The last time the Boston Red Sox were in New York, a playoff appearance wasn’t out of the question. But this? Even for the most optimistic Red Sox fan, this seemed like a stretch.
Boston was 51-39 on July 17 after a three-game series at Yankee Stadium, two games behind the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East. Fast forward to Wednesday night in the Bronx, where the Red Sox clinched their first AL East title since 2013.
So, how did Boston go from jockeying for wild card position to eyeing a return to the World Series for the second time in four years? There are plenty of reasons, but here are the five main keys behind the Red Sox’s unrelenting success over the past two-plus months.
FULL ROTATION
After being Boston’s biggest weakness early in the season, starting pitching has become one of the team’s greatest strengths. Clay Buchholz and Eduardo Rodriguez both have found consistency in starting roles, shoring up a back end that was riddled with question marks at the All-Star break. Rick Porcello and David Price, meanwhile, have pitched lights-out for the last two months — Price’s latest outing notwithstanding — to form a potent 1-2 combo entering the postseason.
WHAT A RELIEF
If the rotation was a glaring weakness at the All-Star break, the bullpen wasn’t far behind. But the Red Sox’s relief unit has found its groove down the stretch. Craig Kimbrel has dominated at closer, while Koji Uehara and Joe Kelly both have had success as eighth-inning setup men. The result: Boston allowed five runs or fewer in every contest of its 11-game winning streak.
HAMMERIN’ HANLEY
Several Boston hitters deserve credit for the team’s recent winning ways (Dustin Pedroia gets an honorable mention), but none more than Hanley Ramirez. The Red Sox first baseman has caught absolute fire down the stretch, racking up 10 homers and 26 RBIs in September, including arguably the most clutch hit of the season. Ramirez’s turnaround in the power department has made this Boston lineup even more dangerous, creating a nightmare 3-4-5 combo of David Ortiz, Mookie Betts and Ramirez.
BEGINNER’SÂ SKILL
The Red Sox hadn’t gotten great production out of their left field position until Andrew Benintendi showed up on Aug. 2. After that, all the rookie phenom did was bat .324 over his first 21 major league games while giving a jolt of young life to a struggling Sox squad. A knee injury forced him to miss nearly a month, but the 22-year-old has picked up right where he left off. Boston’s 19-9 record when Benintendi starts is a testament to his role in this team’s late-season resurgence.
FINDING THE CLUTCH GENE
The Red Sox just couldn’t deliver in close games this season — until they could. Since Ramirez’s walk-off homer on Sept. 15, Boston has been nails in tight situations, going 4-0 in one-run games and winning seven contests by two runs or fewer during its 11-game streak. All of these numbers point to one conclusion: The Red Sox appeared to have found their mojo at just the right time.
Thumbnail photo via Evan Habeeb/USA TODAY Sports Images
