As celebratory champagne rained down in the Boston Red Sox clubhouse Saturday night, members of Red Sox Nation pondered the question: Why do I feel so nervous about a team that just clinched the contentious American League East?
This past weekend, the Sox wrapped up their second consecutive 93-win season, finishing atop the AL East yet again. Boston is headed back to the postseason. So why does so much concern surround this team?
Perhaps apprehension exists because the Sox ended the season with five losses in their final seven games, including three to the Houston Astros, who they will be facing in the American League Division Series. That’s certainly worrisome. But prior to that 2-5 skid, Boston had won six straight amidst a 14-3 run.
This team is an enigma.
With the ALDS beginning on Thursday night, the Red Sox have a lot of kinks to sort out in a very short amount of time. Questions abound, especially regarding the team’s biggest strong-suit: pitching.
Can Chris Sale rise to the occasion in his first postseason appearance, despite an inconsistent final month? Who will take the mound for a potentially decisive Game 3? Can the bullpen work out its issues? What role will David Price fill?
Though many questions remain, it is not time to push the panic button. Sure, the Sox repeated their 2016 strategy of stumbling to the finish line and barely securing the division title. But this is still a team that won 93 games and features an ace who hurled 308 strikeouts, an elite bullpen and numerous offensive weapons up and down the lineup.
Most importantly, when the calendar flips to October, it’s a fresh start. When it comes to postseason baseball, anything can happen.
This is not to suggest that the regular season, and trends and flaws that emerge therein, are irrelevant. Of course not. The fact that the Cleveland Indians won 26 of their final 30 games should be of grave concern to any team that finds itself in the Indians’ path. I wouldn’t want to face Cleveland in the ALDS, especially not after being swept by them last season.
However, when the postseason begins, everything changes. The lights are brighter, the air is crisper, and the stakes are sky-high. The history book doesn’t care if you won 162 games or 80. October baseball is a different animal. One key hot-streak, and the Commissioner’s Trophy is yours.
Here are some examples:
- In 2011, following a decent but not outstanding season, David Freese etched his name in St. Louis lore. He slugged .397 with 21 RBI in 18 postseason games, propelling the Cardinals to a world championship.
- When the Red Sox won it all in 2013, David Ortiz hit .353 in 16 postseason games. Closer Koji Uehara posted a 0.66 earned-run average in 13.2 innings, striking out 16 and walking none.
- When the San Francisco Giants won championships in 2012 and 2014, Pablo Sandoval hit .364 and .366, respectively. Though his time in Boston proved to be a colossal failure, his postseason resume astounds.
All it takes is one breakout star. One “x-factor.” Just ask LA Dodger’s manager Dave Roberts.
The 2017 Boston Red Sox are a confounding bunch. They hit well, they pitch well, they win in extra innings — and yet, Sox fans can’t help but feel uneasy about the team’s chances this October. Despite consecutive division titles, and three in the last five years, manager John Farrell remains a controversial figure in Sox Nation. Nothing is easy in Boston.
As the Sox prepare to take on the Astros, they, as well as nervous Sox fans everywhere (myself included), should remember: October baseball is special. Sure, ending the season on a gloomy note is cause for concern. But when Sale toes the rubber in Houston on Thursday, all expectations and worries should be thrown out the window. Leave those in the regular season.
Playoff baseball is here, and it’s a whole new season.
Who knows? Maybe an unlikely hero will emerge for these 2017 Red Sox. Sam Travis? Brock Holt? Price?
It’s October. Anything can happen. Are you ready?
