Alex Cora Urges Red Sox To ‘Keep Playing Good Baseball’
Boston entered Monday 4 1/2 games out of a playoff spot
The Boston Red Sox enter the final month of the regular season hanging around the conversation for a postseason spot in the American League.
The hill to climb is steep for the ballclub, trailing the Houston Astros by 4 1/2 games for the final wild-card position.
The Red Sox have a chance to take matters into their own hands with the Astros in town for a three-game series after splitting four games in Houston last week. Boston manager Alex Cora feels his team is still in the mix and can stay in contention by playing consistent baseball down the stretch.
“I just believe you gotta keep playing good baseball,” Cora said Monday on MLB Network Radio. “That’s it. You cannot get caught up on the ups and downs of the season. There’s going to be days where you’re locked in. There’s going to be days where you don’t feel great. You just have to play.”
Boston has work to do and needs help, with the Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Astros and Toronto Blue Jays ahead of the Red Sox in the AL wild-card race. Ultimately, Cora knows the Red Sox must control what they can control.
“September 1 is around the corner,” Cora said. “This is what we have to do to make it to October. Then, you go.”
Boston has floated around the standings, with flashes of greatness along with periods of poor defense and costly fundamental mistakes. Cora acknowledged that an extra emphasis on doing the little things right can make the difference in a playoff race.
“At the end of the day, it’s fundamental baseball, right?” Cora explained. “You catch the ball, you pitch well and you do enough offensively.”
The Red Sox have a clubhouse with unselfish players who can make key plays in clutch situations. The Boston skipper noted such an approach is necessary to scratch out wins down the stretch.
“When there’s something bigger than your numbers that you have to play for, it’s a lot easier to go 0-for-4 with a W than the opposite,” Cora said. “It’s right there. The spotlight is on you. It’s on us. We’ve just got to play good baseball.”
