The Boston Red Sox just went 12-12 in September, and watching pitcher Garrett Crochet get pulled in the sixth inning of their Wild Card Game 2 against the New York Yankees on September 30, it felt less like a surprise and more like an inevitable outcome. That lukewarm stretch leading into the postseason wasn’t just a slump, it was a trap the team collectively walked right into.
Resting For What, Exactly?
Conventional wisdom says all you have to do is get into the Wild Card, then trot out your best two or three starters for the short series and catch fire. The Red Sox absolutely bought into that, especially since they felt their top three starters were built for a three-game sprint. In fact, speculating about who would pitch Games 1 and 2 became a major focus as early as September. With a postseason berth locked in and no real shot at winning the division, manager Chad Tracy started resting players, shuffling lineups, and experimenting with matchups. He was all about conserving energy for the playoffs. Tracy even said about Willson Contreras, “DH’ing yesterday [instead of playing first base] was strictly to manage the load.” After three losses in a row to the Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays, he doubled down, saying, “I told the guys before, we earned the right to be in position to be able to line things up.” You hear that? “Earned the right.” Lou Merloni even said Tracy’s approach down the stretch felt more like a spring training evaluation period than an actual September playoff push. Where’s the grit? Where’s that burning desire to win every single game? This wasn’t conserving energy, it was a slow fade.
The September Offensive Crash
Here’s the kicker, folks. When the Red Sox were “earning the right” to glide through September, they didn’t conserve energy; they atrophied. Their offense completely collapsed. They finished the final month of the regular season with a measly 71 runs scored. That was the fewest in all of Major League Baseball. Think about that for a second. The Phillies, who were also spiraling, still put up 89 runs. The Brewers, meanwhile, scored a whopping 146 runs in September. This wasn’t a team gearing up for a fight; this was a team that had packed it in before the real battle even started.
So, the Red Sox crashed out of the Wild Card round, and it really feels like this uninspired September performance was the whole story. What does this mean for the Red Sox now? Their “earned right” to rest ended up costing them everything. Maybe next time they’ll remember you don’t just “get in,” you have to fight for it until the final out of the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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