The Red Sox (and Roman Anthony) got a taste of what can be

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - "I would hope you would support who we are. Not who we are not."

That line was famously uttered by Gene Hackman's character, Coach Norman Dale, in a classic movie released almost exactly 40 years ago, "Hoosiers." Four decades later, it still fits ... at least when it comes to the 2026 Red Sox as they currently stand.

With so many Red Sox followers hemming and hawing about the uncertainty surrounding this club with eight games to go, there are some encouraging certainties that were brought to light in the Sox's series-opening 4-2 win over the first-place Rays on Friday night at Tropicana Field.

First and foremost, the victory (their fifth straight against Tampa Bay) put the Sox in a position to clinch a postseason spot on Saturday with another win over the Rays and a Texas loss to Toronto ... or, a win against Tampa Bay, a Blue Jays loss and have the Braves beat the Astros. It all seems like a foregone conclusion, particularly since Chad Tracy's team is six games up on the current third wild-card team, the White Sox. But nonetheless. The earlier you can break out the bubbly and start officially planning for the playoffs, the better.

"I think everybody does, for sure," said Tracy when asked if there was some heightened anticipation to finally make the postseason official. "We came out and looked really good offensively in the first part of that game, and there was a lot of energy in the dugout. And I think guys feel it. We're not done yet, but I definitely think they sniff it, and we're wanting to get there for sure."

What they are, the Red Sox also represent, is a far more interesting team when this version of Romany Anthony arrives at the top of the batting order.

Anthony broke out of a 1-for-12 slump against Texas to set the tone for the Red Sox with a 438-foot homer to lead off the game. He would follow up that with a two-run single in the second inning to give Ranger Suarez all the support he would need. The presence at the top of the lineup was exactly what the Sox needed and will need.

"I was grinding there for a little bit," said Anthony, who was playing his first major-league game in the state where he won Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2022. "That Texas series was a grind. But you can look back at yesterday and Trevor with the big swing there. It’s going to be somebody different every night, and I think that’s the identity of this team. For me, it’s about sticking my nose in there and continuing to grind and doing everything I can to scratch some runs across and be the best leadoff hitter I can be. It’s a great team over there. It just kind of felt like a playoff game, and getting into that mode is huge from an at-bat standpoint and from a big game standpoint of constantly being the next man up."

He added, "That’s my job, to do everything I can to put the ball in play and find ways on base. That’s what I have had a lot of success in the past as a leadoff hitter. So over these last games, just keep putting an emphasis on being the best leadoff hitter I can be. See as many pitches I can and try and get on base, try to score and try and relay info to the guys behind me. It was a huge way to start the game."

There were other elements of the victory that offered hope for what awaits in New York in those last few days of September. Jahmai Jones resurfaced as a threat against lefties, popping a third-inning solo home run, while Suarez overcame some control issues (walking 5) to hold the Rays to one run over 5 2/3 innings.

But it was what Anthony provided that seems non-negotiable when it comes to hoping for postseason success.

All good playoff runs are usually rooted in having some sort of anchors near the top of the batting order. Last season, Toronto rode the insanely hot bat of Vlad Guerrero Jr., with the Dodgers doing the same with Shohei Ohtani. The year before, the Yankees did it with Juan Soto and Giancarlo Stanton. The Rangers got their World Series-winning dose from Corey Seager and Adolis Garcia in 2023, with Bryce Harper and Jeremy Pena taking center stage throughout the '22 playoffs.

The current version of the Yankees got a taste of who might be their alpha Friday night, with Ben Rice hitting his 39th homer of the season on the same day Aaron Judge's postseason availability was thrown into doubt thanks to a trip to the injured list.

The most logical candidate for these Red Sox? That would be Anthony.

There would be some conversation about Willson Contreras being able to carry such a load, but there has to be some doubt about his availability after being hit in the right hand by a pitch Thursday night. After the Red Sox's win, the first baseman told WEEI.com that he was unable to get his hand around a bat, and the portion of his hand that was struck still showed noticeable swelling. (The idea that the hand is also the source of his power is a potential issue.)

Another option to supply some much-needed pop, Wilyer Abreu, has gone cold of late, most recently going 0-for-5 with three strikeouts in the Sox's win Friday night. The lefty hitter is now 1-for-16 with just one walk through the first four games of the road trip. Ceddanne Rafaela, another candidate to make a postseason impact, continues to ease back from his quad injury, leaving some uncertainty about his offensive reliability, given that he hasn't hit since Sept. 2.

The Red Sox's identity is also in flux on the pitching side. Aroldis Chapman's lat will likely keep him unavailable through this weekend, with Garrett Crochet having zero room for any setback if he is to be a viable option for action in the wild-card round. (Crochet throws another side session on Saturday.)

But, as this win over a team that had won six straight showed, the question marks can very well be turned into exclamation points with these kinds of performances.

Welcome to Red Sox baseball, circa 2026.