BOSTON — This is what the Red Sox have for all their money spent and two straight AL East titles. One measly postseason victory. Nothing but question marks…
BOSTON — This is what the Red Sox have for all their money spent and two straight AL East titles.
One measly postseason victory.
Nothing but question marks after that. They managed another excruciating postseason loss Monday, blowing an eighth-inning lead at home.
No Duck Boat parade again this year. Manager John Farrell will most likely not be back. Someone has to pay the price.
Perhaps the Red Sox will reach back into their recent history and name former catcher Jason Varitek manager. All bets are off. There is too much October failure here, and too much payroll for ownership to sit back and do nothing.
The Red Sox have to find leadership that can guide them through October. This David Ortiz-less group did not have enough pop to survive at Fenway Park when the mighty Astros battled back for a 5-4 victory to win the ALDS in four games.
Farrell and the Red Sox tried to squeeze one more inning out of Chris Sale, who was making his postseason debut out of the bullpen. It didn’t work as Alex Bregman led off the eighth with a home run to tie the game at 3-3. Sale had pitched four scoreless innings up until that point.
The Astros then took care of business against closer Craig Kimbrel with Josh Reddick delivering a two-out RBI single. Carlos Beltran added a pinch-hit RBI double in the ninth, giving the Astros enough cushion when Rafael Devers delivered a leadoff inside the park home run in the ninth.
When Farrell was asked after the loss if he expected to be back, he had no answer, saying, “We just walked off the field 10 minutes ago.’’
Walking off after losing a postseason series is a familiar feeling for the Red Sox. They were swept in the ALDS in three games last October by Cleveland. In 2013 the Red Sox and Farrell won the World Series. That doesn’t mean much now.
Farrell said he is “confident’’ he can get the Red Sox over the hump. While Farrell was trying to find answers, the Astros party spilled out onto the field at Fenway.
“We won a lot of baseball games,’’ said Farrell, who managed to get ejected in the second inning, arguing with home plate umpire Mark Wegner. “You win the division, that’s I think a major accomplishment. We didn’t meet all of our goals, that’s obvious. But we have seen some really good young players continue to develop. We had a number of challenges thrown our way from individual injuries to performance, but as a team, they stuck together. They care for one another and they fully compete right to the end.’’
Just competing doesn’t cut it up here.
When the cocky Red Sox fans were chanting Justin Verlander’s name after he came on in relief for the first time in his career, and had trouble with the slippery footing, throwing a cement-mixer slider that Andrew Benintendi crushed to right for a two-run home run for a 3-2 lead in the fifth, the Red Sox were feeling pretty good about themselves.
“To have all of Fenway chanting your name is not such a bad feeling,’’ Verlander said in the raucous visitor’s clubhouse.
Especially when you get the last laugh. Verlander earned his second win of the series.
In a shell-shocked Boston clubhouse, Mookie Betts said: “It’s tough, man, I haven’t made it past the Division Series so I don’t know what it takes to get past that series. We did better this year than last year. As long as we continue to put ourselves in this position something good is bound to happen.’’
He added Farrell has done “a great job managing personalities.’’ Dustin Pedroia, who hit .125 this series, also said Farrell has “done a great job.’’
This comes down to wins. Farrell was not able to get his starting pitchers rolling as the Astros outscored the Red Sox, 8-1 in first innings in the series. Boston’s starters surrendered 16 runs in four starts.
That is not going to get you a postseason ride on a Duck Boat. The Red Sox have won two straight AL East titles and nothing else.
