The Red Sox’ first game back at Fenway Park since Alex Cora inked his contract extension was one to remember. It also reinforced why he wanted to remain in Boston.
Cora remarked on the uniqueness of the Fenway Park atmosphere following the Red Sox’ 9-7 comeback win over the Yankees, saying Friday’s game reminded him of the past.
“It was loud. It was fun,” Cora told reporters. “Their fans were here, our fans, too. When [Masataka Yoshida] came up to bat, every time [Rafael Devers] comes up to bat with the game on the line, they go nuts. It felt like the back and forth in the last three innings is what it used to be here. That’s the way it should be. That’s the reason we’re here.
“That’s one of the reasons we decided to stay here, because we love this. Sometimes I get chills just looking around.”
The Red Sox’ win on Friday was arguably their biggest of the season. Both teams exchanged runs for much of the game, with the Yankees hitting a pair of back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning that gave them a 7-4 lead. The first of those two home runs was a 470-foot blast from Yankees star Aaron Judge, which gave New York a 6-4 lead.
But the Red Sox began their comeback in the bottom of the frame. Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run homer that cleared the Green Monster and cut the Yankees’ lead to one.
A single from Rob Refnsyder and a walk by Connor Wong got things going in the eighth. After the Yankees brought in closer Clay Holmes, Wilyer Abreu hit a pinch-hit double to tie the game before Masataka Yoshida hit a two-run single.
Kenley Jansen allowed the tying run to get on base in the ninth, but a strikeout of Judge earlier in the inning prevented them from getting in any major trouble.
The win kept the Red Sox just a game back for the final wild-card spot in the American League. However, they’re just 3.5 games back of the Yankees now for the top wild-card spot, which feels remarkable as they were 14 games back of New York on June 14.
As the Red Sox look to continue to close the gap with the Yankees over the weekend, Cora sensed that the fans know how important this series is.
“We haven’t played a game against them like that in a while,” Cora said. “There was kind of like a buzz. They know where we’re at in the standings. Every game matters now. The back and forth was great. We didn’t pitch. We need to be better there. But the boys didn’t stop . . . It took everybody for us to pull this one off.”
Wins like the ones the Red Sox had on Friday also reinforce the legitimacy of their recent hot streak to turn the season around and become a playoff contender. As the Red Sox have improved, Cora has noticed an improvement from the crowd at Fenway, too.
“There’s a difference between what’s going on here right now compared to early in the season,” Cora said. “Early in the season, with all due respect, it felt like a museum, the Fenway experience.
“But now, [the fans] are into it. They like the team and they understand what we’re trying to accomplish.”
Loading…