Wednesday was a tough day for the Boston Red Sox.
First, they found out that star rookie Roman Anthony will miss the rest of the regular season with an oblique injury. Then they got blown out by the Cleveland Guardians 8-1 at Fenway Park.
Fortunately, the Red Sox are still in good shape. They’re 15 games over .500 and control a wild card spot, so they just need to hang on for a few more weeks until the playoffs start. They can’t afford to get too down or lose focus so close to the finish line.
While Boston is still reeling from the Anthony news, manager Alex Cora is doing his best to keep his team upbeat. They still have 21 regular-season games remaining, plus potential postseason games.
With Anthony expected to miss four-to-six weeks, there’s a chance he could return in October. Cora told him to focus on that as he works his way back over the next month.
Story continues below advertisement
“I told him to envision ALCS, first at-bat…That’s what I told him,” Cora said. “Just put that goal in your mind and hopefully it happens.”
In the meantime, the Red Sox will try to finish the season strong without one of their best players. They’ve survived injuries to numerous key players this year, including Alex Bregman, Triston Casas and Marcelo Mayer, so they’re a resilient bunch.
Story continues below advertisement
That perseverance will be tested once more during the most critical stage of the season. They’ve been playing great baseball for three months, but they need to keep it up for a few more weeks.
Fortunately, Boston gets a day off on Thursday to regroup before heading west for a six-game road trip. The Red Sox have struggled away from Fenway Park this year (34-35), so this will be an important test for them.
Story continues below advertisement
