From beginning to end, the Boston Red Sox were a rollercoaster this year.
They started slow, came on strong during the summer, and overcame numerous injuries to clinch their first playoff berth since 2021. They fought the New York Yankees hard during the AL Wild Card Series, but ultimately fell short.
The Red Sox’s wild season officially came to an end with Thursday’s 4-0 loss at Yankee Stadium — a disappointing conclusion to a fun, unpredictable six months full of twists and turns.
During his postgame press conference, Alex Cora reflected on the loss and the season as a whole.
Cora chalked up the loss to Boston’s sloppy fielding during the Yankees’ four-run fourth inning and Cam Schlittler’s dominant performance, which featured 12 strikeouts over eight shutout innings.
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“We needed to be perfect tonight, because (Schlittler) was perfect,” Cora said. “The stuff is outstanding. He was under control. That was electric.”
As for the Red Sox, Cora is proud of how they battled this season, especially after losing several key players to injuries and trades. He also believes the team has a bright future after taking a major step forward this season, improving from 81 wins to 89 wins year-over-year.
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“As an organization, compared to other years, I think we took a step forward in certain areas,” Cora said. “We’re not a perfect team. We’re a good team that needs to keep improving. Let’s see what the offseason brings, but I truly believe we’re gonna keep getting better.”
While the campaign didn’t end how Cora wanted, he still enjoyed the ride of Boston’s first winning season since 2021 and all the ups and downs that came with it.
“I had a blast this year, pulling for them, grinding with them,” Cora said. “Me and my family really enjoyed this season…It was a fun season.”
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