Joe Kelly was an unwelcome visitor Tuesday night at Yankee Stadium.
The Boston Red Sox reliever made himself an enemy of New York Yankees fans everywhere last month when he plunked Tyler Austin, sparking a bench-clearing brawl at Fenway Park. So when Red Sox manager Alex Cora called Kelly’s number in the seventh inning of Tuesday night’s game — Boston’s first in the Bronx since the teams’ heated melee — the right-hander was mercilessly booed.
Kelly doesn’t seem to care.
“Nothing I haven’t heard before,” Kelly told reporters after the game, which the Yankees won 3-2 to pull even with the Red Sox in the American League East standings.
Kelly’s appearance in Tuesday’s series opener at Yankee Stadium was the definition of being thrown into the fire. Not only was the crowd getting on his case even before he left the bullpen, Kelly also was tasked with facing Aaron Judge with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning of a tie game after a shaky performance by Heath Hembree.
“It was probably more of a playoff-like atmosphere,” Kelly said of his trip to the mound. “Anytime you can pitch in the playoffs, it’s very similar, so it was fun.”
Of course, the end result wasn’t too fun for Kelly and the Red Sox. Judge ripped a single into left field to give the Yankees a 3-2 lead they’d never relinquish. Kelly still did a good job of minimizing the damage, though, suggesting he wasn’t too rattled despite the hostile environment.
“When I’m on the mound, it’s one of those things where I’m just worried about my pitching,” Kelly said. “Focus on that. You don’t really see anything else.”
This likely won’t be the final pressure-packed situation Kelly faces this season. And many of the biggest moments could come at Yankee Stadium, where it’s quite clear he’s public enemy No. 1.
