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‘You feel the vibe’: With Red Sox rolling, Alex Cora has noticed the atmosphere at Fenway Park
"That's what it used to be all about here. And that's what we're trying to accomplish."
Alex Cora is noticing the vibes: The Red Sox are riding high in the midst of a seven-game winning streak, with fans flocking to Fenway Park as the team tops the current wild-card standings.
Tuesday night was another example, with a 6-2 win over the Royals. Aside from the victory — led by another dominant start from Garrett Crochet — the Boston baseball atmosphere was noticeable. Even players, having recently adopted a comical reference to a turbulent flight as the team’s newest trademark celebration, swayed back and forth to the delight of the crowd:
The good vibes aren’t lost on Alex Cora, as he noted in a recent appearance on Rob Bradford’s “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast.
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Recalling the earlier times of his Red Sox managerial career — specifically 2018, when Boston rolled to a World Series win — the Boston manager has begun to notice a return to form.
“I got a text from [Craig Breslow] about the attendance,” Cora told Bradford about following a recent win over the Royals. “Best paid attendance in six years.
“I was like, ‘Monday against Kansas City? Here we go,'” said Cora. “That’s what it used to be all about here. And that’s what we’re trying to accomplish. You feel the vibe.”
Boston has won nine of its last 10, surging in the standings. Having trailed the Yankees by more than 10 games as recently as June, the Red Sox now lead their eternal rivals by 3.5 games.
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It has players dreaming of a return to October for the first time since 2021.
“It’s a fun atmosphere right now,” Crochet said of the Fenway Faithful. “I can only imagine what it’s going to be in a couple of months. But that’s why we have to keep working.”
Scores and schedules:
The Red Sox defeated the Royals 6-2 on Tuesday, extending the current winning streak to seven in a row.
The two teams play again this evening at Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m. as Boston goes for the sweep.
This Saturday, the Revolution return to the field to host D.C. United at Gillette Stadium at 7:30 p.m.
More from Boston.com:
- 5 takeaways from Day 11 of Patriots training camp
- Report: Patriots cornerback Marcellas Dial has a torn ACL
- Crochet, Story lead Red Sox past Royals for 7th straight win
- Red Sox reliever Liam Hendriks disagrees with Alex Cora’s comments about injury
- After tumultuous offseason, Kayshon Boutte is seemingly poised for a breakout season with Patriots
- Celtics reportedly sign veteran big man Chris Boucher to 1-year deal
- Celtics reportedly trade Georges Niang, 2 draft picks to Utah Jazz
- Can Rhamondre Stevenson fix a familiar flaw and stay atop Patriots depth chart?
- ‘Upsetting and frustrating’: Revs’ president responds to Mayor Wu over stadium negotiations
The Bruins unveil a new look: The team shared a video of its new road uniforms.
On this day: In 1953, Ted Williams made his first return to an MLB game since leaving to rejoin the Marines (and serve in the Korean war) in April of 1952.
Williams wasn’t supposed to formally return until the following week, but Red Sox manager Lou Boudreau couldn’t resist using his future Hall of Famer as a pinch-hitter. It resulted in an anticlimactic popup out in an 8-7 loss to the St. Louis Browns, but it brought the Fenway Park crowd to its feet.
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Three days later, Williams was again used as a pinch-hitter, smacking a home run for his first hit of the 1953 season. He would finish the shortened year with a still incredible .407/.509/.901 slash line.
Daily highlight: Wilyer Abreu continues to make the daily highlight segment his own, recording a nice running catch in the Red Sox win on Tuesday.
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