The Boston Red Sox are on a seven-game win streak since returning to Fenway Park for a homestand, and that first sweep over New York felt like a pivotal series of the season, despite the state of the Pinstripes.
With the Yankees in town and a perfect weekend in Boston weather wise, life was good and feeling back to normal for fans in the stands.
Pile on another four-game mopping of the Kansas City Royals, the Red Sox all of a sudden have a 27-17 record at home. A big improvement from where they were before Fenway started welcoming fans back at full capacity.
“They’re making a difference,” manager Alex Cora confirmed.
The Red Sox struggled at home to start the season, as Boston’s remained one of the final few ballparks to ease up on COVID-19 restrictions.
Prior to Fenway Park operating as normal, starting with a Memorial Day series against the Miami Marlins, the Red Sox were 15-13 at home. They’ve been 12-4 since that first game on May 29, and this recent homestand was significant in getting them back on track.
“Early on it was difficult,” Cora admitted. “I mentioned to you guys when we went to Texas (where the Rangers already were allowing full capacity) and (then) we came here to play Detroit. It felt that we were flat, and it’s not that we were flat. It’s just the atmosphere was different.”
Cora couldn’t make it to that first game with a full house, as his daughter, Camila, was graduating from high school back home in Puerto Rico.
“I remember when I went to Camila’s graduation, just watching on TV that Saturday, (Hirokazu) Sawamura with a big strikeout, Adam (Ottavino) with a big strikeout, I think they showed emotion against the Marlins. And that was amazing watching on TV. Then this weekend, this past weekend was amazing. Even now, the last few nights, yesterday in the last few minutes, the handful people that were here, they were loud. Like I said, I hope they are enjoying this team. I hope the fans are enjoying the way we play the game, and the way we’re going about our business. It’s a good start for the second half. Finally, we won the first game of a month, which is, you know, positive, we were like 0-and-3. So now we go on the road.”
Boston takes off on a trip to California to play the Oakland Athletics and Los Angeles Angels, playing the A’s on Friday at 9:40 p.m. ET.
“They’re bringing it,” Cora said. “They’re bringing it. I know the West Coast, we got a lot of fans over there and hopefully they show up too and they help us.”
