BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox, who returned home in the wee hours Wednesday after their after-hours party at Yankee Stadium, celebrating the AL Division Series championship over their storied rival New York Yankees, woke up and braced themselves for the sobering news.
The preliminaries are over. If they are going to reach the World Series, winning for the fourth time in 15 years, they’re going to have to take on the heavyweight champs next.
Yep, the mighty Houston Astros, winners of last year’s World Series, who may even be better than a year ago.
The Red Sox insist they’re confident, and, yes, may have to change their music selection. It’s silly to play Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York,’’ mocking the Yankees, once they get to Houston. They may have to go country and change to “Deep in the Heart of Texas,’’ the song played at every Astros game.
No matter what song they choose, the Red Sox are strutting into the series with bravado, their victory total now at 111 games, and a Texas-sized chip on their shoulders. They killed off the Yankees. Now, they’re seeking revenge on the Astros, the team that ended their season a year ago when they won the AL Division Series in four games.
Not many outside Boston's clubhouse are giving them a chance to win, almost like the Yankees series when they were tied at one game, and all the Red Sox heard was that they were done.
“A lot of guys doubted us,’’ Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts said. “I turned on the TV, and everything is, 'Yankees in 4.' I’m like, 'What is going on? How can we have 108 wins, and they’re like the Yankees are going to win in four?' I don’t understand."
This is a team that won more games than any team in baseball, the most in franchise history, and some folks are treating it as if it’s no more significant than winning the Grapefruit League title in spring training.
“I think the media, from the first day of spring training, was pretty negative, even though we won the division two years in a row," Red Sox co-owner John Henry said. “[We] just needed to be a little more aggressive in our approach, because these guys are so talented, they just needed somebody to say, 'Go get 'em.'
“And they went and got them this year, all year long.’’
The Red Sox, under rookie manager Alex Cora, certainly did just that, and he was a mastermind in their four-game series victory over the Yankees, making bold and daring moves that paid off every time.
Cora even took the ultimate gamble in Tuesday’s 4-3 victory when he brought in ace Chris Sale in the eighth inning. If Sale struggled, or the Red Sox lost the game, they were done. Sale was scheduled to pitch in Game 5, and after pitching only 17 innings in the final two months of the season with an inflamed shoulder, just how long could he possibly have lasted in the elimination game?
“I was ready to find out,’’ Sale said.
We’ll never have to know.
Sale, who pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning, is now ready for his own revenge. Last year was his first postseason, and it was ugly. He started one game, pitched in relief in another, and lost them both. He went home yielding an ugly 8.38 ERA, permitting four homers in just 9 2/3 innings.
“My first go at it was God-awful,’’ Sale said. “It was as bad as it can get. It left a bad taste in my mouth. It sucked. I look at what happened the first time around, and obviously I was trying to flip the script. And here we are.
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“Anybody outside of this clubhouse can say whatever they want. We know who we are, and we know what we can do. Comes with the business, you know?"
Just in case you think the Red Sox are going to go timid now, Cora not only is doubling down on his gutsy moves, but pushing all of his chips in by announcing Wednesday that David Price is staying in the rotation. Sale is pitching Game 1 Saturday against Verlander. Price is pitching Game 2 against Gerrit Cole.
Price was booed off the mound in Game 2 of the Division Series after facing just 10 batters, and getting a mere five outs in the Red Sox’s 6-2 loss. Price has now started 10 games in the postseason with three different teams, and his team has lost all 10 games, with Price going 0-9 with a 6.03 ERA. Only two other pitchers in history have made at least 10 postseason starts and had a higher ERA.
Now, he’s back on the mound, looking for his own vengeance.
“I think there's been guys around the league that they struggle their first 10 starts," Cora said. “Like, [Justin] Verlander, nobody remembers that he wasn't good early in his career in the playoffs, and now he's kind of like the poster child of playoff baseball.
“One thing for sure, he's in the same spirits today. He's ready to roll, which is very important for us.’’
Considering that every move he made in the Division Series turned to gold, how can anyone question Cora now, or doubt the Red Sox’s swagger?
“From Day One in spring training, he’s been our guy,’’ Red Sox infielder Bock Holt said. “From the beginning, he told us how good we can be. We obviously knew that, but we believed him.
“There’s no reason to stop believing now.’’
Follow Bob Nightengale on Twitter @BNightengale
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