How Red Sox’s Alex Cora Reacted To Bizarre Trend At 100-Game Mark

The Boston Red Sox began Sunday in an oddly familiar situation.

Boston sprinted into the All-Star break with 10 consecutive wins before dropping two games to the Chicago Cubs. They entered Sunday’s game at 53-47, a record that maintained a bizarre trend.

This marks the third straight season the Red Sox have held a 53-47 record. Alex Cora responded to the unusual streak, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith, by recalling former slugger Khris Davis finishing four straight seasons with a .247 batting average.

“I saw it this morning,” Cora said before Sunday’s game. “I was like, ‘No way?'”

The Red Sox will try to secure their third straight 54-47 mark by defeating the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sunday. However, Cora wants the similarities to end there, as Boston went 78-84 in 2023 and 81-81 last season. The Red Sox also finished last in the American League East in 2022 despite entering the break at 48-45.

“Hopefully we can be better in the second part of the season than the last three,” Cora said. “The goal is to make it to October. But we have to be better in the second part.”

Boston remains entrenched in a tight AL playoff battle, beginning Sunday as one of eight teams within five games of each other for the league’s three wild-card spots.

Cora aims to steer the Red Sox to their first postseason appearance since 2021. The 2018 World Series champion believes some reinforcements would help their cause.

“We’re in a good spot,” Cora said. “Playing over .500 at this moment is good. But obviously we’ve got bigger goals,” Cora said. “If we can get pitching, we’re gonna be OK.”