Red Sox Manager Alex Cora Encourages Fans to Embrace Their Emotions

Following a thrilling 4-3 walk-off win against the Tigers that secured a playoff spot, manager Alex Cora urged fans to stay true to their feelings about the team. He reflected on the season, stating that few believed the Red Sox would make it to October.

“Honestly, no one expected us to be playing in October at the beginning of the season,” Cora said, prior to a 2-1 loss to Detroit. Cora’s candid remarks were shared by MassLive.

He pushed back against the notion that the Red Sox were postseason favorites, labeling such claims as “F-ing Bulls—t.” Cora emphasized that anyone suggesting the team was a playoff certainty was—quite frankly—mistaken. “It was New York, Baltimore, Toronto, and we thought playing in October was a real possibility.”

“We set our standards every day, and we’ve met them,” he added.

During the celebrations of their playoff berth, Cora expressed confidence in his team’s ambitions, stating, “We didn’t come here to just play 162 games. We came to win the World Series,” as he addressed the players in the clubhouse.

After a lukewarm 81-81 record in 2024, the Red Sox made significant offseason moves. They acquired starting pitcher Garrett Crochet from the White Sox and signed three-time All-Star Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120 million deal.

Crochet, at 26, has emerged as Boston’s ace, boasting an 18-5 record, a 2.59 ERA, and leading the league with 255 strikeouts.

Bregman, despite dealing with right quad tension, delivered a solid performance, posting a .273/.360/.462 slash line with 28 doubles.

The team also took a chance on right-hander Lucas Giolito, who had missed the entire 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery. So far, Giolito has shown promise with a respectable 3.41 ERA as the season progresses.