Sometimes you just have to tip your cap and wonder if the stars are aligned.
After a gut-wrenching 18-inning marathon Game 3 loss in the wee hours of Saturday morning, the Boston Red Sox looked to be in shambles less than 24 hours in Game 4.
Most teams lose in the playoffs trailing 4-0 on the road in the seventh inning. The 2018 Red Sox had other plans, as they stormed back and won 9-6 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.
The victory marked the epitome of the kind of season it has been for the Red Sox, fighting and clawing their way to victory from a multitude of sources.
Boston has consistently been able to put runs across the board with two outs in the inning this postseason, as evidenced by Mitch Moreland’s pinch-hit three-run towering shot in the seventh. The Red Sox seem to never give in during an inning, and have all the offense in the world to mount comebacks that make any opposing team constantly on edge by knowing that no lead is safe.
It’s the unlikely cast of characters coming through in clutch situations that truly are hallmarks for a championship team. Whether it be Brock Holt clobbering his way to being the first player in postseason history to hit for the cycle, a relative unknown in Steve Pearce emerging to a force to be reckoned with, the entire bullpen doing a 180 and pitching effectively (besides Craig Kimbrel), Nathan Eovaldi going from journeyman rotation starter to a flamethrower with moxey, or David Price overcoming his demons and winning in the playoffs, this team has gone through the ringer.
If the club needs motivation, leaders know how and when to speak up. Chris Sale’s passionate message to his team trailing 4-0 sparked reminders of when David Ortiz rallied the troops in 2013 against the St. Louis Cardinals to an eventual World Series title. Teammates become emotional for each other, such as Rick Porcello admitting to reporters that he cried because he felt bad that Eovaldi pitched his tail off and came away with a tough loss when the team had no choice but to let him eat up as many innings as he could. Heck, even old friend Hanley Ramirez chimed in on Twitter saying “Uno mas boys. Uno mas”, meaning one more win until they capture the World Series.
They have a first-year manager that does not seem to get lost in the spotlight that is the Fall Classic in Alex Cora, who always seems to be pushing the right buttons in order to come away with a victory.
Simply put, it’s been one heck of a historic season for the 108-win Boston Red Sox. The sad part is that it’s coming to an end pretty soon.
They’ve come this far, it only makes sense to cap it off in celebration.
