Buster Olney tackles Cora, Counsell and the Cubs
CLEVELAND - The Red Sox' 6-4 loss to the Guardians wasn't a great way for Alex Cora's crew to end its six-game road swing. Some of the sloppiness that had been avoided for the first five contests reappeared, with the day feeling more like survival than legitimate steps forward.
Friday back at Fenway Park, there will be no such innocuous nature.
"I know it’s a tough one, but it doesn’t feel that way," Cora said after the defeat, which was highlighted for the hosts by Jose Ramirez's second-inning grand slam. "Get ready, hop on the plane and be ready for tomorrow."
The manager then added, "We’ve got to go. We’ve got to go. It’s very important."
So, why should Friday night stand out?
For starters, it's the starters.
Understand that why so many believed the Red Sox were making Yoshinobu Yamamoto their top priority, the reality was that they had their more realistic sights set on another Japanese pitcher, Shota Imanaga. Sure, they would have loved to have Yamamoto, but considering the price and competition, the organization understood what a longshot that would be.
Imanaga was a different story.
He was five years older than Yamamoto, and didn't possess the same shock-and-awe success in Japan. But Imanaga had caught Craig Breslow's eye well before the executive became the Red Sox' chief baseball officer. So much so, in fact, that when Breslow did come to Boston he brought with him a level of enthusiasm for the lefty pitcher the Sox front office simply didn't previously possess.
A Zoom call was had with Breslow, Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey and Sox manager Alex Cora, one which appeared to put the Sox in a good position when it came to reeling in Imanaga. But ultimately the Cubs' presentation - which was somewhat built on the work of the current Sox CBO - and a four-year, $53 million deal got Imanaga to Chicago.
Friday night, the Red Sox will get a chance to witness their former target first-hand. Imanaga is slated to make his fifth start of the season, having already made a powerful first impression, giving up just two earned runs in 21 1/3 innings, striking out 21 and walking just two.
"We’ve got a tough one tomorrow (against Imanaga)," Cora said after Thursday's losss. "He’s really good at what he does. But we’ve got to be ready. Friday night at Fenway. Make it fun."
Who is Shota Imanaga?
Another part of the equation that should be factored in when finding a reason to prioritize Friday night is who Imanaga is going up against. That would be one of the few starters with an actual ERA better than the Cubs' rookie, Kutter Crawford.
As amazing as Imanaga has been, Crawford's five-start run has been nothing short of incredible. The righty hasn't allowed more than a run in any of his appearances, going at least five frames in each of them.
It is the kind of rare pitching showdown that should sell tickets simply on its own.
And then there is the need to give a reason for baseball fans in and around Boston to care about going to Fenway Park beyond the starters, opponents and touristy experience.
Since the beginning of 2022, the Red Sox are just 85-87 at Fenway, having going 3-7 on their initial homestand of the 2024 season. Last year the record was 39-42. In other words, homefield advantage hasn't really been a thing of late.
If the Red Sox are to find an avenue in staying in contention, there has to be some semblance of juice when it comes to playing in front of the home crowd. And that reset can start against a team in the Cubs that will bring people out just due to the novelty of the North-Siders' presence.
The hope is that Rafael Devers' knee allows him to ultimately start anchor third base once again (although a return to the field most likely won't come until Saturday), the commitment to Ceddanne Rafaela as the team's everyday shortstop, and Tyler O'Neill finding his pre-concussion form will allow for the desired optimism. And, ultimately, as the days progress, closing in on returns from the likes of Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello and Vaughn Grissom (who is likely to debut during next week's Giants series) will supply an additional boost.
Thursday was easy for the Red Sox to put in the rearview mirror. Now Friday will help define what the road ahead might look like.
It's worth taking a peek.