As the visiting team In any seven game series you want to grab a split of the first two games. Coming home you want to solidify and then bury your opponent. A-B-C’s of postseason baseball. The Sox forgot C. A Check , B Check, C: The Boston Red Sox lost their grip on the American League Championship Series. Then they lost the series lead to the Houston Astros. Now they need two wins at Minute Maid Park for the pennant.
Not an Easy Proposition
“We did it before,” Red Sox catcher Christian Vázquez said. “We won three games in Houston in 2018. We need to win two, so why not this year, too? They have a great team, but I like my team. I don’t doubt my team.”
Christian Vazquez says the #RedSox will be playing 2 games in Houston “for sure.” pic.twitter.com/uqvSMuvWJY — Boston Sports Tok (@BostonSportTok) October 21, 2021
J.D. Martinez expects to have fun.
“We’re going to Houston and we’ve got Nate on the mound, and I’m excited about it,” Martinez said, referring to Nathan Eovaldi, who won his start in Houston last Saturday. “I think it’s going to be a fun game — a fun last two games.”
"This is our story. We've been written off all year," JD Martinez.@ABC6 #DirtyWater #PostSeason @NCoitABC6 pic.twitter.com/QVZjiFmNmC — Ian Steele (@IanSteeleABC6) October 21, 2021
Fun? It hasn’t looked fun for JD in the last two games , Boston’s designated hitter has struck out in all four of his official at-bats in Games 4 and 5, part of a two game team-wide slump that has Red Sox nation scratching their heads , The Red Sox have punished pitchers for the better part of October. But Boston is batting .131 in the last two games, falling behind the Astros, three games to two, in the series. In short you don’t try to slug on a sinker ball pitcher.
“Nobody is that perfect,” Martinez said of Valdez. “It’s very hard to go out there and have those repeat performances.”
Let’s Hope J.D Is right.
Chris Sale was significantly better than the box score is going to lead people to believe. No help from his offense, defense or manager in this one. Disappointing. #RedSox — Dan Kelley (@DanKelley66) October 20, 2021
After eliminating two division foes, The Yankees and the Tampa Bay Rays, and unleashing hell on the Astros in Games 2 and 3, the Red Sox are scrambling again.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora on his team’s chances down in Houston #WCVB pic.twitter.com/hslxa1apCD — Matt Reed (@MattReedNews) October 21, 2021
“This is our story,” Martinez said, after game five, “We’ve been written off all year; I don’t think anyone in here ( Meaning Reporters) thought we were going to be here. We know what we’re capable of, and I think no one is not believing in themselves or not believing in our team that we can go out there and go off. We split. We won two in a row, they won two in a row. So it’s very possible.”
After his scorching hot start to October, Kiké Hernández is 1-for-10 in his last 10 at-bats. — Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) October 21, 2021
“We know we can hit; two games doesn’t mean that all of a sudden we’re not a good offensive team,” Red Sox Manager Alex Cora said, adding later, “I don’t see it as a slump. It’s two games. Obviously, it’s a series. But we’ve been really good offensively the whole month.”
“It’s a must-win, like the wild-card game,” Martinez said. “It’s a situation our team is familiar with. So, I don’t know — it should be fun.”
Fun – Fun – Fun
Maybe that’s the issue? It’s fun to come home with that split. It was Fun to watch the replay hit trax of every bomb hit. It was Fun to show out in games two and three. It was Fun to read that press. After game three ended what it should have been was : Work.
As always you can follow/give me grief on Twitter @Tmurph207