Chad Tracy is on the spot for trying to fix what wasn’t broken. In the middle of a solid outing for Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Sonny Gray in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card against the New York Yankees, the former interim manager, recently locked in as the long-term Red Sox manager, pulled the starter from the mound.
The plan backfired immediately as the Yankees blew the visitors out of the water for yet another blowout score. With that, Boston‘s season came to yet another abrupt end with an early playoff exit in the MLB Postseason, and the fanbase in Massachusetts wasted no time going after Tracy.
“And now we pull Sonny for no reason,” a fan replied to a Red Sox’s post on Instagram. “Taking out Gray after 4.2 [innings] is crazy,” another confused fan stated. “Great, Chad [Tracy], because pulling the starter early worked great yesterday,” and “What in the hell are you doing taking out Gray? 70 pitches, 50 strikes? What the…” other fans said.
“Season on the line and Chad Tracy pulls the most consistent pitcher the Red Sox have had all season at 70 pitches,” John Martinello of the Red Sox Digest wrote on X.
Sonny Gray #54 of the Boston Red Sox.
Sonny Gray’s stats in Game 2 vs NY Yankees
Sonny Gray’s night in The Bronx ended abruptly, catching many fans by surprise. The 36-year-old starter pitched 4.2 innings in Boston’s elimination Game 2 at Yankee Stadium. The right-handed pitcher allowed six hits and two earned runs, as well as a home run to right-center against Luis Garcia Jr.
Who and when are the NY Yankees playing next in 2026 MLB playoffs after eliminating Red Sox?
Still, he had five strikeouts and a 70-50 pitch-to-strike ratio. It wasn’t a perfect outing for Gray, but he was still giving his team a chance to win, and with the season on the line, not many expected Tracy to abandon his starter less than five innings into the game.
How Boston fared without Gray
After pulling Gray, Boston had no luck with its bullpen. The Red Sox went through their options. Erik Miller, Garrett Crochet, Garrett Whitlock, Alec Gamboa, and Aroldis Chapman were all brought in to pitch, combining for three innings, eight hits, and seven earned runs.
After taking Gray out of the game, Boston went on to allow eight runs, including a three-run home run. The Red Sox’s 2026 MLB season was eventually sealed by a disastrous bottom of the sixth inning in which Crochet was replaced by Whitlock, but neither could get the batters out, leading to New York going through its batting order.
In the end, everything went south for Boston after Gray was pulled, but it never really looked good for the Red Sox in The Bronx. The die was cast well before Tracy abandoned his post in the dugout and called for Gray to be pulled.
Key takeaways
- Chad Tracy pulled starter Sonny Gray during the AL Wild Card Game 2 loss.
- Sonny Gray allowed six hits, two runs, and struck out five over 4.2 innings.
- The Boston Red Sox bullpen allowed eight runs after pulling their starting pitcher.
