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Grading Alex Cora In The First Half Of The Season (@stevea1127)

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Alex Cora Has The Attention Of His Players

BOSTON, MA – APRIL 7: Manager Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the first inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on April 7, 2018 at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Alex Cora

The 68-win Boston Red Sox are going into the All-Star break with the best record in baseball. Most of the credit goes to the manager, Alex Cora. The former second baseman comes into his first year managing the Red Sox and has complete control of the clubhouse, despite the injuries that continue to stack up. The Red Sox have virtually the same team as last year, but the difference is so obviously the manager. John Farrell wasn’t connecting to his players like Alex Cora is right now. Cora has complete control of this team for the first half of the season and his players clearly respond to his managing style.

Red Sox Real Test Is In The Second Half Of The Season

Via MLB.com

Many people argue that the Red Sox haven’t played any real talent thus far. However, Cora has been the difference, and if they are able to fix the bullpen and maybe add an arm at the deadline, they should be well suited to compete with elite MLB talent down the stretch.

Cora is well liked by his players because he tells them everything before he tells the media. If something is wrong and he tells the media, Cora has already brought the issue up with that specific player. This managing style is in stark contrast with that of John Farrell, who didn’t have good communication with the media or his players.

Cora said last week that the All-Star break is needed and always comes at the right time. He also said it would be good to have the bullpen get some rest as well. Within the past few years, there seems to be lots of confidence with this team heading into the All-Star break. It’s well known that the second half isn’t as easy as the first half of the season. The Red Sox play the Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and the Houston Astros quite a bit down the stretch.

And The Final Grade Is…

September will be a tight race to the finish and a really big test for Alex Cora. It’s unlikely that they’ll have an epic collapse like in 2011, but it will a rollercoaster ride nonetheless. As we head into the All-Star break, Alex Cora deserves an “A” for the first half of the season not only because of the record but because he has the attention of his players and that’s of the utmost importance.

Should the Red Sox look to Bring Back an Old Friend?

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The Boston Red Sox have the most wins in the MLB at the moment, but that does not mean that they don’t have problems. An idea over the weekend was proposed by Jared Carrabis of the Section 10 Podcast that the Sox should look to try to acquire former Red Sox 3rd baseman, Adrian Beltre. This may seem like a fantasy acquisition by the Red Sox, but it seems plausible.

Rangers need to rebuild

For starters, the Texas Rangers are one of the worst teams in the MLB this year with a record of 28-44. They should look to trade their older players to contenders, like the Red Sox, for younger players. The Red Sox are most definitely in win now mode, trading guys like Yoan Moncada and others for Chris Sale. Adrian Beltre would help the Red Sox in many situations this year, and also be a clubhouse leader.

Red Sox problems VS LHP

One of the main problems with the Red Sox is their hitting vs left-handed pitchers. The Red Sox as a team are batting .235 against them with only 18 home runs. However, against right-handed pitchers, they are batting .268 with 83 home runs. Rafael Devers is batting .209, Moreland is batting .227, Benintendi is batting .197, Nunez is at .172, and JBJ is at .120, all against LHP this season. Adrian Beltre has been very successful versus left-handed pitching this year. In 44 plate appearances versus LHP, he is .359/.386/.462/.848. Beltre, in a short sample size, has shown that he can contribute to stopping this problem for the Red Sox.

Help Rafael Devers

Adrian Beltre could also help with the development of Rafael Devers. Devers is coming off a season where he had a batting average of .284 and hit 10 home runs through the 58 games he played. Through 69 games so far this year, Devers is averaging .236 with 10 home runs. Rafael’s hitting isn’t his major problem; his fielding is. Devers has a team-low fielding percentage of .931 and a team high of 14 errors. Adrian Beltre could come in and help the 21-year old out and give Devers a few days off from fielding. Beltre gives a veteran-mind to Devers that he needs in his very young career to help him grow into what he looked like in his inaugural MLB season.

 

Adrian Beltre played for the Red Sox for one season back in 2010. That season turned out to be one of Beltre’s best seasons of his career where he averaged .321/.359/.561/.921. He had 28 home runs and 102 RBIs and finished 9th in AL MVP voting. Beltre is a long ways away from that, but he is still a very productive player and a solid-veteran mind. Beltre can come in for the last half of the season and help the Red Sox bring another World Series championship back to Boston. The Red Sox are Beltre’s best option to win a title before he ends his hall-of-fame career soon.

Eduardo Rodriguez Has Finally Earned His Spot

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After what seemed to be a very rugged two and a half seasons, Eduardo Rodriguez has finally proved that he can be a stable option. Question is, how long can he achieve this?

The Red Sox will be 13-1 when Eduardo Rodriguez stats bearing they hold on to their 9-2 lead in tonight’s game. With that being said, it has been a long and bumpy ride during his tenure with the team. Since the 2014 trade that sent him here for Andrew Miller, he’s posted a 28-21 record with a 4.13 era to go along with 429 strikeouts in 437.2 innings pitched throughout his young career. 

While holding up physically thus far, he has had a lot of injuries throughout his career. Last October, he finally got a knee surgery that should keep it strong. After all, he has had three separate knee injuries that has derailed him. Usually whenever he finally starts to take off.

He’s in the position to get better under the wings of Chris Sale and David Price. The trio of southpaws could always help him elevate his game. With his mid 90s fastball, killer changeup, and who can forget that sinker that will buckle your knees Alex Cora has another pitcher who can destroy the American League. Hopefully, these numbers can be less stagnant as they have been throughout his career.

While the season is leaning towards midseason, the challenges and competition will only strengthen. How he handles all of these hurdles will only solidify his case. If all goes well for the 24 year old, he could have sights set on comeback player of the year.

How does his knee hold up throughout the remainder of the season? Will he be able to continue his dominance? Stay updated with the best red sox coverage here on bostonsportsextra.com for all the latest Boston news, rumors, and highlights!

David Price is Back

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The Red Sox have been on a tear to start the season, sitting behind the Yankees by mere percentage points while owning the most wins in baseball. Offense has been the talk of the town for this Sox team, as the team leads the majors in runs, hits, and batting average. They are second in home runs and RBIs, trailing only the Yankees. As fantastic as MLB’s top offense has been through 65 games, they have received a lot of help from their All-Star pitching core in Rick Porcello, Chris Sale, and David Price.

Price’s Hot Streak

No pitcher on the team has been hotter than Price as of late. Last night Price delivered the team a fifth win in his last six outings. He pitched for six innings and gave up only two runs on five hits. This is Price’s second longest winning streak of his career.

“I’m throwing the baseball better and I’m throwing better strikes,” said Price. “I’m throwing it better when I have two outs and that has kind of been my Achilles’ heel this year, giving up that big hit with two outs and runners in scoring position. That is something that has hurt me a lot.”

In Price’s last six starts, he owns a 2.89 ERA, 1.1 whip, and 9.64 K/9 innings. His velocity is up and his confidence is back.

Playoff Demons

After appearing in only 16 games in the 2017 season (five of which came out of the bullpen), people started to become concerned about his future. Boston gave Price the largest pitching contract in MLB history in 2016 (7-years, $217 million). He responded with a 17-9 record in his debut season, but failed to live up to expectations in the playoffs as his team was swept handily by the Indians.

In his lone playoff start, Price gave up five runs in only 3.5 innings before being pulled from the game. Playoff demons have haunted Price throughout his career, demons Boston hoped to eliminate when they signed him on.

Now it looks as if Price will be given a second chance to right the ship and prove he can step up in October. He is pitching with a purpose, like a man on a mission to prove the doubters wrong. When asked about Price’s recent stretch of success, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, “There’s purpose behind every pitch”. With his team holding the second best record in baseball, all indications point to a long playoff run for the Red Sox.

David Price is Back

In a season full of purpose for the Sox, Price is delivering all the right things at the right time. He holds a 4.0 ERA on the season and has a 7-4 record. He has recorded 72 strikeouts in just 74.1 innings played thus far. As long as he can continue delivering for the team Boston will continue to roll.

Now is the time for Price to earn his record-breaking contract and show the world why the Red Sox invested so much into him only a few short years ago.

You can find me on Twitter @Celtichottakes

Boston Red Sox vs Baltimore Orioles Recap

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A four game series versus the Orioles will take place Thursday through Sunday. The Orioles are in last place in the AL East, and the Sox are tied for first place with the New York Yankees. This weekend will also mark the showdown of Mookie Betts and Manny Machado, the top two leaders in the home run race for the MLB. Dustin Pedroia, Austin Maddox, and Tyler Thornburg will all play in Rochester this weekend with minor league affiliate Pawtucket Red Sox. The Red Sox look to keep their lead and overrule the Yankees to be sole leader of the AL East. David Price will be up first on the mound Thursday night. Then Pomeranz, Porcello, and Rodriguez will follow.

Price vs. Gausman – a Full Game for Price

David Price had himself quite the night. He pitched nine innings in under 100 pitches, and came out with a win. Price struck out eight batters and let up only five hits. J.D. Martinez hit a two run homer in the first, and Xander Bogaerts hit a three run homer in the fifth, providing Price with plenty of run support. Showalter didn’t hesitate to wait for Bogaerts to finish rounding the bases before speed walking to take Gausman out. The Orioles skipper was so in the moment he did not even realize that Bogaerts hadn’t even made it home. Kevin Gausman pitched a little under five innings, letting up six runs and eight hits, striking out six and walking two. Boston won their second straight game after beating the Oakland Athletics 6-4 on Wednesday to avoid a three game sweep. Baltimore was 5-7 coming in.

“They’re a free-swinging team,” said Price, who threw just 95 pitches. “You can go out there and do that or you can go out there for three innings and give up a bunch of runs.”

”We just got into some sticky situations where we just had to dig ourselves out of a hole and we just couldn’t,” Susac said.

“He was amazing,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “He was outstanding. You saw it. Bad swings, up, down, in and out, change up, cutter, sinkers … that was fun to watch.”

Pomeranz vs. Cobb – Cobb Takes His First Win in an Orioles Jersey

The Orioles beat the Red Sox 7-4, ending Baltimore’s 13-game road losing streak. Cobb held the Red Sox to three runs and ten hits over six innings. It was Alex Cobb’s first game as an Orioles pitcher, he previously spent the past 11 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays. Drew Pomeranz only lasted four innings, getting pulled after the Orioles scored four in the fourth. Pomeranz let up seven hits and walked three. He struck out a season-low of two. Mookie Betts doubled twice and hit his 14th homer this season. One day after Machado took the AL lead with his 14th homer, Betts tied him with his solo shot in the third and his three-hit night raised his American League leading batting average to .371.

 

“He’s a dangerous combination right now,” Cobb said of Betts. “Betts is just locked in. He’s where every ballplayer strives to get to.”

“I can’t remember the last time we won a game on a road,” said Machado after the Orioles win.

“It’s just pretty frustrating,” Pomeranz said. “You put so much time and effort into it and you want to throw a good game for your team, especially the way our offense is. Just trying to keep us in the game, and I didn’t do that tonight.”

Porcello vs. Bundy – Mookie Betts Is Still the Best in the MLB

Betts hit a two run homer before Andrew Benintendi followed with a homer of his own in the fifth inning, and the Red Sox beat the Orioles 6-3 on Saturday night. The rain was not enough to stop Mookie from having himself a night. Mookie is hitting a major-league best .368 with 15 homers and 32 RBI’s out of the lead off spot for the Sox. Rick Porcello gave up three runs over six innings, with nine strikeouts, and three walks. Alvarez’s two run homer got it to 4-3 in the sixth, but Benintendi’s single made it 6-3 in the seventh. Craig Kimbrel captured his 13th save of the season. Eduardo Rodriguez is set to start against his former team on Sunday.

“It’s incredible. It’s a lot of fun to watch. I don’t know what to say,” pitcher Rick Porcello said. “When he gets his pitch, he’s not missing it. When he doesn’t get his pitch, he’s not missing it.”

“He’s in a groove right now. But, it’s not like he’s hot-hot,” Benintendi said. “It feels like he can get hotter.”

Rodriguez vs. Hess – the Sox Take the Series Win over Orioles

Eduardo Rodriguez held the Orioles scoreless over almost six innings to earn the win. Rodriguez let up nine hits with no walks and seven strikeouts, improving his record to 4-1 and lowering his ERA to 4.13. J.D. Martinez recorded his eighth career multi-homer game and first with the Red Sox. He led off the second inning with a first-pitch homer to left then added a two-run shot in the fifth to tie Mookie Betts for the Major League lead in home runs with 15. Mitch Moreland doubled before Martinez hit his second homer of the day. His first came in the second inning. Andrew Benintendi hit his fifth home run of the season to bring both himself and another runner in to score. The Sox got the win 5-0 to end the series and this home stand.

Up Next

Second baseman Dustin Pedroia went zero for three in a rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday and he will play at some point in the next week.  Alex Cora said he’d like to see Pedroia play consecutive games before coming back to the majors. The Sox are 31-15 and hold first place in the AL East. The Red Sox will travel to Tampa Bay for a three game series versus the Rays, and then return home for a weekend series against the Atlanta Braves.

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Red Sox – Royals Series Recap

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Monday- The Royals fall to the Sox in Game 1

In their 21st win of the season, the Red Sox won 10-6 over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night. Xander Bogaerts hit his second grand slam of the season, and sixth for the team. Mitch Moreland hit a solo home run, going three for four with a homer, a double, three runs, and two RBIs. Andrew Benintendi hit a sacrifice fly into center field to drive in Jackie Bradley Jr. in the bottom of the fourth. Eduardo Rodriguez didn’t have a fantastic start as he pitched five hits, five runs, three walks, and striking out only six in the Royals lineup. Hector Velazquez hit the pitcher’s mound after Rodriguez and only allowed one hit. Mookie Betts was still not present in the lineup, but Cora said that he should be playing tomorrow.

“He’s been pretty amazing for us all year, obviously with the injury, not knowing what to expect coming back, but he’s picked right up where he left off… it was a nice night”. Said Moreland on Bogaerts performance

“I didn’t hit a grand slam in my career, so it’s not because of me”, said Alex Cora on the 6 grand slams hit since he became manager

Tuesday- Sox Fall on Sale day

The Red Sox fell to the Royals 7-6 on Tuesday night. Eduardo Nuñez homered in the 12th inning to tie the game. Royals reliever Kevin McCarthy pitched three scoreless innings to allow the Royals to gain control. A wild pitch in the seventh allowed Benintendi to run home and lead for a portion of the game. Tuesday night’s game was only Benintendi’s second time batting lead off in his career, as Mookie was still on the bench. Sale added another loss after pitching seven innings, allowing two runs, two walks, and only six strikeouts. Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning and allowed the Sox to keep the 3-2 lead. Ultimately, the Royals won the 13th inning game. Tomorrow Drew Pomeranz will pitch for the second time this season at Fenway against Kansas City’s Danny Duffy.

Wednesday- Sox take the Series against Royals

With it being nearly 90 degrees in the city, it felt like a typical summer baseball game. Mookie Betts again proved why he’s the lead-off man for the Sox. Betts surpassed Ted Williams to hit the most three home run games in franchise history. The Gatorade shower made an appearance, and Mookie definitely deserved the spotlight. The Sox beat out Kansas 5-4 to take the series. J.D. Martinez also hit a two run homer to tie the game in the third. Drew Pomeranz picked up his first win of the season. He is showing improved velocity and an improved curveball since his time on the disabled list. Joe Kelly also returned from his six game suspension from the bench clearing brawl against the Yankees. He pitched a scoreless seventh inning to show that his time off did no harm.

“It was pretty cool, I’m just trying to shut them down long enough to let Mookie get at-bats. When he gets hot like that, we’re all cheering for more at-bats for him. They keep throwing him pitches, but he keeps sitting on everything they throw him. It’s pretty awesome to watch.”-Drew Pomeranz on Mookies performance

Sources

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MLB.com

Red Sox Take Series Against Toronto

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Tuesday- Porcello vs. Happ

Porcello took the mound for his fifth start against Toronto’s J. A. Happ. Unfortunately, today’s game didn’t end in the Sox’ favor. Rick Porcello pitched another great game ending with a 1.93 ERA. Hanley Ramirez and Rafael Devers both hit singles to get on base. This allowed Eduardo Nuñez to hit and RBI single into left field. With bases loaded, Brock Holt hit to left field, which forced the game into extra innings. The Toronto Blue Jays eventually took the win as Craig Kimbrel let up his first run in the 2018 season.

Wednesday- Rodriguez vs. Sanchez

It was another night of the Mookie Show for the Sox. The Toronto Blue Jays lost 4-3 against the Red Sox Wednesday night. Hitting two homers, one in his first at bat of the game, Mookie smashed the losing streak. In an interview later that night, Alex Cora compared them to the likes of Altuve and Trout. Brock Holt had three hits, to raise his batting average to .327. Eduardo Rodriguez pitched nearly seven innings and only let up six hits. He extended the Red Sox lead to 18-5. It also happened that the Bruins were playing the same day, and there is a large support system coming from the Sox. Both teams are seen often cheering for the others. Tomorrow is Sale day and with the losing streak gone can he add a win under his belt.

“Two good swings. The one to the opposite side of the field, that was great.” – Alex Cora on Mookie Betts

“Good win for us. Good win for the Bruins. Everybody is pulling for them over here. Mookie did his thing… again” -Hanley Ramirez on the win

Thursday – Sale vs. Estrada

J.D. hit the ball to right center to allow three runs with only two outs in the fifth inning. Chris Sale let up a run in the first inning causing Toronto to give Sanchez the run support Sale wanted. With Joe Kelly serving his suspension, Matt Barnes was brought in. With the Sox only leading Toronto by one run in the seventh inning, Barnes struck out Maile, avoiding a run to tie the game. I’m the eighth inning, Toronto was ready to rally and the Sox had to make a great play. Brock Holt had to throw the ball to Moreland at first, to get Grichuk out. Toronto challenged the call, but luckily there was not enough evidence in their favor. Tomorrow Xander Bogaerts with return from the disabled list and Drew Pomeranz will pitch at Fenway for the first time this season.

You know, even when he’s struggling, you think he’s one adjustment away to do damage.” -Alex Cora on J. D. Martinez

“That’s the kind of guy he is. He does some pretty incredible things with that bat, and I’m appreciative of it tonight. ” – Chris Sale on J. D.

Sources

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Red Sox – Toronto Blue Jays Preview

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The Boston Red Sox Are on to Toronto

Via Boston HeraldThe Boston Red Sox head to Toronto to begin a series with the Blue Jay’s tonight. The Red Sox open the series as favorites and look to retain first place in the American League East. The red-hot Red Sox started the season with a 17-2 record averaging, 6.48 runs per game. Then the bats were silenced in Oakland on Saturday and Sunday.

The Pitching Matchup Looks like a Win for the Red Sox

Apr 15, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale delivers a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY SportsRick Porcello will get the ball for the Red Sox tonight in the first game of the series. Porcello is 4-0 on the season and has not allowed an earned run in his last 13 innings. Going against Porcello is J.A. Happ, who has struck out 26 total batters. In Happ’s last three starts he’s 3-0 with a 4.67 ERA. Happ also has 26 strikeouts.

Eduardo Rodriguez will go against Aaron Sanchez on Wednesday night. In Rodriguez’s last three starts he’s 3-0 with a 3.45 ERA. Rodriguez has 20 strikeouts. In Sanchez’s last three starts he’s 1-1 with a 3.15 ERA and 13 strikeouts. The series finale on Thursday has Chris Sale going against Marco Estrada. In Chris Sale’s last three starts he’s 1-1 with a 2.50 ERA and 26 strikeouts. Estrada is 2-1 in his last three starts. He has a 6.00 ERA and 16 strikeouts.

Last season when Porcello pitched four times against the Blue Jays. In total, he had a 2.74 ERA with 23 strikeouts and six walks. Rodriguez made two starts and one relief appearance against the Toronto Blue Jays last season as well. He struck out 18 batters, gave up eight walks, and had a 3.65 ERA. The ace Chris Sale was great against the Blue Jays last season. Sale went over 27 innings with 43 strikeouts. Sale’s ERA was 1.67 and only allowed four walks.

The 17-4 Red Sox should win this series over Toronto. The Red Sox have hit five grand slams so far this season. Will we see anymore during this series? That remains to be unseen, however, this team is a lot more fun to watch than last season.

 

Do the Red Sox Have an Identity?

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The Red Sox Are Better and More Confident

USA TODAY SportsThe 15-2 Boston Red Sox have the best record in franchise history. Not only that, but the Red Sox have hit four grand slams this season and are on pace for 38. The Major League record for grand slams in a season is 14.  So far this season the Red Sox have had 176 hits, 22 home runs, and 101 RBI’s. Yes it’s early, but it’s clear that the Red Sox didn’t want to play for John Farrell last season. They’ve found an identity with Alex Cora connecting with them.

The only pitcher on the team with a loss is David Price. Alex Cora told Tony Massarotti on 98.5 The Sports Hub that he never knew Price couldn’t pitch well in cold weather, or even about his condition. Price did pitch well Tuesday night, but the Red Sox also hit the ball well too. It was also 60 degrees so Price’s fingers wouldn’t get numb for being too cold. The only two Red Sox losses so far are from Opening Day and David Price being taken out because of the cold temperature.

Alex Cora Is off to a Great Start

Cora is the first rookie manager to start at 15-2, but he credits the players. Cora said after last nights game, “It’s a credit to them, I just put the lineup in. The coaches are helping out, putting them in a spot to be successful. They’re using the information to their advantage. In the end, they’re the ones hitting fastballs out of the ballpark and playing good defense and throwing the ball over the plate. All the credit goes to them.”

Cora also said after last nights game, “I know how good they are. But it’s just something about them that makes you feel confident. You show up every day to work and you enjoy it. I’m having a blast with them, not only in the dugout but in the clubhouse. It’s fun to be around them.” The Red Sox keep this up it will be a fun and exciting season.

Alex Cora Is The Right Guy For The Job

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Alex Cora Is off to a Great Start

Alex Cora is doing a pretty good job managing the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox have started out at 8-1 for the best start in franchise history. Cora came here to bring a young vibe to the clubhouse. It was clear John Farrell needed to go and that there needed to be a fresh voice in the clubhouse. Now you can say over the last nine game the Red Sox have played Triple-A teams between the Rays and Marlins. However, the powerhouse Yankees who are 5-5 have been struggling and they come to town Tuesday.

Alex Cora spoke highly of his team yesterday after the eighth inning comeback win. He said, “They’re fun to watch, they’re cool to watch. I’m sitting there like, ‘Wow, this is great,’ you know? It wasn’t a great game as a team, but it takes 27 outs to beat us, and they proved it.” Cora also is taken by the confidence this team as shown saying “I don’t know if that group needs confidence down there. , they’re playing, they don’t really know what’s going on. They’re just playing baseball and having fun with it. They prepare themselves, and they go out and  every team plays hard  but they’re just having fun right now.”

Via Twitter

Cora also said that they’ve been playing great for a month. Even though spring training doesn’t count, it’s still good they’ve been playing great baseball. Cora said, “We’ve been playing good baseball for a month now. And I know spring training doesn’t count, I know the record doesn’t count, but we were playing good baseball. We were playing fast, we were catching the ball, and we were pitching. And regardless if it was Fort Myers or here or Tampa, it doesn’t matter. When you play good baseball, you have good results.” Not taking anything away from them, however, let’s see how this Red Sox team does with better match-ups. So far they’re off to a great start.