BOSTON — For weeks, the Red Sox have been the gallant long-distance runner, furiously making up ground from behind, closing in on their opponent….only to stumble at the finish line.
They lead baseball in one-run losses, and on their recent road trip, they suffered three walk-off losses in the span of six days.
Close but no cigar.
On Saturday night at Fenway, however, they finally made all the work pay off. They trailed 5-0 in the third, and it looked to be a long night against the Atlanta Braves.
They then began chipping away with two runs in the third, and another two in the seventh. The comeback really gained team in the eighth when a two-out, two-run single from Jarren Duran pulled the Red Sox even at 6-6.
Of course, this had happened twice in Detroit, too, where the Red Sox on Tuesday night made up a two-run deficit in the eighth, took the lead for the first time in the top of the 10th only to give it back in the bottom of the inning. In the 11th, they scored two, but then, a Javy Baez three-run homer won the game for the Tigers.
It was more of the same the following night when, facing ace Tarik Skubal, they erased a three-run edge by Detroit, then, predictably, allowed the game-winner in the bottom of the ninth.
Those were gut-punch losses that robbed them of a winning road trip.
“For us,” said Duran, “it seems like the easy part has been the hard part — coming back and tying it. It’s been finishing it that’s been tough.”
Saturday, however, the script was flipped. Rafael Devers cracked a leadoff homer in the bottom of the ninth for his first career walk-off winner, and suddenly, those losses seemed like a long-ago memory.
The win marked the first time this season that the Red Sox won a game in which they were trailing after six innings.
“We needed that one,” declared Alex Cora.
And indeed, they did. The Sox entered the game two games under .500, a game into a 10-game homestand filled with importance.
But before many fans had taken their seats, the Braves had jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first off a shaky Lucas Giolito.
To their credit, they hung in and began the process of crawling back. After the fourth inning, they outscored Atlanta 5-0.
“Gotta give the guys credit for not giving up,” said Giolito. “From the bullpen, defense, the clutch hitting, stolen bases…it was really fun to watch that come together and get that ‘W.’ Definitely, win of the year.”
And when Giolito paused to consider what had transpired in the last week, the win seemed to take on an added significance.
“I think that getting the win tonight,” Giolito said, “after all these close games and being one pitch away and things not going our way, being able to relentlessly fight until the end, creates some really good vibes for us going forward.”
“We’ve been pretty resilient, having games like that, but coming up short (at the end),” said Duran. “But tonight was our night. It’s always a good feeling to have one of those nights.”
The Red Sox could use something to galvanize them. For weeks, they seem stuck in the standings mud, unable to get enough traction to propel them forward.
They sit in second place almost by default. They remain in the playoff race because while they’ve been, at best, mediocre, others have been worse.
The lasting value of a win like Saturday’s could come in the coming days and weeks. Having been rewarded, at last, with a win, having finally crossed the finish line without the last-minute stumble, this could serve as an impetus.
“I’m hoping tonight is one of those tools we can put in our belt and lean back on later down the road,” said Duran.
Asked about the importance long-term of such a victory, Cora remained somewhat circumspect, unwilling to attach too much to what had just transpired.
“We’re about to see,” he said. “It’s only one night. I don’t want to get too excited about it…You can see it both ways: ‘Oh, they can’t finish games.’ Or, ‘They’re about to take off.’ I see it that way.”
Cora paused and reconsidered.
“I better see it that way,” he said with a smile.
