Sonny Gray Says Red Sox Manager Didn't Trust Him After 70 Pitches

Boston Red Sox starter Sonny Gray said he was frustrated after rookie manager Chad Tracy pulled him from Wednesday's wild-card game against the New York Yankees following just 70 pitches, according to ESPN. The Yankees went on to win 9-2 at Yankee Stadium, completing a two-game sweep of the series and ending Boston's season.

What did Sonny Gray say about being pulled?

Gray, Boston's top starter, made clear he disagreed with the decision to remove him in the fifth inning. "I think I'm the best pitcher in the American League going through the order a third time. I think that's a fact," Gray said, per ESPN. "I would have liked to have been trusted in that moment."

Was this part of a pattern for manager Chad Tracy?

It was the second straight game in which Tracy made an early call on his starting pitcher. A night earlier, in a 9-0 loss, Tracy pulled starter Payton Tolle after 4⅔ innings and 83 pitches with the score tied 1-0, ESPN reported. Tracy took over as Boston's manager in April after Alex Cora was fired, and both quick hooks drew scrutiny from players and reporters covering the series.

How did the Red Sox lose the wild-card series?

Boston was outscored 18-2 across the two games and was held to seven hits in the finale after managing just two runs over the series. The Red Sox had gone 26 innings without scoring in the postseason dating to last year until Willson Contreras hit a sixth-inning home run Wednesday, ESPN reported. New York, missing injured slugger Aaron Judge, still collected 26 hits over the two games.

By the numbers

• 70 — pitches Gray had thrown when he was removed in the fifth inning, per ESPN.
• 18-2 — Boston's combined run deficit across the two-game sweep, per ESPN.

Is this the same team that beat the Red Sox last year?

Yes. For the second consecutive season, the Yankees ended Boston's playoff run, and right-hander Cam Schlittler pitched another strong postseason outing against his hometown team, a performance ESPN noted echoed his effective start in last year's deciding Game 3. "To have it end here two times in a row is tough," Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story said, per ESPN.

What happens next for the Red Sox and Gray?

Boston's offseason begins with Tracy's in-game decisions as an open storyline after a season that started with Cora's firing and ends with back-to-back early pitching hooks in the wild-card round. Gray's comments put a spotlight on the working relationship between the rotation and a first-year manager heading into next spring.

What to watch

• Whether Red Sox leadership addresses Tracy's bullpen and pitching-change decisions this offseason.
• Gray's contract and rotation status for the Red Sox heading into next season.
• Whether the Yankees' deep playoff pitching, including Schlittler, carries into the ALDS.

For the full account of Wednesday's game and the series, see ESPN's report.