Last night and early morning today was an amazing time to be a fan of the Boston Red Sox for three main reasons.
- The Red Sox completed the sweep on the Baltimore Orioles in their second consecutive, pitching-staff shutout.
- Ace pitcher Chris Sale tossed an eight inning gem en route to that win, and in the process, he struck out 13 batters, with the 13th being his 300th of the season.
- Since the Red Sox won, and the Los Angeles Angels lost, a playoff spot has officially been clinched.
While there was no extravagant celebration on field or in the clubhouse for this feat due to fact that the team was likely on their way to Cincinnati when they first heard the news, it does not make it any less of a big deal. This is only their third time making it past the regular season in the last eight years.
And this year, with the dominant pitchers, and run-scoring offense, there is a strong smell of hope already looming for an appearance in the “Fall Classic.”
Since last year’s first-round drop to the Indians, this team should be as motivated as ever to make a strong and legitimate run at the pennant.
“Just getting into the playoffs is not our goal,” manager John Farrell told reporters Wednesday night. “Certainly it’s a stepping stone toward other things that we have our sights set on, as many teams do. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us.”
