Catching up with Shane Bieber, Romy Gonzalez
The Red Sox are leaving San Diego is a palatable place.
They are still within striking distance of the first-place Blue Jays, while sitting in the second wild card spot with a 2 1/2-game lead over the reeling Yankees and three in front of the outside-looking-in Guardians.
After losing the last two to the Padres - including Sunday's 6-2 decision at Petco Park - the vibes may have dissipated a bit, but not enough to suggest all hope was lost.
Still, what happened over the last two days should serve as a wake-up call for the Red Sox when it comes to living life as a legitimate postseason contender.
After another shock-and-awe trade deadline by Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller, the roster the Sox stared down over the weekend sure seemed next-level. There was the top-to-bottom lineup. There was a starting pitching group that was represented Sunday by Dylan Cease, who looked like the ace from the previous couple of seasons. And then there was the bullpen.
More than any other team, perhaps in the majors, it feels like if you don't have the lead heading into the final few innings against the Padre,s you don't stand a chance.
All-Star Jason Adam. All-Star Adrian Morejon. And a guy named David Morgan (not the singer from '3 Dog Night'), a rookie who happens to have a 1.71 ERA in his 27 games. They were the ones who closed things out this time in a game San Diego pulled away with five runs against Sox starter Brayan Bello.
The night before the Red Sox were introduced to some of the other participants in what might be baseball's most notable weapon, the Padres bullpen. Jeremiah Estrada. Closer Robert Suarez. And perhaps the buzziest of all trade deadline acquisitions, flamethrower Mason Miller.
Baseball should be afraid of the Padres. And if there is any doubt, the Red Sox will happily offer a letter or recommendation.
Perhaps the most notable microcosm of the wall that the good-but-not-quite-great Red Sox are going to have to punch through came in the seventh inning, after the hosts had taken a five-run lead.
Boston scored a pair of runs while still loading the bases with nobody out. But Adam would go on to strike out both Ceddanne Rafaela and pinch-hitter Abrham Toro before Morejon came on to whiff Roman Anthony.
Another postseason lesson was learned: Those teams that put the ball in play the most in October are usually the most successful.
Then there is the other element of success the Red Sox are going to need to uncover when it counts the most - consistent starting pitching from other guys not named Garrett Crochet.
The excellence of both Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello during this 35-game run by the Red Sox was one of the big reasons there was belief that this could work for Cora and crew. Since late June, no team in baseball had three starters with a 2.70 ERA or better other than the Red Sox. But there can't be the kind of hiccups experienced over the weekend in Southern California.
The combination of Giolito and Bello totaled a 7.84 ERA, allowing nine runs on nine walks and 11 hits over 10 1/3 innings. If that doesn't change the optimistic narrative surrounding the Sox will.
Maybe the Red Sox just hit the best the Padres had to offer the past couple of days. Perhaps the Sox this was just a bump in what has been a pretty smooth road since June 28.
The good thing is that the schedule has allowed for yet another reality check, with the Red Sox heading to Houston to play the first-place Astros. Winning at least two of three would hand the Sox just their second series win on the road against a team over .500 all year.
That would sure help put that sting the Padres supplied in the rearview mirror.
"You're in the hunt, right? So every day, showing up to the yard, and the way we've been playing, I mean, this group in here expects to win every single day that we show up to the yard," Alex Bregman told reporters after Sunday's loss. "So it's a fun feeling. And we look forward to continuing it."