This game had it all.
A disappointing start from 2016 American League Cy Young winner Rick Porcello. Brief bursts of clutch hitting and energy from an otherwise lackadaisical Boston Red Sox lineup. Dominance, albeit brief, from ace Chris Sale. Poor management of the bullpen. Overly aggressive baserunning.
In many ways, Game 4 of the 2017 AL Division Series, a 5-4 Houston Astros victory that ended the Sox’s season, epitomized the 2017 Red Sox. This year’s edition of the Sox, though dominant at times, never seemed destined for a long playoff run.
Let’s be honest. This Red Sox team was never going to beat the 101-win Astros. Five of Houston’s everyday players hit .299 or higher this season, and that doesn’t include slugger George Springer, who mashed 34 homers and 85 RBIs while hitting a respectable .283.
Led by the probable winner of the 2017 AL Most Valuable Player Award, José Altuve, the Astros pester opposing pitchers and dominate at the plate, in the field, and on the basepaths. It just wasn’t meant to be for these Sox.
On Monday, the Astros survived a Red Sox comeback, drilling an Altuve-sized nail in Boston’s coffin. Despite strong relief pitching from Sale, the Astros bested Sale and closer Craig Kimbrel in the eighth and ninth innings, and secured their spot in the AL Championship Series.
At least the Sox did not go down without a fight.
Down 2-0 in the series, the Sox outscored Houston 14-5 from the second inning of Game 3 to the very end. Manager John Farrell maneuvered around abysmal starting pitching by relying on strong outings out of the bullpen from David Price and Sale. Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts and Andrew Benintendi delivered key home runs (did you see Devers’ inside-the-parker?). Hanley Ramírez continued his career-long success in the postseason.
The Sox kept believing until the very end. They might not have been the most lovable or personable team in recent history, but they left it all on the field. And you have to admire that.
With the wounds of another early playoff exit still fresh, it’s important not to jump to conclusions and make emotional, rash decisions about this team. It’s easy to rush to judgement, and call for Farrell to be fired, Bogaerts to be traded, or whatever angry Boston fans will be suggesting on sports talk radio shows in the coming weeks. That doesn’t help anyone.
When asked about his future with the team during the postgame press conference, Farrell responded, “We just walked off the field 10 minutes ago.” In other words, back off. Give it time.
Before any calls are made or any heads roll, all of Red Sox Nation — from Sox President Dave Dombrowski to the hotheads calling into radio shows — needs to take a step back and assess. Why did Boston barely stumble into the postseason, get rocked by Houston, and fall drastically short of expectations?
Finding the answers may be hard, but hey, that’s baseball.
In answering those questions, it is crucial that emotion and impulsivity take a back seat to rationality and strategy. There are numerous issues that require attention, especially those which were on display in this Division Series. Entering the offseason, I see two main areas that need to be addressed at the outset.
First and foremost, many have lost confidence in Farrell. Though he has led Boston to three division titles in five years, including two in a row, his job security seems anything but solid. His players always stand by him, but after two consecutive ALDS losses and countless mistakes on the basepaths and in the bullpen, it may be time for a shakeup. Regardless, the Sox brass need to secure their leader going forward; either express confidence in Farrell, or move on.
Next, the Sox must address the power outage that occurred this season. Boston finished dead last in the AL in home runs, further proving that no substantial long-term solutions have been found to lessen the blow of losing David Ortiz. Whether that means trading for 59-homer Giancarlo Stanton, signing Eric Hosmer or J.D. Martinez, or at the very least, firing hitting coach Chili Davis, something needs to change.
This coming offseason will no doubt be an interesting one in Boston. Even though the Sox won 93 games, the future success of the club seems very much in flux. Many questions remain, from the occupant of the manager’s office to the health of starting pitchers.
As the coming months unfold, Dombrowski and his brain trust will take a serious look at the state of their team, and make informed and reasoned changes they deem necessary. We can do better.
It’s a good thing the team isn’t run by that radio caller, huh?
And in the meantime, Boston fans will just have to hope that Tom Brady and/or Kyrie Irving will bring home a trophy. I mean, what’s Boston without a championship parade?
