What it's like to cover the worst team in baseball
TORONTO - Some admit it. Others don't. But the unavoidable distractions that come in the midst of every game, the rest of the way in the form of scoreboard-watching, are a very real reality.
So is the need to actually win baseball games.
All of it was on display in the Red Sox's 4-1, series-opening win over the division-leading Blue Jays Tuesday night at Rogers Centre.
"It’s important," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora of attempting to keep his players' heart rates at a regular-season, and not postseason, level. "We try to talk to them, but sometimes, it's not enough. They have to live through it. Big one today. Big win.
"The road trip so far has been a positive one, right? We got the big boy tomorrow on the mound, and we’ve got Bello the last day. See how it goes. But just keep putting up good at bats. I think offensively, we kind of have found our stroke, our rhythm in Tampa. Today was another good day."
And, with five regular-season games to play, uncovering good days is of the utmost importance.
Are they must-win, postseasonish events? Not quite, as Lucas Giolito pointed out after his team landed with a Magic Number of four games to make the playoffs. (Any combination of wins by the Red Sox or losses by the Astros or Tigers that add up to four will land Alex Cora's team in the postseason.)
"There's that difference. We have to get in the postseason," said Giolito, whose night ended after giving up one run over 4 2/3 innings and throwing 98 pitches. "This is this is a very tight race. So these games, I guess, you have like a playoff vibe. But it's the push for it. We're not quite there yet. We gotta keep working."
True.
But, at least in Tuesday's game, the Red Sox understood the challenges that come with pushing for the postseason.
The offense continued to show some signs of becoming a much more functional group, forcing Toronto starter Kevin Gausman to surrender more hits (9) than he had since May 15. One of the biggest came from Nathaniel Lowe, who gave the Red Sox the lead for good with an RBI single in the sixth inning.
The Sox's first baseman, who ended the night reaching in all four of his plate appearances, is one who understands the dynamic of being in the scoreboard-watching muck during this final week of the regular season. He lived the life, after all, just two years ago while helping the Rangers in their World Series-winning run.
"Different flavor just because I haven’t been with this group all year. But the whole league is getting excited for what’s coming," he said. "You have teams clinching. Postseasons and, obviously, divisions are coming down to the wire, so the whole thing is going to shuffle out soon. It’s exciting. It’s what it’s all about."
He added, "Especially when you play here and all the scores are right behind the middle infielders, it’s hard not to watch. Really, we can only take care of our game and we did a great job of that today. ... Thankfully, the experience (with Texas) adds to being able to relax a little bit and just play the game."
The mentality, and reality, won't be changing.
The Red Sox head into their second game of a three-game set with the Blue Jays one game up on Detroit and three in back of the Yankees (who are just one game behind Toronto for first-place in the AL East).
Cleveland, which is one game ahead of the Tigers in the AL Central, and Houston, which resides one game out of the wild card picture, also factor into the scoreboard-watching equation.
But, make no mistake about it, Tuesday was what Cora said it was, a big win. They not only met the immediate challenge that came with playing a fellow playoff contender in front of almost 43,000 fans. But it allowed them to couple that confidence with knowing Garrett Crochet would be pitching Game 2 of the series.
It was a pretty big test, one which the Red Sox passed. But the exams are going to keep on coming. It is, after all, that time of year.
"The hope is that we just win out," Giolito said. "We keep winning, keep playing solid baseball like we did today. We'll be in a good position."