Cora Tempers Red Sox postseason Hopes as Critical yankees Series Looms
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With Boston’s playoff chances fading, manager Alex Cora is shifting focus away from the postseason and onto immediate performance ahead of a key Yankees matchup.
Amid a challenging stretch that has seen the Boston Red Sox lose three consecutive games, manager Alex Cora is pumping the brakes on any talk of October baseball. With his team navigating a critical phase of the season, Cora’s message is one of urgent, near-term focus rather than distant playoff aspirations.
“I think we should stop talking about October to be honest with you,” the Red Sox manager said.”There’s a lot of stuff going on and we have to play better. I’m not saying we’re in a bad spot,but I think we have to wait to see if October is part of this.”
The sentiment reflects a team that has stumbled recently, posting a 6-8 record over it’s last 14 games and dropping eight of its last 11 contests at home. The Red Sox will have a day off on Monday before hosting the Athletics for a three-game series beginning Tuesday.
High-Stakes Pitching Duel
To break their losing streak, Boston will send ace Garrett Crochet to the mound. The left-hander has been a dominant force this season, leading the majors with 228 strikeouts in 185 innings. Crochet (15-5,2.57 ERA) has been particularly effective lately, pitching seven full innings in four of his last seven starts. He also boasts a strong career record against the New York Yankees, with a 2-0 record and a 2.52 ERA in six appearances.
The Yankees will counter with righthander Will Warren (8-6, 4.22 ERA), who has had a turbulent history against Boston. In his two career starts against the Red Sox, Warren is 1-1 with a high 8.68 ERA. Though, in his most recent outing against the Detroit Tigers, he showed promise, allowing just two runs on two hits while striking out five over six innings in a no-decision.
An Offense in Crisis
The primary cause of the Red Sox’s recent slide has been an anemic offense, particularly in crucial situations. The team’s struggles are starkly illustrated by their performance with runners in scoring position:
- Last 3 Games: Batting a dismal .096
- Previous 8 games: Batting a potent .363
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The team is also just 3-6 sence losing Roman Anthony to a strained oblique. In a rare luminous spot, Jarren Duran hit his first career pinch-hit home run in the eighth inning on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Yankees arrive with a powerful offense that leads the majors with 251 home runs and has been formidable on the road, winning 13 of their last 15 games away from home.
Game Preview: Yankees vs. Red Sox
- Time: 7:10 p.m.
- TV/Radio: ESPN, WEEI-FM 93.7
- Venue: Fenway Park, Boston
Projected Lineups
YANKEES (83-65):
Slater RF, Judge DH, Bellinger CF, Stanton LF, Rosario 3B, Goldschmidt 1B, Chisholm Jr.2B, Caballero SS, Rice C
RED SOX (81-68):
Duran LF, Bregman 3B, Story SS, Lowe 1B, Gonzalez 2B, Yoshida DH, Refsnyder RF, Narváez C, Rafaela CF
