Alex Cora is the best postseason manager in baseball today. But that’s not the only accolade he should receive. The Red Sox’ beloved skipper is also currently the best manager or head coach in Boston sports. Move aside, Belichick — at least for right now.
Cora pulled off a litany of deft maneuvers to help propel the Red Sox to their surprise ALCS berth. As baseball becomes increasingly ruled by our analytics overlords, managers appear to matter less than ever. They consult spreadsheets and formulas rather than their guts. The script is laid out before the game, and they will not deviate from it, even if circumstances warrant a different approach. Look no further than Kevin Cash, who lifted opener Colin McHugh after two perfect innings in Game 4, because he wasn’t going to let the right-hander face Kyle Schwarber twice.
The Red Sox scored five runs in a monster third inning.
But Cora is different. It’s apparent his presence matters in that dugout. The Red Sox were one of the worst teams in baseball during last year’s Covid-shortened season. With Cora back at the helm, they’re now going to the ALCS.
The Red Sox’ playoff success under Cora is incredible. They have a record of 15-4, giving Cora the best winning percentage (.789) of any manager with at least 15 postseason games of experience. They’re also 5-0 in elimination games, including Monday’s walk-off victory.
At some point, that stops being a fluke. Cora is magical.
“He made a huge difference,” Red Sox owner John Henry told reporters. “He makes a huge difference in the decisions he makes, as in 2018, especially in October -- his instincts and his intelligence in this game is unmatched.”
Those instincts were on display throughout the ALDS. Cora was faced with many difficult decisions throughout the four games, and made the right call almost every time. Let’s begin with the pitching staff. When Chris Sale tanked in Game 2, Cora pulled him immediately for Tanner Houck. The rookie threw five scoreless innings, allowing the Red Sox to get back into the game.
The following night, Cora picked the right man, Nick Pivetta, to guide the Red Sox through their epic 13-inning win. Despite throwing 73 pitches in Game 1, Cora went back to Pivetta on two days’ rest. The workhorse threw four shutout innings and cleared the way for Christian Vazquez to smash his walk-off home run.
That probably wasn’t the most statistically inclined move. Pivetta wasn’t at full strength, and there were still some fresh options available, including Adam Ottavino and Martin Perez. But Pivetta showed grit all season long, and wound up coming through in a huge spot — unfurling beautiful 12-6 curveballs along the way.
Cora also went to rookie Garrett Whitlock to escape a jam in the eighth. Talk about trusting your guys.
Even though Eduardo Rodriguez got smoked in Game 1, Cora went to him for Game 4 on three days’ rest. The lefty delivered five scoreless innings and only allowed three hits.
The Red Sox aren’t a perfect team. They make mind-numbing mistakes on defense and needlessly run into outs on the bases. But they’re resilient with Cora in the dugout. The Red Sox finished with the most comeback wins in baseball this year.
On Monday, they battled back after blowing a 5-0 lead.
The Red Sox pounce on other teams’ mistakes, which is something the Patriots used to do. But that doesn’t happen anymore. Bill Belichick’s team now matches misplays with misplays. Last week against Houston, they fumbled on the 1-yard line, missed a PAT, dropped a surefire touchdown pass and allowed rookie Davis Mills to come through with multiple 4th down conversions. The Patriots are now a mediocre club.
They are 11-16 dating back to December 2019. These problems were happening before Brady left.
The Bruins have been perennial contenders under Bruce Cassidy, but they’ve lost their big games. They fell to the Blues in the Stanley Cup Finals and dropped their second series to the Lightning in three years to close out the 2019-20 campaign. Last season, they fell to the Islanders in the semifinals. Cassidy is the anti-Cora: his teams came up short when it matters most.
We’ll see how Ime Udoka’s Celtics respond under pressure.
There is a steadfast belief among Ivy League-filled front offices that “clutch" is an artificial skill. They say the playoffs is largely about luck.
Well, then Cora should head to Vegas. With him at the helm, the Red Sox keep heading deep into October. He’s qualified for the ALCS in two of three seasons.
And it’s not crazy to think about him adding his second World Series title, either.
