BOSTON – Sure, losing Roman Anthony for as long as four to six weeks with a left oblique strain is, as third baseman Alex Bregman aptly described it, a gut punch.
But if the prior events of this season are any indication, a little turbulence isn’t going to deter the Red Sox in their quest for their first postseason berth since 2021.
First baseman Triston Casas was lost for the season with a left patellar tendon rupture on May 2. The Sox played on.
Bregman himself went down for seven weeks with a severe right quad strain in late May, and Boston stayed in contention.
Star slugger Rafael Devers was traded to the Giants on Father’s Day, just as the Red Sox had swept the Yankees at Fenway Park for their fifth straight win. Unmoved by that major transaction, manager Alex Cora’s team stayed on course.
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There have been other impediments, such as losing starting pitchers Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford and Hunter Dobbins to season-ending injuries.
The fanbase was disappointed when chief baseball officer Craig Breslow didn’t make any major additions prior to the July 31 Trade Deadline. The Red Sox? They kept winning.
Now, they will deal with their latest challenge: Filling the void left by the 21-year-old Anthony, who has quickly emerged into a cornerstone player.
How do they approach it? By following the words of their leader.
“We keep going, just like we did with Casas [after the injury] and how we did after the [Devers] trade,” said Cora. “We keep going. At one point, Roman’s going to be a part of this, so we just have to be patient, keep pitching, keep putting good at-bats, keep playing.”
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There is plenty of incentive to do so. At this time each of the last three years, the Red Sox were prioritizing the future when it came to September baseball because that is what the standings said made the most sense to do.
This year is much different.
“It’s a different feeling,” said Cora. “It feels great. You see it in the standings. We're [3 1/2] games back from Toronto [in the American League East]. We're in a good place in the Wild Card race. If that doesn't give you energy to show up every day and play hard, then I don't know what we need to do.”
While so much focus has been placed on the success of Boston’s young core, the Red Sox also have two invaluable veteran leaders in Bregman and Trevor Story who will keep the team focused on the right things over these final 21 games.
“Over the course of this season, we've dealt with a lot of different things, and the messages remain constant,” Bregman said. “Control what you can control, execute your game plan, and focus on the next pitch and find a way to win. And I feel like we've done a good job of that, and we've got to continue to do that now.”
Bregman has mastered the art of tunnel vision in his career.
“I've seen it over the course of the last 10 years,” Bregman said. “Trying to do more than you can is just not something that you need to do. It's the same thing in the playoffs. When you're playing in postseason baseball, you don't try and be the hero. You try and execute your game plan, and then you end up becoming a hero by coming through and doing those things.”
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The best way for the Red Sox to secure the postseason berth they covet so much is to keep pitching. Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and Lucas Giolito have emerged into a formidable front three of the rotation. Closer Aroldis Chapman, fresh off signing an extension for next season, hasn’t so much as allowed a hit in his last 16 appearances. Garrett Whitlock is having a tremendous season as the primary setup man.
“We [have to] keep pitching, and playing good defense,” Cora said. “Yeah, Roman is part of that [defense], but the pitching, it's been the key this season, and we expect to keep pitching. And other guys have to step up offensively.”
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Who will lead off for the Red Sox with Anthony out of the mix for a while?
Jarren Duran. That had been Duran’s primary batting spot until Anthony was moved to the top of the order on July 27 against the Dodgers.
While Duran will get the nod in the top spot against righties, Cora will mix and match in that spot against lefties.
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Anthony’s injury has magnified the absence of fellow left-handed-hitting outfielder Wilyer Abreu, who last played on Aug. 17. Abreu has been sidelined by a right calf strain that has healed slower than originally anticipated.
The big hurdle for Abreu is that he hasn’t been cleared to run with any intensity.
“I talked to [trainer] Brandon [Henry],” said Cora. “He felt like there was progress this weekend with the way they treated him and obviously avoiding running. So we'll see.”
When might Abreu run?
“I don't know when we're going to try, but hopefully soon,” said Cora. “We don't want to rush him into it. Especially right now, the two injuries are separate. We don't want to rush Wily because Roman is hurt. We have to be patient because he's really important, too. So whenever he’s ready, he’ll be back.”
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Throughout the season, we are recalling memorable moments from the iconic season the Red Sox had 50 years ago. This week, we look at an extra-inning pitcher’s duel that involved an eventual Hall of Famer. A half-century ago, pitch counts were not part of the baseball lexicon. The starting pitchers stayed out there until there was a reason to take them out. On Sept. 3 of that ‘75 season in a game played at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Rick Wise and Jim Palmer never did come out. Wise went 10 innings for Boston and Palmer (Hall of Fame class of 1990) did the same. Cecil Cooper broke the 2-2 tie by leading off the 10th with a homer against Palmer. Wise retired the side 1-2-3 in the bottom of the inning, getting Bobby Grich on a flyout to center to complete his 18th victory of the season. |
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