"Cheering on a domestic abuser" "GOAT" - MLB fans divided as Aroldis Chapman's relief outing aids Red Sox playoff-clinching walk-off

The Boston Red Sox qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2021 and veteran reliever Aroldis Chapman was one of the major factors behind their push.

The two-time World Series winner has been lights out this season with hitters failing to lay bat on his heaters. The 37-year-old was at it again in Friday's thrilling matchup against the Detroit Tigers.

The Red Sox headed into the ninth inning after tging the score 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth. While Detroit threatened to score the go-ahead run in the ninth, Spencer Torkelson struck out swinging on a 90mph slider to leave a runner on base.

The Red Sox capitalized on Chapman's scoreless inning as Ceddanne Rafaela hit a triple to walk off the Tigers and punch Boston's postseason ticket.

However, fans were divided on the veteran All-Star closer's heroics.

"GOAT."

"Cheering on a domestic abuser."

"Chapman really Dug deep ! Love seeing it."

"Heeeerrreeessss Chappy."

"In not a fan of an abuser."

"Chappy came through again! What an incredible season for Mr. Chapman!"

Aroldis Chapman has 32 saves this season, tied for the fourth most in the league. His stellar 1.17 ERA has also made him an outside contender for the AL Cy Young award.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash