During spring training, Alex Cora, the manager of the Boston Red Sox, emphasized the importance of starting the season strong, especially with a 10-game road trip ahead.
After Sunday’s big win against the Los Angeles Angels, where they won 12-2, Cora can proudly say that his team exceeded expectations. The Red Sox head back home with a 7-3 record, just one game behind the Yankees in the AL East.
Historically, when Boston has started the season with seven or more wins in the first 10 games, they’ve made it to the postseason. This happened in 2018 and 2021.
Cora said, “It was a great road trip. Going into this season, we knew how tough it is to start on the West Coast. The organization did everything possible to ensure our guys were fresh and ready to go.”
In 2019, the last time the Red Sox started with a long West Coast trip, they struggled, going 3-8. This was after winning the World Series in 2018.
“Our preparation was much better this time around. In 2019, we were in a tough spot due to various reasons,” Cora explained. “We were slow to start. I remember a play in Oakland where we let a fly ball drop between us. That’s when I knew we were in trouble. It took us a while to get going.”
Boston’s strong start can be credited to both power-hitting and excellent pitching.
They are tied for third in the majors and second in the American League with 13 home runs. On Sunday alone, they hit four homers, including three in the third inning. This was the second time in their three-game series against the Angels that they hit three home runs in one inning.
Tyler O’Neill, who was acquired in a trade with St. Louis, is leading the majors with five home runs. He also became the first player with at least five home runs and five walks in their first nine games with the Red Sox.
Their pitching has been even hotter. Boston leads the majors with a 1.49 ERA, the lowest mark through 10 games since the 2005 Marlins at 1.34. They are also holding opponents to a .191 batting average.
