Red Sox Notes: Alex Cora Confident Squad Will ‘Be Ready’ Despite Loss
The Red Sox aren't looking back
The Boston Red Sox are looking ahead.
The Red Sox didn’t get the result they had hoped for Tuesday, losing Game 4 of the American League Championship Series to the Houston Astros in heartbreaking fashion 9-2. But they don’t have time to linger on the defeat with an all-important Game 5 set to take place at Fenway Park on Wednesday.
Although the Astros were able to wake up the bats late against the bullpen and earn the win, Red Sox manager Alex Cora is as confident as ever in Boston heading into Game 5.
“We know where we’re at. We knew that the only thing that was guaranteed after last night was Game 6. They have a good team. I think it was a good game until the end,” Cora said on NESN’s postgame coverage after Tuesday’s loss. “We were one pitch away from ending that inning and that didn’t happen and then they scored seven. We’ll be ready tomorrow just like everyday. You win, you turn the page. You lose, you turn the page and be ready.”
The team’s confidence doesn’t stop with Cora. Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta, who was impressive in his first-career postseason start allowing just one earned run Tuesday, furthered Cora’s sentiments after the loss.
“I don’t think it’s going to affect us at all. I don’t expect us to really take too much from it,” Pivetta said on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Just move on, we have another game tomorrow at home, Fenway. I think the focus just turns on to the game tomorrow and that’s where we need to be.”
With the ALCS now tied at two games apiece and three games remaining to determine a World Series spot, a short memory is going to be crucial moving forward.
Here are some more notes from Tuesday’s Red Sox-Astros game:
— Bogaerts continued his red-hot offensive run Tuesday night crushing his third home run of the postseason, and the squad’s 19th round-tripper over the last seven games.
— Despite only recording two runs Wednesday, but Red Sox most certainly didn’t lack baserunners against the Astros after recording seven walks.
“I know we only had three or four hits, but we had traffic the whole time. We had men at third with less than two outs with (Kyle Schwarber) and then we didn’t drive in the run,” Cora said on NESN’s postgame coverage. “We had chances. I think we had chances early in the game too.”
— Around the league: The Los Angeles Dodgers took down the Atlanta Braves in Game 3 of the National League Championship Series to gain ground on the Braves. Atlanta holds a 2-to-1 series lead entering Wednesday night’s Game 4 action.
— Chris Sale will take the hill against Framber Valdez as Boston looks to get revenge against the Astros on Wednesday night, and you can check out pre- and postgame coverage live on NESN beginning at 4:00 p.m. ET.
