The reason players are calling Fenway 'magical' in mid-August
There are few things in a baseball season that present absolute certainty.
Pitchers and hitters can get on a roll, but at some point during the 162 games, adjustments or injuries take things in a different direction. Teams' successes and failures are also presented with plenty of fork-in-the-road moments.
But it certainly seems the Red Sox have stumbled upon the aberration.
If it is close with "Sweet Caroline" having already been belted at, this season, the Red Sox' game that day will be punctuated with some sort of Fenway Park celebration. Case in point: Friday night.
In previous years, the scene presented by the first three-quarters of the Red Sox' series opener against the Marlins would have presented uneasiness among the Fenway crowd. Miami starter Sandy Alcantara was presenting his Cy Young form through the first six innings, and there were some lingering doubts carried over from a less-than-spectacular 2-4 road trip through San Diego and Houston.
But, once again, the evening was filled with a "it's-just-a-matter-of-time" vibe. Why? Because it was just a matter of time.
The Red Sox would load the bases in the ninth against rookie reliever Josh Simpson before getting their MLB-leading 10th walk-off win, this time courtesy of Trevor Story's opposite-field single against Calvin Faucher.
"It feels very magical here," said Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito, who gave up just one run in his 6 1/3 innings. "That’s how I would describe it, putting on the Red Sox and playing here. I think it’s just this energy we feed off as pitchers, having the home crowd standing up and behind us every single pitch. I think that’s probably why we’re doing well here."
"Magical."
The description seems somewhat apropos considering the Red Sox have now won five games in their new City Connect uniforms, all coming via walk-offs. Or that, in this case, they were able to claim a victory while recording three or fewer hits while allowing one or zero runs and nine or more hits for the first time since Aug. 27, 1957.
In reality, however, it's just that this team is playing really, really well in front of a fan base that has bought into actual late-summer baseball more than most years. First pitches, bobbleheads and theme nights are no longer the priority. The prize people are coming is the kind of scene Story provided at just about 9:30 p.m.
Since June 10, the Red Sox are 23-5 at Fenway, with their starting pitchers totaling a 2.47 ERA while compiling a 15-4 record. The hitters over that stretch have also done their part, totaling a .824 OPS with runners in scoring position. Conversely, the Sox's opponents' batting average in such situations is just .198 with an OPS of .546.
With 39 regular-season games left to play, there is still a long way to go. The Red Sox are just 1 1/2 games up for the second spot in the wild card, and five back of first-place Toronto.
But it seems like they have grasped onto some certainty heading into the regular season's crunch time: That this dynamic at Fenway is more than a simple illusion.
"They brought it tonight, like they usually do," the Red Sox shortstop said. "You definitely feel it in the ninth and we know the other team does, too."
