The Boston Red Sox are facing Houston in next stop towards the World Series
Red Sox fans have been beyond patient over the last two years. The 2018 World Series Championship feels like forever ago. This team on paper did not appear to be strong enough to make a real playoff run. We were all wrong. Very wrong. If there is anything that we learned from this team in 2021, it’s that patience truly is a virtue, Rule 5 Draft Picks like Garrett Whitlock can deliver gold and that Kiké Hernandez is not to be trifled with in the playoffs. Ever.
The Red Sox in 2018 were the best team in baseball with the most home wins (57) and total wins (108). 2021 opened up with a plethora of new faces as some of the World Series heroes of old, have moved onto new teams. The Sox opened up the season 0-3 before finishing out the campaign with a 92-70 record overall, good enough to sneak into the Wild Card Game. The Sox were successful in making quick work of the Yankees 6-2 at Fenway to advance to the ALDS for the first time in three years.
This brought on quite possibly the most difficult challenge of 2021, the Tampa Bay Rays and their new pitching rotation that seems to have limited areas of weakness. The Rays had 100 wins good enough for the most in the American League and third most wins overall trailing only the Giants and Dodgers of the National League West. The Rays had multiple tenured offensive stars and finally got to see their rookie sensation Wander Franco hit in addition to showcase their rotation consisting of low to mid 20’s as well.
This was a team that was not going to go down easy and the Red Sox were coming off a spell where they were missing significant pieces due to COVID-19. This was going to be a formidable foe, one that many saw being the last team the boys from Bean Town were going to see in 2021. The Sox however, had bigger plans. After going down in ugly fashion in the first game, the Sox went on to win three in a row against the Rays to punch their ticket to the ALCS.
Kiké Hernandez On Fire
Hernandez was the absolute spark plug the Sox needed in order to move on from the ugly first game result. Kiké went on to go 5/6 with three doubles two singles, and a home run with three runs knocked in and three runs scored. There was no one who did more damage. He followed that up with a 3/6 performance with two singles and a home run again knocking in two more and scoring one. He was everything the Sox needed him to be.
The typical guys that the Red Sox had relied on to go the distance too start the season were unable to stay healthy and were not as consistent. Kiké wanted the chance to be a starter instead of being used as a strict utility man with the LA Dodgers. He got his chance and is making every bit of it last in Sox fans’ minds. After two superb games, what are the odds that he makes it three in row? 100%.
While Kiké didn’t have three or four hits in this game, he had the one that people will remember in the bottom of the 9th inning with a runner waiting 90 feet away. Rather than walk the already hot Hernandez to load the bases, the Rays opted to face him and try their luck. It wasn’t the decision they were hoping for as he lofted what briefly felt like could have been a home run to deep left field which drove home Danny Santana to ultimately take the ALDS 3-1.
Words can’t express how thankful Sox fans have become because of what he has been able to do. Former homegrown shortstop Nomar Garciaparra had the record for most total bases in a two game span with 14. Kiké shattered that with 17. He could not be stopped. The idea of him being a utility man now seems silly. How could you bench a guy that is putting the team on his back offensively when it matters most? Maybe now fans are understanding why his jersey was the 9th most popular prior to the season.
Nick Pivetta & Tanner Houck come up clutch in long relief
I don’t think we can understate just how valuable both Tanner Houck and Nick Pivetta were in 2nd and 3rd games of the ALDS. Both games resulted in Sox victories. After Chris Sale got knocked out early, Houck came in and pitched five innings allowing one run on two hits while striking out five registering the victory. The lone run came around via home run.
Pivetta did his best to one up his teammate by going four innings of shutout baseball two nights later allowing one walk, three hits and struck out seven registering the win as well. After the Red Sox were now winning the series two games to one, there was a sense of relief and calm in the clubhouse and with the fan base. Pitching is what wins ball games. If your starters don’t go long into games, you usually find yourself on the wrong end of it.
The Sox relievers were amongst the most used and heavily taxed earlier on in the season. Thankfully, there were times when the relievers had major help from those that weren’t starters. Both vital appearances came from two players that found themselves being asked to eat innings while out of role. Both delivered. Handsomely.
Rule 5 Draft Gold – Garrett Whitlock
I’m not sure if another team will ever find someone as special as Garrett Whitlock like the Red Sox did this year. After being forgotten by the rival Yankees, the Sox took a chance on the 24 year old prior to the season. The addition paid dividends greater than anyone could ever imagine.
In Whitlock’s first campaign, we saw him post an 8-4 record with a borderline insane 1.96 ERA in 46 appearances. He also registered 81 punch outs in 73 1/3 innings pitched while also getting 2 saves and 14 holds. If anyone had told you before this season that we were going to get this kind of production from a rookie out of the Rule 5 Draft, we would all be saying keep moving please and thank you.
Whitlock went 1 1/3 innings allowing one walk and struck out three in Game 3. He followed that performance by going two innings in Game 4 not allowing a batter to reach first base, registered the win and only threw 15 pitches, a 0.00 ERA for the ALDS.
The sky is the limit for this young man and it remains to be determined what his ceiling will ultimately be. One thing is certain, when the Astros face off against the Red Sox, they’ll be keeping tabs on this rotation and set of relievers. Pitching is what wins ball games and the Sox may just have the edge, the grit, and the momentum necessary to take the next series en route to the Show.
Photo Credit – David Butler USA Today Sports via Reuters
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