Three is a Magic Number

Yes it is. Yes it is.

And, it’s a very small magic number at that. While it’s not as small as zero, it’s definitely getting there. And, while I’m sure Farrell would ever admit it, that was shown during last night’s game.

Xander Bogaerts came to the plate with the tying run on second, and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. It’s September, so you know there were plenty of pinch hitters available. But, Farrell left him in there. He needed to see what the kid could do, and had an opportunity to do so without killing the team. It was obviously a high pressure situation. The game was in Xander’s hands. He was the last resort. Who knows? The Sox may find themselves forced into that very situation during a playoff game. So, it’s nice that they were able to put Bogaerts into a trial run now. Now, he didn’t come through. But, because the magic number is so small, that they can absorb the loss. It was worth the chance to get the kid into the situation at least once.

So, while I certainly don’t think the Sox should take their foot off the accelerator, it was good that they took that opportunity when it presented itself. They can get right back to their winning ways tonight, and get one step closer to clinching. I love hearing so much talk about having the best AL record, or getting to 100 wins. They’re not stopping now. They’ve learned their lessons. They’re going to keep playing as hard as they can all the way through.

And lower that magic number tonight!