Chelsea Zara Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! As I’m sure you’re aware, with

Section 36 occupying a spot in the centerfield bleachers in Fenway you get a nice view into the Red Sox bullpen. I imagine Chelsea Zara would like that vantage point...after all, her fiancé, Matt Barnes, spends a lot of time in there. Chelsea is a frequent traveler, and a newly certified Doctor of Physical Therapy. I’m flattered she was willing to take some time out of her schedule to visit with us and discuss those topics, along with a few more. I know you’ll enjoy reading everything she had to say!

So, let’s see what happens when Chelsea Zara visits Section 36!

You recently became a licensed Doctor of Physical Therapy. (Congrats!) What interested you most about that field? 

Thank you! It has been a long, challenging seven years, but it was definitely worth it! Ever since I was a little girl, I had always been interested in the medical field and fascinated with the idea of helping people. After I graduated from UConn as a biology major, I took a year off before applying to PT School. During this time I spent 3 months in Cape Town, South Africa as a medical volunteer where I worked at an inpatient facility for disabled and abandoned children. It was truly the most rewarding and humbling experience ever and solidified my love for physical therapy & medicine. My favorite part about PT is that I have the ability and the opportunity to work with people of all ages and all levels. From children and school-based therapy, to elderly, to sports rehab and more— it’s reassuring to know I will never be bored at work!

You got your undergraduate degree from the University of Connecticut. What did you especially like about UConn? 

I absolutely loved UConn! My favorite part about being there was

that it was away from any big city. Anyone in Storrs, Connecticut is pretty much between the ages of 18-22 which made everything about being there — restaurants, bars, apartments, parties, classrooms — so much more fun. It’s a beautiful campus with great education, great people, and great sports.

Not long ago, you participated in the “From Fenway to the Runway” charity event. What is your favorite part about the many activities the “Red Sox Wives” are involved in? 

Chelsea and Chelsea

The entire Red Sox organization is so much more than just baseball. It’s amazing, honestly, to see how they take such a renowned platform and transform it into so many philanthropic events. For example —in just 36 hours of the Jimmy-Fund Radio telethon, $4.4 million was raised by donors. I mean — I can’t even wrap my head around how incredible that is! The entire organization is all about doing things to make Boston greater than it already is and I am so grateful to be a part of it.

You’ve been able to do a lot of traveling, all over the globe. What is your favorite place to visit? Why? 

Cape Town, South Africa has got to be #1 on my list. I loved going

to safaris, surfing, hiking, camping. Next on my list would definitely be Italy — I studied abroad there during college and fell in love with the culture and of course, the food!

How did you and Matt meet? 

Romantically, Matt and I met at UConn at our local college bar! Definitely a story to tell the kids.

You’ll be getting married this winter. (Congrats again!) How is the wedding planning coming along, especially with Matt on the road so much? 

Wedding planning has been going well, but of course stressful at times. The most stressful part is that we are getting married down in Florida, so we’re both unfamiliar with the vendors/DJ’s/florists in that area. Matt has been the most supportive groom ever — his response to everything is, “Whatever you like, I like!”

How often do you get to see Matt pitch in person? 

As often as I can! I have notifications on my phone for every pitching change during every game - so I think I have only missed maybe 3-4 of his outings this entire season. Once I graduated in May, I was finally (for once!) able to spend much more time in Boston than usual and I was also able to travel to some cool new cities like Seattle and Houston.

Other than Section 36, what is your favorite feature or experience at Fenway Park?

I may be bias, but I truly think that Fenway has the most homey,

historic feel to it unlike many of the other commercialized ballparks. And, of course, my favorite experiences at Fenway are whenever I get to see Matt pitch. As a relief pitcher, you have no idea when he may go in. Sometimes I go to 3-4 games in a row and he doesn’t pitch, yet the one game I miss - he does! It’s surreal to see him out there, living his dream like that, with all 40,000 people in the stands cheering for him. He’s come a long way from when I saw him pitch during the UConn baseball days!

Being in the bullpen seems to automatically mean a pitcher will see some criticism during the season. How do you deal with the negative side of Red Sox fan social media? 

It’s tough for pitchers because if they ever give up a run of lose a lead, the fans really take it all out on them. Thankfully I don't have a Twitter because that is where some of the worst comments come from. I do my best to not let it get under my skin. I guess it just all comes with the territory! 

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Not having Twitter is probably a real good idea.

Of course, I want to thank Chelsea for taking the time to do this interview. She has a lot on her plate with bridal showers and baseball games taking up a lot of her time, so I appreciate the effort to carve out some time for us. I also want to thank her for allowing me to use the pictures that go along with the post. They always help tell the story better.

Chelsea might not have Twitter, but she does have Instagram. I recommend you go give her a follow so you can keep up to date on her new career, and wedding planning. You won't regret it! And I'm sure you'll all join me in hoping she'll get to see Matt pitch in a lot more games this October!

Thanks again Chelsea!

Three to Get Ready

Three. Three games are all that remain for the Red Sox this season. 

I have to admit that part of me wishes they could sweep the Yankees in this series for many reasons. For one, it's always fun to sweep the Yankees. It would also give the Red Sox 110 wins this season, which would be a fun round number to have. It would also give the A's a much better chance to pass the Yankees in the standings. I didn't think a home game is THAT important in the one game. Certainly less important than having your ace pitch in the game. But, I would definitely prefer whichever team plays the Red Sox to have to do so after playing a game in Oakland.

But I know the Red Sox won't be trying at all to win these games. (Sorry A's fans.) And, I am of course perfectly fine with that. These three games are about keeping people relatively fresh, and healthy. If they win, it will be purely accidental. And, the best players will barely play, if at all.

Because, I think even most of the personal milestones are taken care of. Mookie stole his 30th base. (Thank God he wasn't stepped on.) Xander collected his 100th RBI. Devers crossed the 20 HR barrier. Unless 'Tendi wants to hit four home runs this weekend to reach 20 himself, everyone is pretty much where they'll be whether they play or not. So, rest will be the order of the weekend. 

It will be interesting to see the final positional battles play out, although I don't even know how many of those there are. Maybe trying to decide on an extra reliever? Of course, to do that, you'd have to play people who you might need in the playoffs...which would sort of go against the "rest everyone" plan.

So we'll see how it all plays out. However it goes, the Red Sox will start the playoffs next week as the top team in the American League. That hasn't happened in a bit now. It sure will be a lot of fun.

What are you looking to see this weekend?

I Was Entertained!

I've been meaning to write about this for a couple weeks now, and I don't know if this is something new, or if I'm just that clueless. But

when I was at Fenway not long ago, I noticed some new in-game entertainment.

It was later in the game, and I was enjoying the mid-inning music being played throughout the park. As it played, I looked around the park to see what was interesting. When I looked behind me, I saw what you see in the picture at the top of the post. It wasn't music being played. It was a live on-field performance by Christiana Berenguer. I was shocked. I looked down on the field to make sure it wasn't just a video. But, there she was over by Pesky’s Pole. If they announced her, I didn't hear it. So, it was a complete surprise to me. A very pleasant surprise at that! I've obviously seen them have singers on the field for the national anthem, and God Bless America. I was even there where Neil Diamond did Sweet Caroline live during the eighth inning. But, this wasn't that. Christiana was singing a regular pop song, with no particular meaning that I could figure out. It certainly made me wonder how and why she was able to perform. Whatever the reason, I'm glad she did.

I've mentioned before different ways teams try to entertain you at a baseball game. I've always preferred the subtle in-seat options. I hate the idea of having to leave your seat to be entertained. How is it building young Sox fans if you leave the game to go to Wally’s Clubhouse? Why not just have Avengers Infinity War playing under the grandstand and bring all the kids down to watch that? If you want to build Sox fans, keep the kids in their seats watching the games.

So, while I think that things like sausage races go too far, they do convince people to stay in their seats as opposed to wandering around the concourse. Which is why Christina's performance was perfect. It wasn't anything in your face. You just felt yourself having a good time. Even if you didn't really know it. All you know is that you had a better time in the seats than you might have had wandering around.

And, I'm sure you had a great time. Christina gave a wonderful performance that had us all talking about it in the seats. If she was the first, she definitely set the bar high for anyone following her. I certainly hope the Red Sox continue to have performers like her during the game. It's another entertainment option to add the the organ, and music being played. And I enjoyed it a lot.

Did you get to hear her too?

Don't let us win tonight!

The Red Sox lost their second game in a row last night. Their lead in the division dipped below ten games once again, and their magic number to clinch remains at two. Naturally, that brings out the doom and gloom in Red Sox nation. They're struggling so much, they'll never advance in the playoffs! This bullpen will kill them in the ALDS! Of course, as usual, it's all overblown.

Yes, the Sox aren't dominating like they sometimes do. In fact, they're only 6-4 in their last ten games. With a slump like that, the rest of the league is going to pass them by. Wait, what's that? 6-4 is actually the second best record in the American League over the last ten games? Only the Rays at 8-2 are hotter than the Sox are right now? The Yankees are only 5-5 over their last ten? Huh. Sounds to me like there's not much to worry about.

Now, the bullpen? That's something else entirely. Pete Abraham had a great tweet last night comparing the bullpens of potential playoff teams.

Bullpen ERA since the All-Star break for the expected AL playoff teams

Oakland 3.07
Houston 3.43
Cleveland 3.43
Boston 4.00
New York 4.21

Since Aug. 1
Houston 2.62
Oakland 3.24
Cleveland 3.58
Boston 4.02
New York 4.04

— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) September 19, 2018

So, you can see that the Red Sox bullpen is clearly a fatal flaw that is going to kill them against good teams like the Yankees. Oh, wait. The Yankees have a worse bullpen ERA in both those situations? Huh.

But, all the other teams are better! See? The Sox are terrible! And, yes, the other bullpen ERAs are better. By about half a run. What does that mean? Well, just as a generalization...let's assume Boston and Cleveland each have played about 40 games since August 1st. And, just for numbers, we'll assume the bullpen averages three innings per game. That would mean that in August and September the Indians bullpen has given up 48 runs, and the Red Sox 54. Six more runs over a month and a half. Or an extra run every six games. That's what we're worried about here? We're ready to throw away the season over a run every six games? So, in a potential playoff series, the Red Sox bullpen will give up one more run than the Indians bullpen. What in the blazes are we talking about?

So I'll say it again. Yes the Red Sox bullpen struggles sometimes.  Yes, the Red Sox lineup struggles sometimes. But, so does the bullpen and lineup for every team in the league.

Even those teams we're supposed to worry about.

36 Pack Wax Match: Pack 33

The Stage has been set. The Match is underway. Who will come out on top? There’s only one way to find out.

Keep going, and open that thirty-third pack!

As we dive into this pack, 1990 is hoping to clinch the match, after a victory in pack 32. Can it do it with this pack? Let's see!

First, we'll start with all the scoring cards from the 1988 pack!













Yup. Crickets! Not a single point scored by 1988. Now, it's possible to win a pack with a zero score, but it will be tough! Let's see the 1990 pack!

Hall of Fame +1

 This great card of Kirby Puckett gets 1990 off to a great start. All it needs is positive points from here on out.

Hall of Fame +1

Another Hall of Famer! This card isn't exactly exciting. Even the action shot isn't very action-y. But, it gets the pack another point!
  

Red Sox +2

More points! At some point, one of the Boston stations made a parody of Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire" about the previous Red Sox season. The only line I remember is "Esasky's gone, they'll never win!"

Hall of Fame +1

Another Hall of Famer! Points or no points, this pack is fantastic! Another great action shot too. Only thing better would be if Ozzie's bat extended into the border like his head does. Otherwise, a great card.

Mercifully, that is where the scoring ends! 1990 clinches the match with a convincing victory in pack 33!

Box Bottom: 1988 +1 (1-0)

Pack 1:  1990 +6 (1-1)
Pack 2:  1990 +4 (2-1)
Pack 3:  1988 +3 (2-2)
Pack 4:  1990 +1 (3-2)
Pack 5:  1990 +1 (4-2)
Pack 6:  1988 +2 (3-4)
Pack 7:  1988 +3 (4-4)
Pack 8:  TIE   +0 (4-4)
Pack 9:  1990 +2 (5-4)
Pack 10: 1990 +4 (6-4)
Pack 11: 1990 +4 (7-4)
Pack 12: 1990 +1 (8-4)
Pack 13: 1990 +5 (9-4)
Pack 14: 1988 +3 (5-9)
Pack 15: 1988 +2 (6-9)
Pack 16: 1988 +3 (7-9)
Pack 17: 1990 +3 (10-7)
Pack 18: 1988 +2 (8-10)
Pack 19: 1988 +3 (9-10)
Pack 20: 1990 +2 (11-9)
Pack 21: TIE   +0 (11-9)
Pack 22: 1990 +2 (12-9)
Pack 23: 1988 +2 (10-12)
Pack 24: TIE   +0 (10-12)
Pack 25: 1988 +3 (11-12)
Pack 26: TIE   +0 (11-12)
Pack 27: TIE   +0 (11-12)
Pack 28: 1988 +1 (12-12)
Pack 29: TIE   +0 (12-12)

Pack 30: 1990 +1 (13-12)
Pack 31: 1990 +3 (14-12)
Pack 32: 1990 +2 (15-12)
Pack 33: 1990 +5 (16-12)

Congratulations 1990!


Of course, it wouldn't be any fun if we didn't open the last three packs. So, what will happen next time?

You Have to Give the Yankees credit

I may not have been saying it before the season. But, most of the so-called experts felt that the Yankees would be running away with the division this season. People who thought Judge wasn’t a fluke and who thought Stanton could perform under pressure assumed that those two would lead an unbeatable line-up to an AL East title.

But, the Yankees saw through that. Not only did they sense that their team wasn’t that good, but they knew the Red Sox were better than they were. They clearly predicted that the Sox, and not the Yanks, would run away with the division, and would have the opportunity to clinch when the two teams started their early September series. Why else would they schedule a non-holiday Tuesday day game? Clearly they wanted to make sure that as few people as possible would actually see the Red Sox clinch yet another title in Yankee Stadium. It was a masterstroke of genius.

I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure it was going to happen. I thought the Red Sox were going to be throwing the game yesterday. With the off day today, and DeGrom starting for the Mets, and Sale only going a few innings before handing it to a collection of bullpen pitchers, I was sure this was another game where Cora would make fantasy owners mad. I expected a game where only September call-ups would play, and all the regulars would get two days off. But, only JD got the day off. It almost bit Cora when Mookie had to leave the game, but it looks like he’ll hopefully be OK. So once again, in a game where the Sox probably didn’t “plan” on winning, they came back in the end to bring home the victory.

So that brings us to New York. If the Sox win one if these three games, the division is theirs. If they don't, the celebration will have to wait. At this point, it's just a matter of when. When the celebration can happen. When you can rest the whole team. When you can coast and only worry about setting up the rotation for a healthy postseason run.

It's also when we fans can start having real conversations about rosters and make up of the team headed into October. It's a fun time.

It's almost here.

Chelsea Scott Visits Section 36!

Section 36 has another visitor! As I’m sure you can imagine, "36" is our favorite number here at the blog. I think it’s safe to say that

Chelsea Scott shares that opinion. After all, her husband, Robby Scott, has worn that number for most of his baseball career. (Even though he currently has to wear #63 for the Red Sox.) She’s also a fellow blogger, and frequent traveler. I’m so excited she was willing to take some time out of her busy schedule to visit with us and discuss those topics, along with a few more. I'm sure you’ll enjoy reading everything she had to say!

So, let’s see what happens when Chelsea Scott visits Section 36!

What made you decide to start your blog, “The Millennial Miss”?

As most of us do, I was going through an interesting time in life during my early twenties. I was in between jobs, living in a big new city and was navigating through different types of relationships. 

I was feeling lost. Real lost. A pen in hand touching paper became a form of therapy for me.  As I was writing, I found myself in need of a space dedicated to millennial aged women who were fearlessly navigating through the world and all the twist and turns that life brings. I couldn’t find it so, I created it. 

The Millennial Miss launched close to 4 years ago and it has connected me to a strong female community that I am thankful for each and every day.

I love the variety of topics you cover on your blog. How do you come up with the topic to write about next?

Thank you, I appreciate that! I find inspiration for my posts in a few different places. For some, I tap into my own personal carousel of experiences. For other posts, I spin off of something that a friend may be going through or an idea that sparked when overhearing a conversation while standing in line for coffee. My eyes and ears are always zoned in to brainstorm! 

How did you and Robby meet?

Robby and I met in the hallways of high school. To be honest, I don't remember who passed the first note but I do remember that our first date was at California Pizza kitchen and our first kiss was in the school parking lot. We briefly dated my junior year, his senior year. Shortly after he graduated, Robby and I went our separate ways and as time passed we lost touch completely. Fast forward 5 years, we reconnected via a Facebook message and life was forever changed. For more of our story and how he proposed you can dive into this article!

You majored in broadcast journalism at the University of Alabama. What interested you about that field?

I remember being in 8^th grade and rushing home from school so I

didn’t miss one second of TRL on MTV. Remember that show?! I would sit on the couch glued to the TV convinced that Carson Daly had the coolest job in the entire world. 

I could geek out and chat for way too long about what I find interesting about this specific field but I promise to keep it short and sweet so I’ll just say this; being able to relay information to a mass audience is widely intriguing to me and I have a ton of respect for journalist across the board. 

How often do you get to see Robby pitch in person?

With Robby being a relief pitcher, we are never entirely sure when he will see the mound. So, for 162 games there’s a 50/50 chance he will pitch. When taking that into account and mix in work, social and travel obligations – I do the best I can!! I will say this though, I may not physically be there for every pitch but I have never missed an inning, God Bless technology!! 

You’ve been able to do a lot of traveling. What is your favorite place to visit? Why?

Most days, the airport feels like a second home! Travel is

something that I have truly grown to love and my travel bucket-list is sky high. 

During the baseball season, my favorite place to go is home, back to Florida. That may seem underwhelming but for me, it’s a little shelter from the chaos and busy schedules.

One of my favorite places that I’ve recently been to was Iceland. If you haven’t been, do yourself a favorite and set flight alerts because it is absolutely magical! Beyond that, I’m happiest with my feet in the sand so if the destination is tropical – my bags are packed!

With your traveling, and Robby’s constant road trips, what are your tricks to making the “long distance” part of your marriage work?

Let’s start with first things first; I believe that every relationship is unique in the way it successfully operates so what works for Robby and I may not be the perfect ingredient for your relationship. With that being said, I would say an ingredient to our glue is we rely on old school communication. That means, when we are apart, we communicate to one another via facetime or on the phone and try to refrain from texting. Speaking to one another with your own face instead of behind a screen makes a huge difference. Beyond that,

we lay out our schedules and find time to make our quality 1:1 time a priority. Even if Robby and I are only in the same place for 24 hours we make the absolute most of that time. Regardless of travel, everyone has busy schedules – right? Through my eyes, those “busy schedules” cannot be a crutch. Make time for the people that are important to you, no excuse.

Other than Section 36, what is your favorite feature or experience at Fenway Park?

Every single time Robby runs out of the bullpen at Fenway I get chills. It is by far one of the most humbling and exciting experiences I have been a part of. The environment at Fenway is unmatched and we are very blessed to have Boston apart of our chapter. 

Thanks to your website, you have a pretty significant social media presence. How do you deal with the negative side of Red Sox fan social media?

Unfortunately, the negative side of social media it comes with the territory. To be honest, I used to let it get to me. I would sit on my phone scrolling through Twitter with rage coming out on my ears talking myself out of messaging every single one of them back. Robby on the other hand doesn’t pay any attention to it or give those people the time of day. It’s baffling to me the comments that people make because they feel secure hiding behind a screen. I think sometimes people forget that these players are more than a human body standing on a baseball field. They are in fact someone’s son, friend, husband, brother and just because they didn’t make a perfect pitch for the millionth time in a row they somehow deserve a wave a criticism. No one walks into their office after they didn’t perform at their best screaming slurs their way. Isn’t it funny to think about it that way?  But hey, if they get off by writing a rude comment on social media then, all the more power to them. I hope that one day they need to find something else to do with their time. 

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I'll have to agree with that. They really need to find something better to do!

I am so thankful to Chelsea for doing this interview. With the craziness of her schedule lately, I really appreciate the time she took to visit with us. She even went so far as to answer questions from the plane! I also want to thank her for allowing me to use the fantastic pictures to accompany the interview. They definitely help tell her story even better than just words could.

I certainly recommend you check out Chelsea's website "The Millennial Miss". I know I read it whenever I can. You should also go give her a follow on Instagram and Twitter. That way you won't miss anything she has to share.

Thanks again Chelsea!

One Hundred

One hundred bottles of beer on the wall.

Section 36 hasn't looked this good in a while!
Photo by SoxyGal Photography

One hundred acre wood.

One hundred wins in a season.

The Red Sox joined that rarified air last night when they won their 100th game of 2018. 

As with most impressive achievements by the Sox lately, not only do they show how great the current team or player is, they really show off how amazing the older teams were. Much like every time David Ortiz would launch a deep home run to right field, I would marvel at how much farther into the seats Ted’s red seat is. In this case, the 100th win makes me look at some of the older teams.

For instance, in 1946 the Red Sox also won 100 games. 104, in fact. But they only played 154 games that year. So, 104-50 was their record that year, for an incredible .675 winning percentage. This year’s team will have to keep rolling to finish with that record. (Basically, any time your team starts approaching the numbers from the 1946 team, you’re having a dang good year.)

Or, the 1912 team. That team dominated the league to the tune of 105 wins. They only played 152 games, resulting in a .691 percentage. That’s even above this year’s pace. The 2018 Red Sox would need to win 112 games to match that pace.

Insane.

Of course, as the 1946 team would tell you, this milestone is just another one that doesn’t really matter. People define greatness as winning the last game. It’s odd, but it’s what we have. So the Red Sox will need to carry on. They’ll need to see how many regular season wins they can accumulate, but they’ll also have to make damn sure that they win eleven games in the playoffs.

To some, without those eleven, these hundred won’t mean a thing.

A First Step!

The Red Sox became the first team to punch their playoff ticket with their win last night. That's a pretty impressive feat, to be the first. It's one thing to maybe have a big lead in a weak division. But, to clinch a playoff spot, you have to be better than like four other teams. To be that far ahead of all those teams that you clinch first...in the beginning of September no less...that means you're pretty good.

Does it mean anything other than that? Not really. Because the playoff spot that has been clinched is about the worst playoff spot there is. The visiting team in the Wild Card game. 

Yuck.

So, the beat needs to go on. This needs to just be a step towards the clinching that the Sox do want. Clinching the division. Clinching home field. Clinching the World Series. Those are the ones that matter.

Which is why there wasn't a celebration last night. Personally, I've never been one to regulate celebrations. It doesn't ever think they celebrated an achievement too much. I don't care if they spray champagne to celebrate an April series victory. But i do think there's something to realizing that there's more. Clinching a playoff spot isn't a time to relax and sit back enjoying a job well done. It's a time to press on and keep climbing higher.

So, on to win 100! 

36 Pack Wax Match: Pack 32

The Stage has been set. The Match is underway. Who will come out on top? There’s only one way to find out.

Keep going, and open that thirty-second pack!

As we dive into this pack, 1990 is hoping to extend the series lead after a victory in pack 31. It's getting to the point where it can close out the match noon. Can it do it with this pack? Let's see!

Yankees -2

 Yeah, not the way to start things off. The great Ron Kittle drops 1988 right into the negative values.

Red Sox +2

Thank goodness for the Red Sox! This Steve Crawford card brings the pack back to zero. I don't think Crawford is amused with that development.

He'll be even less impressed with the fact that the scoring ends there! With zero points. Can that possibly be enough?

Red Sox +2

Rob Murphy says, "I don't think so!" As he glares at the 1988 pack, he assures everyone that his pack will come out on top.

Which is exactly what happens! The scoring ends with 1990 in positive points! That's enough to win the pack!

Box Bottom: 1988 +1 (1-0)

Pack 1:  1990 +6 (1-1)
Pack 2:  1990 +4 (2-1)
Pack 3:  1988 +3 (2-2)
Pack 4:  1990 +1 (3-2)
Pack 5:  1990 +1 (4-2)
Pack 6:  1988 +2 (3-4)
Pack 7:  1988 +3 (4-4)
Pack 8:  TIE   +0 (4-4)
Pack 9:  1990 +2 (5-4)
Pack 10: 1990 +4 (6-4)
Pack 11: 1990 +4 (7-4)
Pack 12: 1990 +1 (8-4)
Pack 13: 1990 +5 (9-4)
Pack 14: 1988 +3 (5-9)
Pack 15: 1988 +2 (6-9)
Pack 16: 1988 +3 (7-9)
Pack 17: 1990 +3 (10-7)
Pack 18: 1988 +2 (8-10)
Pack 19: 1988 +3 (9-10)
Pack 20: 1990 +2 (11-9)
Pack 21: TIE   +0 (11-9)
Pack 22: 1990 +2 (12-9)
Pack 23: 1988 +2 (10-12)
Pack 24: TIE   +0 (10-12)
Pack 25: 1988 +3 (11-12)
Pack 26: TIE   +0 (11-12)
Pack 27: TIE   +0 (11-12)
Pack 28: 1988 +1 (12-12)
Pack 29: TIE   +0 (12-12)

Pack 30: 1990 +1 (13-12)
Pack 31: 1990 +3 (14-12)
Pack 32: 1990 +2 (15-12)

Another win by 1990 would seal the match!


What will happen next time?

Magic Number Drops to Eleven!

Oh, sure. This weekend didn't go exactly as planned for the Red Sox. I would have much preferred winning the series 2-1 as opposed to losing it by that margin. But, in the end it doesn't really matter. If they can pick up the pace a bit for the rest of the homestand, thy'll but the division to bed very quickly.

Is there anything you can take away from the series? Sure.

Apparently, the Astros are a terrible baseball team. I was at the ballgame on Saturday along with, apparently, half of Houston. Every time the Astros made a catch that took more than three steps, the Astros fans erupted in cheers. Or, if a pitcher struck out a Red Sox batter, standing ovation. A home run, and you'd worry about the stability of Fenway Park with all the hooting and hollering. So, clearly, these aren't things the Astros are expected to do, or things their fans are accustomed to seeing. I hope the Red Sox never trade Jackie Bradley to Houston...they may all explode with excitement his first game.

The popular narrative following the series is that it proves just how bad the Red Sox bullpen is, and how it will kill them in the playoffs against quality teams. A quality team just like the Astros. But, as I've mentioned time and time again, bullpens are just tricky like that. The Red Sox have bludgeoned other teams' bullpens as well. Even other playoff teams. Even in this series. For instance, in the three games the Red Sox bullpen was responsible for two blown saves, and a loss. The amazing Astros pen was charged with...a blown save and a loss. Not exactly bone and spirit crunching. So, as I've been saying...The Sox bullpen may cost the Red Sox a game in a series. But, so will their opponent's. It's just a matter of which team takes advantage better.

David Price's performance was certainly encouraging. Pretty sure there's nothing you can take away from him with that start. He was against a playoff team. They weren't on their getaway day. Fairly certain it was their regular lineup. This was him pitching really well against a really good team. If he keeps this up, I really like the Red Sox chances.

So, basically, from here on out, the Red Sox just need to sweep the Yankees. If they do that, they don't have to win another game the rest of the season. 

But, I'm pretty sure they may pick up another one or two wins along the way.