CLEVELAND — The Boston Red Sox needed a sweep. It won’t happen.
The Red Sox entered their final series of 2015 with a 78-81 record, meaning three consecutive victories over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field would have given Boston an even .500 mark for the season. The Sox dropped Friday night’s opener 8-2, though, meaning they can’t finish better than 80-82.
And that’s OK.
Not to fart sunshine and rainbows, but did anyone envision the Red Sox even pushing for .500 when the club started the season with an American League-worst 44-58 record?
Maybe you did. But that would make you an incredibly optimistic person, because it seemed reasonable back in June and July to wonder whether the Sox even would surpass their 69-win total of 2012.
Yet here we are. Even after dropping back-to-back games, one can’t help but feel much better about the Red Sox’s situation, in large because they’ve shown a lot of fight on the shoulders of their young players.
“It’s something that I hear most of the guys talking about,” Red Sox interim manager Torey Lovullo said after Friday’s loss of his team’s pursuit of a .500 record. “It’s exciting to get on a run and make us close, and for that, I’m very proud of them. They did a good job to have an opportunity to talk about .500.”
Lovullo sure has done his part managing in place of John Farrell, who left the team earlier this season to treat his Stage 1 lymphoma. The rest of Major League Baseball likely is taking notice.
Let’s run down some additional notes from Friday:
— Henry Owens’ start marked Boston’s 44th by a rookie pitcher this season. That’s the Red Sox’s most such starts since 1984, when rookies Al Nipper (24) and Roger Clemens combined for 44 starts.
— David Ortiz told Lovullo he was ready to play and, sure enough, he delivered. Ortiz provided Boston’s only offense with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. It was career home run No. 503 for Big Papi.
“He’s a guy that wants to go out and play and let his teammates see that he’s playing and grinding and getting the job done,” Lovullo said.
Ortiz often takes heat for his scheduled off-days. And who could forget the backlash when he missed the Red Sox’s final game before the All-Star break with an illness?
But it’s nice to see him finishing out the season despite already reaching all of his contract incentives. It sends a good message to the young players, who will be expected to follow his lead in 2016.
— Craig Breslow will make his second career start Saturday.
The longtime reliever threw 55 pitches over four innings in his first start last week. He’s expected to throw between 50 and 60 pitches Saturday, according to Lovullo.
— Ryan Hanigan, who is dealing with a hand issue, probably won’t play again this season. He’s available on an emergency basis, but Lovullo sounded like he’d prefer to stay away from the veteran catcher, if possible, so he won’t risk further injury before the offseason.
— The good news? Steven Wright rejoined the Red Sox in Cleveland after visiting with concussion specialist Dr. Micky Collins earlier this week in Pittsburgh.
The bad news? Wright, who’s been sidelined since the middle of August, still is dealing with some concussion symptoms, though his status has improved.
“It’s very unfortunate. I know that Steven is frustrated by it,” Lovullo said. “These are things that you can’t predict and you really can’t rush. We’ve got to just be patient with it and he’s going to stay on his program.”
Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images
