There was the feel-good glimmer of hope.
Maybe, just maybe, the sights, sounds and vibes emanating from the home o the Little League World Series would be just what the Red Sox needed. Sure, there was a game to be played against the Orioles, but before that first pitch Sunday night were waves of reminders that baseball can actually be fun.
Alex Cora and his players jumped on cardboard and slid down a hill. Pictures were taken. Autographs were signed. And one ear-to-ear smile after another were thrown the Red Sox' way immediately after stepping off their plane.
“It was great,” Cora told MLB.com. “Something that I will always remember. This is baseball at its purest. Have fun with the kids, enjoy it and turn the page. The whole morning was outstanding. The atmosphere [during the game] was great. The kids were able to watch some real good baseball and they had a blast. It was an outstanding day, regardless of the results.”
But, unfortunately for the Red Sox, outside those few hours leading into Game No. 122, this is a results business. And right now, business is not good.
The short trip to Pennsylvania might have been the final run from reality for these Red Sox, who after their 5-3 loss to the Orioles now sit six games out of a Wild Card spot.
The company line is that this is still a wait-and-see situation, with three teams sitting in front of them in the Wild Card standings - Toronto, Tampa Bay and the Twins rounding out the month. But there is little to make anyone feel like that Hail Mary will be completed by the time Sept. 1 rolls around.
The latest bit of discouragement came in the form of the inability of two relievers the Red Sox would be needing to lean on - Matt Barnes and John Schreiber - combining to give up three eighth-inning runs, allowing Baltimore a lead it wouldn't surrender.
Schreiber has been the latest foundation piece to seemingly run out of steam for the Red Sox, with the pitcher's high-leverage workload finally catching up. In his seven outings, he has surrendered a combined seven runs while allowing opponents a .345 batting average and .980 OPS. Prior to Aug. 7, Schreiber had allowed a total of eight runs (with an opponents.166 batting average) in 40 appearances.
And then there was the pregame news that Nathan Eovaldi hasn't quite rebounded from his trap ailment, further postponing a return to the rotation.
Oh, and there still is no sign of Trevor Story despite some occasional batting practice sessions.
Let's face it, the wheels had probably fallen off the Red Sox well before jumping on those cardboard slides. Sunday afternoon allowed for a nice escape from the chaos of the 2022 season. Unfortunately for Alex Cora and Co., the escape didn't last long.
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