Trevor Story returned to the Red Sox on Tuesday and provides much needed stability at shortstop. Michael Dwyer/Associated Press
Everyone loves a comeback story. Can the Red Sox pull one off with less than seven weeks remaining in the season?
One week ago the Sox were licking their wounds, trying to recover from being swept by the Blue Jays at Fenway Park. Many declared the season over, and it was hard to argue. Boston had been outclassed by the team it was trying to catch in the wild-card race and self-destructed before their fans at home.
They’ve won back-to-back series since, and picked up two of the three games they lost in the standings. And a couple of comebacks have led the way.
Trevor Story made his 2023 debut last Tuesday and provided long-overdue stability at shortstop. It took a few days for him to find his timing – he went 1 for 11 in his first three games back – but by the weekend he was swinging the bat like a guy who won two Silver Slugger Awards with the Rockies. On Sunday he became just the third player in Red Sox history to hit three extra-base hits and steal two bases in the same game.
Chris Sale made his own impressive return Friday against Detroit. He was perfect through 4 2/3 innings and set the tone in Boston’s win. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter.
It was just the second time Sale and Story started a game together, the first since July 12, 2022. That night Story was removed from the game in the fifth inning after being hit by a pitch. He would miss the next 6 1/2 weeks.
It’s stunning Sale and Story have only played two games together. They’ll make a combined $47.5 million this year – about $9 million less than the entire Oakland A’s roster. Yet both have dealt with numerous injuries and have spent more of the past two years on the injured list than on the active roster.
Chris Sale made his first start for the Red Sox since June 1 when he took the mound against the Tigers on Friday. He struck out seven and allowed one run in 4 2/3 innings. Michael Dwyer/Associated Pres
Now they’re hoping a strong finish can put all that behind them. They’re not alone.
On Sunday Garrett Whitlock made his first appearance in more than a month, throwing two scoreless innings and getting the win. It was his first relief appearance since Sept. 16, 2022. Whitlock, and the Sox, wanted to give him every chance to be a starter. With two elbow-related trips to the IL it would seem that relief work would be easier on his arm. Yet Manager Alex Cora said it’s really about the number of pitchers the Sox already have on the staff.
“He wanted to come back as soon as possible,” Cora told reporters. “This is the best way. We’ll stretch him out. He’s gonna go two, three innings. It was more about his willingness to get ready and help us as soon as possible. This is the best way.”
And there’s more help on the horizon. Tanner Houck threw three scoreless innings in his second rehab start with Worcester and is expected to make one more appearance with them later this week. That would put him on pace to return to the Sox when they arrive in Houston next week.
That begins a stretch of hellish competition for Boston, a 10-game run featuring seven games with the Astros and three against the Dodgers. For the first time in months the Sox could have a fully healthy roster for those games.
It could all be too little too late, but the Red Sox have surprised us through much of the season. When fans think they’re ready for a run they slump. When the fans think they’re out of it they come back to life.
We definitely thought they were out of it when Toronto left town last week. Now we’ll see if they can pull off the biggest surprise of the season: a sustained run of winning baseball that could bring a playoff chase back to Fenway in September.
Tom Caron is a studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. His column appears in the Portland Press Herald on Tuesdays.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
