The Boston Red Sox lost on Sunday, but an Atlanta Braves win over the Houston Astros kicked off champagne showers inside the visitors' clubhouse in Tampa Bay.
The Red Sox's season seemed like a lost cause when Alex Cora got fired and injuries began to pile up. However, with the aid of a 15-game win streak, the Red Sox put themselves in a position to add at the trade deadline and stayed hot. Interim manager Chad Tracy deserves a ton of credit for getting the team back on track.
“I want to express gratitude for everyone in the room,” Tracy said to his players before Sunday's celebration, per The Athletic.
“I’m so grateful for you guys, for our staff, for everybody. You stared impossible in the face. The position we were in, you beat it back and said, ‘The hell with that, we’re going to the playoffs.’ And you did.”
The Red Sox are going back to the postseason, and in all likelihood, they will face the New York Yankees in the American League Wild Card Series for the second straight year. Just like last year, the Red Sox are headed back to the Bronx, with another American League East team waiting for them if they win.
If the Yankees lose a single game to the Tampa Bay Rays this week, the Rays will clinch the division and pretty much lock in the Yankees as the No. 4 seed and themselves as the No. 1 seed.
Early in the season, it was hard to imagine the Red Sox making the postseason, let alone having a team that looks capable of winning the American League. However, perception means nothing. They need to get the job done in October to make the turnaround worthwhile.