The Red Sox Walked Off The Tigers To Clinch Their Spot In The MLB Playoffs For The First Time Since 2021
So...can the Red Sox wear the Fenway Green unis in the playoffs?
They were wearing them again Friday night when they walked off the Tigers 4-3 at Fenway Park. Not just their 12th walk-off win of the season, but their sixth this season wearing those green sets.
And Friday night felt like a playoff game - despite the fact it was on Apple TV and fans spent much of the night on social media complaining about the broadcast.
So, yeah, there was no scoreboard for the first inning. But there was a great catch from Jarren Duran to keep the game scoreless.
The playoff atmosphere was helped by the way Alex Cora managed the game. After Kyle Harrison gave up three runs in the top of the fourth, Cora turned to Justin Slaten and then Steven Matz to get out of the inning with the game still 3-0. Big spot for the relievers, and Cora did a good job mixing and matching to keep it a three-run game.
The Red Sox would battle back. 3-1 Tigers became 3-2 in the 7th, thanks to a Nathaniel Lowe sac fly.
Nate Eaton's baserunning put him at 3rd base with Jarren Duran at the plate in the bottom of the 8th.
Tremendous baserunning from Eaton in front of Durran's clutch hit.
Mr. 10th man Romy Gonzalez singled in the 9th before Ceddanne's heroics with the walk-off triple.
Gotta say…love the October Reds.
I might be new on this blog, but I thought the Red Sox would win around 90 games this season, and wrote as much this spring at MutStack.com
"But if you’re a baseball fan in Boston, you should have some pretty high expectations for this year’s team.”
And now that they're in the playoffs for the first time since 2021, nothing should change - you should have very lofty hopes for this team.
Ace pitcher? ✅
Nasty back end up the bullpen? ✅
Clutch hitting? ✅
Good manager? ✅
Look around the American League - there are no Super Teams - no one that should really scare you as a Red Sox fan. If Bello and or Giolito step up…if Bregman starts to hit again…if a few wild cards step up in the pen…
There's no reason this team can't find itself in the ALCS.
I disagree with the boss here. The Blue Jays are floundering late, and if they're forced to pitch Kevin Gausman on Sunday…yeah, I'd love to face them in a three-game series in Toronto. But if it's Sox/Yankees? The Red Sox can 100% win that series in New York, especially with a rested Garrett Crochet starting Game One.
Playoff baseball is the best. The last time the Sox and their fans had a taste of it, they were being shut out by the Astros in Game 6 of the ALCS. With the Sox talent, there's no reason they can't be back in a League Championship Series four years later.
Lucky green uniforms or not.