A lot of folks have compared the 2021 Red Sox' start to that of what this team did in 2018.
In that case, there was an Opening Day loss followed by a nine-game win streak. After one loss to the Yankees -- the Joe Kelly Fight Club game -- the Sox rattled off eight more in a row.
So, if this season is mirroring three years ago ... the Red Sox had their hiccup before their next run.
Alex Cora's club saw its nine-game win streak come to an end when Max Kepler's bloop single with one out on the ninth plated Luis Arraez for a 4-3 Minnesota win Thursday.
"We just beat the American League Central champions three out of four so I mean we’ve been playing good baseball," said the Red Sox manager. "We were down 3-0, put up good at-bats, tied the game. They ended up winning the game. It’s another game. We didn’t play great overall but we did everything possible to win the game and that’s what we take out of this one."
Bloop! #TwinsWin | #MNTwins pic.twitter.com/L42nqW6JYI
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) April 15, 2021
The game -- which concluded with Cora in the clubhouse after being ejected, and reliever Adam Ottavino openly showing his frustration after allowing the game-winner -- wasn't without hints of why this team has offered optimism.
After a fairly nondescript first eight innings -- in which the Twins scored two runs off Red Sox starter Garrett Richards and another on a solo blast from Miguel Sano off Hirokazu Sawamura -- the Red Sox appeared to start crafting their next script.
With two on and two outs, Cora sent up Marwin Gonzalez to pinch-hit for Kiké Hernandez. The result was a walk, loading the bases. With J.D. Martinez still available, Cora put his trust in Alex Verdugo against Twins lockdown lefty Tyler Rogers.
The hero from the day before came through again, turning in the at-bat of the season. On the 10th pitch from Rogers, Verdugo went the other for a bases-clearing double.
INCREDIBLE at bat by Verdugo pic.twitter.com/tlx2QL4HLq
— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) April 15, 2021
Unfortunately for the Red Sox, an inning later, Ottavino wasn't able to avoid ending the streak. But on the way to Kepler's game-winner, Cora did find himself ejected thanks to a horrible call from home plate umpire Jordan Baker.
With runners on second and third and one out in the eighth, reliever Matt Andriese appeared to strike out Ryan Jeffers. But Baker ruled Jeffers fouled off what should have been Strike 3, leading Cora into his argument. (Andriese would strike out the hitter on the very next pitch, on virtually the very same pitch.)
"Yesterday you guys got together, so please, get together again," Cora said of the umpires. "And they decided it was a foul tip, he stayed with the call, and I got thrown out. I would just say, the one yesterday, you guys saw it. Just one of those, it was a tough one, especially in that situation. We come back, we're scratching and we're fighting and we know we got a strikeout, but it didn't work out right there, but then we got the strikeout and got out of the inning."
Great look at Andriese's nasty gyro changeup and horrible umpiring. pic.twitter.com/FkIFatekv3
— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) April 15, 2021
