HOU @ BOS, ALDS Game 4, 9th October (5-4, loss)
It’s taking a while to wrap my head around the season. I’m still not sure I’ve managed it. I mean, there’s a lot to take away from the game itself on Monday, good, bad, and ugly. But for the last game of the year, I’d like to manage some sort of broad view of the year as a whole. That can wait, I suppose. I mean, there was a lot of the year in last night’s game, to be honest. Exciting plays and frustrating plays from Raphael Devers, overall inconsistency when what was needed most was consistency. As with all of 2017, there were moments that the Sox thrilled, and moments they made me slap my face in horror. Watching Pedey struggle up to first for the last out… man. I’ve written up 166 games this season, and trying to come up with the sense of sadness that hit me watching that I find hard to quantify or even qualify.
The Red Sox were not the best team in the American League this year. In my heart of hearts, I know that. But, and this is where all that hope came from, at their best, they could totally beat all the teams that were better than them. The Astros deserved to win that series, because they played better than us. And, like, maybe half the Sox starting lineup needs surgery or something. But they were not unbeatable. Hell, we nearly evened the series and never had a starter get out of the fifth. It was an unlikely scenario, because it relied on the Sox playing like they did in August, which they hadn’t done since, well, August. We might’ve won this year, it would’ve been a jammy win, but it coulda happened. Compared to last year’s performance in the ALDS, that’s saying something. We didn’t have a chance last year.
So it was nice to have a chance, even if, had we got through, I would’ve thought we were getting away with something. I remember being so upset in 2008 because a) I had a nagging feeling that the Rays, having won the season series, had our number that year and b) we would have totally fucking beat the Phillies in the World Series. In 2010 I was upset because I just so fucking loved that team, man. My favourite non-playoff Sox team of the last 35 years. This year… I loved so much, but there was so much to get frustrated by. Listing those things, even just remembering them, makes my heart feel heavy. That weight, along with the heaviness that come with the rest of the postseason continuing on without us, makes it hard to look at the bright sides. But that’s what I’m here for, so the final straws to grasp at for 2017, both Monday’s game and the season as a whole:
Raphael Devers’ inside-the-park home run was easily my highlight of the game, but also one of the bright sides looking forward to 2018. He was a joy to watch and in some ways carried the team during the latter half of the season. Yeah, he had some rough spots, including in game 4, but the sheer joy of raw talent and energy that he bursts with is just awesome.
Andrew Benintendi followed a sad trend that included Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Jackie Bradley Jr where, as excellent as he was, wasn’t quite as excellent as we hoped or even needed. But he woke up game 4, put the Sox ahead, and gave a glimmer of hope that we’d send the game back to Houston. He hit a two-run homer against Justin Verlander (in an unfamiliar relief appearance), which is an exceptional feat in itself. But his potential, and his ability to come up big in that spot, make me very excited for his future.
Xander Bogaerts had a rough season, by his standards. His play at short felt a little unfocused, and his play at the plate was not what we’re used to seeing from him. He’s still young. I think he’s his own worst enemy. But I think he’s going to set himself straight, and come back stronger next year. Also, he went deep in the bottom of the first in game 4, and his homers tend to be quite pretty.
Mookie Betts never got into his groove. I reckon his injuries were more of a factor than was let on by him or the team. And yet in spite of that, he was one of the top ten players in baseball. While his bat flailed on occasion, his glove rarely faltered. A joy to watch.
Jackie Bradley Jr is one of my favourite players. Again, I think there’s a bit of his own-worst-enemy going on there, but his play in centre is a joy, and when he does connect with the bat, the ball goes very far. Again, I think he’s got a bright future.
Chris Sale faltered at the final hurdle(s), but good lord was he something to watch this season. With the bats due an upswing next season, he might get the run support he deserves. With a slightly tweaked workload, perhaps we won’t see that downturn in 2018.
Christian Vazquez, always dominant behind the plate, proved to be an asset at the plate. If that isn’t just a one-off, if that’s a sign of things to come, that is exciting.
We’ve got a pretty good bullpen on paper still. That’s never a sure thing one season to another, but it’s a start. One less thing to pull your hair out over.
I’m curious to see who replaces Farrell. I was not as down on him as some others were, but I can’t bring myself to be outraged at his firing. I really want Dave Roberts, but I’m pretty sure that’s not going to happen. I’m crossing my fingers that it’s someone awesome. I can’t deal with another Bobby-V situation.
I’m excited about 2018. I think you should be too. 2017 showed that we can win without David Ortiz, though it always felt a little harder.
On a personal note, I wrote up all 166 games this season. I wasn’t sure I would manage that sort of commitment.
Genuinely cheering for the Astros to win the pennant now. Fuck the Yankees.
Until next year (unless some really amazing Sox news comes up in the off season).
