Full Breakdown
Red Sox Manager Chad Tracy’s Early Pitcher Pulls Spark Postseason Fallout
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Early Removal of Starters in the AL Wild Card Series
In the two-game American League Wild Card series against the New York Yankees, Boston’s interim-turned-full-time manager Chad Tracy pulled both of his opening starters before the end of the fifth inning. In Game 1, left-hander Payton Tolle was removed after 4 2/3 innings with one run allowed. In Game 2, right-hander Sonny Gray, the league leader in wins (18-5) and boasting a 2.72 ERA, was taken out after 4.2 innings and 70 pitches with two outs and two runners on base. Reliever Erik Miller inherited both situations and promptly surrendered runs that widened the Yankees’ lead, contributing to Boston’s 9-2 series-ending loss.
Background & Context
Tracy assumed the Red Sox helm in late April after Alex Cora’s dismissal and guided a dramatic mid-season turnaround that earned him a contract extension just weeks before the postseason. The organization’s offseason partnership with Driveline and its heavy reliance on data-driven decision-making set expectations that managerial moves would align with advanced analytics, especially the conventional wisdom that pitchers should be removed the third time through a lineup.
Data & Statistics
- Sonny Gray: 18-5 record, 2.72 ERA, 70 pitches in Game 2; third-time-through OPS .180, OPS+ 38 (league-average 100).
- Payton Tolle: 83 pitches in Game 1; allowed one run before removal.
- Erik Miller (relief acquisition): September WHIP 2.045, ERA 7.36; gave up a solo homer to Cody Bellinger in Game 2 and a home run to Ben Rice in Game 1.
- Garrett Crochet (left-handed ace on roster): had not pitched since April 25 (occurred) and was used in a short-relief role in Game 2, yielding four runs without recording an out.
Official Statements & Responses
He also cited the desire to avoid a third-time-through matchup against left-handed hitters.
Tolle, after his removal, acknowledged the team’s strong bullpen but expressed that he “could have gone longer” and respected the decision given the bullpen’s season-long performance.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We're trailing. We're struggling to score runs,” — Chad Tracy, red sox manager
- “As a competitor, you want to go as long as you can, and I think for me I see it as there’s people they’re going to trust,” — Payton Tolle
- “It’s not enough when you have talent, or you have data, or you have computers telling you what to do, because this is baseball,” — Willson Contreras, selling off veteran
- “Not just the pitch count necessarily, but you’re trailing already, you’re moving through the third time,” — Chad Tracy, red sox manager
- “I thought he threw the ball well,” — Chad Tracy, red sox manager
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Conventional analytics advise pulling a pitcher before a third encounter with the lineup, yet Gray’s third-time-through metrics (OPS .180, OPS+ 38) were markedly better than league averages, suggesting the data could have supported keeping him in the game. Sources do not disclose the specific models or thresholds the Red Sox analytics department applied, leaving a gap in understanding how the decision aligned—or conflicted—with the available performance data.