(Sonny Gray) The story behind this trend in Social Media today
01-10-2026
Sonny Gray, a veteran starting pitcher now with the Boston Red Sox, is trending because of his high-stakes start in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees on September 30 at Yankee Stadium. The Red Sox had already lost Game 1 by a 9-0 score and faced elimination.Gray pitched for the Yankees in 2017 and 2018 after being acquired from Oakland. That stint went poorly: he posted a 4.52 ERA overall with them, struggled under the spotlight, and was eventually booed by the home crowd. In one notable 2018 outing he was pulled early after smirking at the jeers, and he was later traded away. Gray has since said he never wanted to play in New York in the first place and that the experience, while difficult, ultimately made him a stronger pitcher and person. After joining Boston last offseason he publicly noted that one appeal of the move was how easy it is to dislike the Yankees, comments that circulated widely and added extra tension to this matchup.In 2026 Gray, now 36, delivered one of the best seasons of his career with the Red Sox: 18 wins (tied for the major-league lead) and a 2.72 ERA. He had already faced the Yankees twice during the regular season and pitched well, including a start in June in which he took a no-hitter into the eighth inning at Fenway Park.In Game 2 he lasted 4.2 innings, allowing two runs (one on a home run) before being removed with runners on base. The Yankees then added more runs against the Boston bullpen. The combination of the old Bronx history, Gray’s recent comments, the playoff stakes, and the early exit produced the wave of discussion. An actor who is a well-known Yankees supporter also went on a radio show beforehand and criticized Gray’s past tenure while predicting he would struggle again, which further fueled conversation around the start.