Willson Contreras Shades Red Sox's Use of Analytics in Video After Sonny Gray's Early Exit

Willson Contreras indicated he felt overuse of analytics led Boston Red Sox manager Chad Tracy to pull Sonny Gray from Wednesday's Wild Card round elimination loss after just 70 pitches against the New York Yankees.

Contreras initially responded to reporters asking about his reaction to Gray's fifth-inning exit from the 9-2 loss by miming zipping his lips before elaborating.

"It's not enough when you have talent, or you have data, or you have computers that are telling you what to do, because this is baseball," Contreras said (h/t SNY). "The data is here to help us, but at the end of the day, you're going to have to need experience and veteran guys to win games."

When asked if he felt the Red Sox relied too much on data, Contreras nodded as he said, "If you watch the game."

Tracy, who had also pulled Game 1 starter Payton Tolle early, called Gray off the mound with two runners on base, one out remaining and the Red Sox trailing by one run in the bottom of the fifth.

Gray was replaced by Erik Miller, who on his third pitch of the game allowed a two-RBI single from Cody Bellinger.

Tracy then turned to Garrett Crochet for the sixth inning. Crochet allowed a run and loaded the bases until he was removed for Garrett Whitlock, who allowed five more runs before he was able to close out the frame.

Tracy said after the elimination loss he used the same reasoning to pull Gray as he had to remove Tolle from a Game 1 shutout loss to the Yankees.

"We're trailing. We're struggling to score runs, and when you get into spots where you're struggling to score runs and you're already trailing, you feel like you've got to be aggressive," Tracy told reporters Wednesday night.

The Yankees will now advance to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALDS, while the Red Sox will concede their second Wild Card loss in as many years. Ranger Suárez, who was slated to start a potential deciding Game 3, will not pitch this postseason.

The Red Sox fired former manager Alex Cora and turned to Tracy following a 10-17 start to the season. Tracy lost his interim tag and inked a three-year extension after leading the club to clinch a postseason berth.

Tracy will now be tasked with helping his club find a way to respond next fall to scoring two runs across their two postseason games.