We've been doing this for two weeks, and could potentially keep the exercise going for another 40 games.
But Wednesday night might be at least slightly different. When it comes to biggest games of the season, this one is way up on the power rankings.
The Red Sox woke up in New York Wednesday in a spot they hadn't seen since early April, technically in third-place. (They are one game in back of both the Yankees and A's in the loss column.) That was courtesy an uncomfortable doubleheader sweep in the Bronx.
All of those feelings that something bad is around the corner which the Red Sox felt like they scraped away thanks to the Orioles returned in all the familiar ways.
A semi-dominant Tanner Houck outing that lands with a loss. Bullpen inconsistency. The disappearance of offense when they needed it the most. And, as is becoming a familiar theme, a Yankees team that expects wins will somehow always be the end result.
So, why does this game -- the one with Nick Pivetta going up against Andrew Heaney -- distinguish itself? Because this, perhaps unlike any of the previous post-All-Star break opportunities, is a chance to change the conversation.
If the Red Sox are able to figure out the hottest team in baseball since July 6 this one time, there can be proof that all those bits of optimism we were getting sprinkled with over the weekend might matter.
The starting rotation can hang with anyone. Christian Arroyo is coming back to lengthen the lineup. Maybe Martin Perez, Ryan Brasier and/or Garrett Richards can help fill what appears to a late-inning relief corps that is clearly an arm short. And, yes, images like the one of Rafael Devers stranding five runners in the Sox' 2-0 Game 2 loss is nothing more than a simple abberration.
The Red Sox win and they are once again a Wild Card team with the feeling of betting an actual playoff contender in their holsters. (They are 2-11 in their last 13 games against teams with a .500 mark or better.) And, to top it off, there are all those non-playoff contenders waiting on the schedule.
After this game, the next three teams the Red Sox play (Texas, Minnesota, Cleveland) have a combined record of 153-204 and run-differential of negative-152.
So, while this game is somewhat about not slipping further into Wild Card standings uneasiness, it is more about getting the conversation regarding Alex Cora's team and the Yankees back on its previous track.
Conversely, a loss simply seems like we are getting into runaway locomotive territory.
The Orioles won't be around to save the Red Sox for another 30 days. It's time for this team to start saving itself.
