyle Hudson not sending Nate Eaton in the 7th inning of Game 2; that remains the worst decision or play for the Red Sox in the series. 

Game 3 was an awful game to watch as a Red Sox fan. But as lifeless as Game 3 was, Game 2 is where this series was lost. The Sox had been 5-0 in elimination games under Cora before that game. 

If Roman Anthony didn't get hurt. 
If the Sox didn't trade Devers and get a brutal return.

If Hudson sent Eaton. 
If the Wild Card wasn't three games in NY. 
If Narvaez, Gonzalez, or Duran did ANYTHING at the plate in the series. 

None of that matters, but those ifs will linger over the first few weeks of the offseason. An offseason that should include getting a No. 2 pitcher behind Garrett Crochet. And maybe trading Duran. But those are discussions for the next few weeks. Craig Breslow and the front office will be busy. 

Like that laundry list of ifs above, this won't make Red Sox fans feel better, but this was a successful season. You got back to the playoffs. You watched Anthony show flashes as one of the best young players in baseball. You avoided the recent second-half falloffs. You spent money! And you seemed to win back many fans who might have tuned out over the last few seasons—a lot of good things happened in 2025. 

A few more hits and some smarter baseball this week in New York, and you might still be playing this weekend in Toronto. 

Instead, you made history - the wrong kind - in a Wild Card loss to the archrival Yankees. 

Go Blue Jays.