NEW YORK - For many, it might resemble abstract art. But for the Red Sox, it was just as they drew it up.
Home runs? Who needs them? Max Fried dominates for 6 1/3 innings? No problem.
When things have gone well for Alex Cora's team this year, there have always been answers. Some expected, like Garrett Crochet putting the team on his back. And others, not so much, such as a two-run rally manufactured most unexpectedly.
The recipe once again worked out.
Thanks to an out-of-nowhere seventh inning from the Red Sox's offense, and a heavy dose of Crochet, the Sox claimed a 3-1 Game 1 win in the best-of-three wild card round against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. It's a good spot to be in, considering that heading into this postseason, 18 of the 20 teams that have won the first game since the best-of-three construct was put in play have gone on to win the series.
Another factor not to be forgotten was the reminder that Cora is pretty good at pushing postseason buttons.
In this case, it was the decision to lean on Nick Sogard in the seventh after Ceddanne Rafaela had greeted reliever Luke Weaver with a one-out, 11-pitch walk. Sogard, who had got the start because of a .379 batting average hitting from the right side, switched around to hit lefty and came through with a double.
That paved the way for Cora to start some in-game maneuvering, inserting Masa Yoshida to pinch-hit for Rob Refnsyder. Yoshida, who had been 6-for-10 with runners in scoring position since Sept. 17, rifled the first pitch from Weaver into center field for a two-run, go-ahead single.
But it was Crochet who would serve as the Red Sox's brightest star, not allowing a run over 7 2/3 innings, while finishing off his evening by striking out Austin Wells with a 100 mph heater on the lefty's career-high 116th pitch.
Cora maneuvered in somewhat unorthodox fashion once again, bringing on closer Aroldis Chapman in the eighth inning for just the eighth time this season. The move worked out, with the closer getting Jose Caballero to strand the potential game-tying run at second base with a fly out to right-center field.
The Red Sox were then able to add insurance in the eighth thanks to two players who arrived separately in the Bronx due to their respective illnesses, Trevor Story and Alex Bregman. Story rebounded from three strikeouts to begin his night with a two-out single and subsequent stolen base. Bregman proceeded to plate his team's third run thanks to an RBI double.
Now, the Red Sox will turn to Brayan Bello to close things out Wednesday night in Game 2. It's about as pretty of a picture as the Red Sox could hope for.