It's time to focus on the Red Sox' offseason
The Red Sox' reality was put on display with one quote from Alex Cora following his team's 8-3 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field Tuesday night.
"It sucks," the Sox manager told reporters. "We’ve got three ways (the Red Sox can exist): average, below average, or above average, right? And right now we're below average. Like I've been saying all along, it’s not lack of effort. It's just not happening for us right now. It was just a bad one tonight."
At this point, it really doesn't matter how the Red Sox' landed with this latest loss. But if you are wondering what happened ...
The bullpen allowed four runs over 3 1/3 innings, marking the 23rd time since the All-Star break the Sox relievers have given up four or more runs. Conversely, the Mets' relief pitchers have been charged with four or more runs just three times in the second half.
During that span, dating back to July 19, it's a Red Sox group that has given up a major league-most 166 runs, which is 27 more than the next-worst (White Sox).
This time the relief corps with something that has been following around this team far too long - another "almost".
One strike away from getting out of a no-out, bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning, Josh Winckowski surrendered a 65.6 mph bloop double that cleared the bases and sealed the Red Sox fate.
"It's extremely frustrating," Winckowski told reporters. "When you’re this close to the end of the season, you don't have time to fix it. Damage is done. I feel like we were executing really well. And I don't know how hard he hit it, but it was not a legit hit."
In this results business, the Red Sox woke up on Sept. 18 without good-enough results ... again. For the third straight season, this organization is heading living life in the final two weeks of the regular season under .500.
Sept. 18, 2022: 70-75.
Sept. 18, 2023: 74-76.
Sept. 18, 2024: 75-76.
In this case, the Red Sox hadn't lived the under-.500 life since June 11, having gotten to this point carrying just enough optimism to keep their followers more intrigued than in the previous two seasons. Yet, ultimately, while fans in places like New York, Philadelphia, Houston, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Kansas City and even Detroit are realizing how joyful the final couple of weeks in September can be, New Englanders are once again left trying to crack the code of what went wrong.
The standings aren't worth watching anymore, with the Red Sox residing five games out of the final Wild Card spot with 11 games to play and two teams still in between them and Minnesota. Tuesday night's loss went a long way in defining that existence.
The hope of the present has once again turned into the promise of the future. And considering what awaits in the form of players like Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, Kyle Teel and Roman Anthony, it does feel like this promise might be a little-less hollow than other years.
That optimism and interest is for November. Until then, those who follow the Red Sox will be left with jealousy, envy and apathy.
Seem familiar? It should.