To call this season a disappointment for the Red Sox would be a vast, vast understatement.
Boston was coming off a World Series title in 2018 after posting the best record in baseball and entered 2019 with largely the same team that was nearly untouchable last season. A trip back to the playoffs certainly was expected.
But heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the Red Sox have been eliminated from postseason contention for more than a week. Boston will finish with a winning record and better offensive numbers than it put up during last year’s record-setting campaign. But still, no playoffs.
If that sounds frustrating, well, that’s because it is. And Red Sox manager Alex Cora perfectly summed up what this season has been like with one line Friday night.
“To sum it up: Very consistent at being inconsistent,” Cora told reporters, via the Eagle-Tribune’s Chris Mason.
Cora on ‘19 Red Sox: “To sum it up: Very consistent at being inconsistent.”
— Chris Mason (@ByChrisMason) September 27, 2019
Yup, that sounds about right.
Boston never could get everything going all at once. The bullpen was ugly to open the season, then had glimpses of dominance through the midway point of the year. The rotation was shaky all season, and the offense, which was dominant, failed to pick up the pitching staff in some key spots.
That said, Cora doesn’t think the team is that far off heading into 2020.
“I feel like we’re going to have a better season than this year,” Cora said, via The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “We’re not that far off.”
