Former Rangers World Series champions have hearts broken in AL Wild Card

You never know what will happen when two teams meet up in a winner-takes-all playoff game in October. Stakes are high, crowds are loud and one teams ends up advancing while the other is sent home sad.

Exactly what happened to three teams during Thursday's Wild Card Game 3s, including the Boston Red Sox, who lost to the New York Yankees 4-0 at Yankee Stadium.

That meant the seasons of former Texas Rangers Aroldis Chapman and Nathaniel Lowe came to an end short of another World Series title.

Lowe's defensive blunder tough blow in AL Wild Card loss

Up 1-0 in the Wild Card Series after a hard fought Game 1 victory, the Red Sox became just the first team to a blow a 1-0 series lead since the best-of-three Wild Card was implemented back in 2022.

Lowe, 30, got to the Red Sox via waiver claim on August 18 and in the regular season he took over sporatic first baseman duties for Boston. In 34 games with the Red Sox, Lowe hit .280 with two home runs. 16 RBIs, six doubles and a .790 OPS.

However, it was a tough Wild Card Series for the former Gold Glover, who went 1-for-7 (.143) in the three games and made an unfortunate defensive blunder during the Yankees' four-run fourth inning.

Lowe is arbitration eligible with Boston and the team has an option to either tender him a contract for 2026, if not he will hit free agency.

Chapman's marvelous season ends earlier than normal for the lefty

Chapman was perhaps one of the best, if not the best, relievers in Major League Baseball this season.

The 37-year-old southpaw was an All-Star for the eighth-time in his 14 year big league career, pitching in 67 games for Boston to the tune of a 5-3 record, 1.17 ERA, 85 strikeouts, 15 walks and only allowing eight earned runs in 61.1 innings. At one point, Chapman had faced 50 batters without allowing a hit.

He pitched in two games for Boston and while he did load the bases with no outs in the ninth inning, during Game 1, he retired the next three batters to close out Boston's lone win in the series.

Unlike Lowe, Chapman's future is secure after signing an extension with Boston in September, which guarantees him $13.3 million next season.