Thursday, March 28

History has proved anything is possible, so don’t stop paying attention to these Red Sox – The Boston Globe


But the Sox inexplicably collapsed, winning only seven more games. A loss in Game 162 knocked them out of the playoffs.

That team is why I steadfastly ignore the postseason odds published by Baseball-Reference.com, Fangraphs.com, and other sites. They’re based on probability and baseball has a funny way of defying probability.

Which also is why the Red Sox are still worth paying attention to this week when they go on the road to Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

The Sox are in seventh place in the wild-card race. With 46 games remaining they would have to pass four teams to make the postseason. It’s unlikely.

But with the trade deadline long past, the Sox have an opportunity to add a significant amount of difference-making talent in the coming days.

Michael Wacha came off the injured list to start Sunday night’s game against the Yankees. Center fielder Kiké Hernández is set to be activated on Tuesday. He has been out since June 8 with a strained hip flexor.

Based on WAR, Hernández was the most valuable player on the team last season. He represents a significant upgrade in center field from Jarren Duran.

“When you have guys like that, the team is always better,” manager Alex Cora said.

Outfielder Rob Refsynder, who has an .885 OPS in 109 plate appearances, also should be back Tuesday and will upgrade the bench.

Trevor Story, who hasn’t played in a month because of a broken bone in his right wrist, will travel with the team and take batting practice on the field.

Also Read  Canada border blockade eases, protesters still block bridge

He’s getting closer to what the Sox hope will be a short rehabilitation assignment in the minors. Story has missed 27 games with the injury but is still second on the team in home runs (15) and RBIs (58).

Whether that says more about him or his teammates is up to interpretation.

“Hopefully he can be with us sooner rather than later,” Cora said.

Matt Strahm, an effective lefthanded reliever, also is close to a return. Hernández, Refsynder, Strahm, and Wacha are all in contract seasons. Motivation will not be lacking once they return to the field.

The same is true for Xander Bogaerts, who can opt out of his deal after the season. The shortstop has been in a funk since the Sox traded Christian Vázquez and needs a strong finish.

Pending free agent J.D. Martinez also is on that list.

In time, maybe 10 days or so, the Sox should have a potent lineup. With Wacha back, the Sox also will have the same rotation that helped build a 43-33 record through June. Chris Sale is out of sight and out of mind at this point.

“We’re going to run [with] these guys all the way to the end and see where it takes us,” Cora said.

Cora sincerely thinks his team has a stretch of winning baseball left in it.

“I think there’s time. I do believe that,” he said. “Obviously there’s a lot of teams [to catch] but we play a lot of them … At the end of the day you have to win. You win and you look up. You still have to win a lot of games to make this happen.

Also Read  Will voters give Madison Cawthorn a second chance? North Carolina heads to the polls TODAY

“I think math-wise, obviously it looks challenging. But I still believe that we’re going to have one of those big runs. We’re going to pitch; we’re going to play good defense.”

Could the Sox pull a reverse 2011 and get back into a race that seems lost? Probably not. But as somebody who had hotel rooms booked for the playoffs in 2011, baseball is full of surprises.


Peter Abraham can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *