{"id":92570,"date":"2025-09-14T02:26:47","date_gmt":"2025-09-14T02:26:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=92570"},"modified":"2025-09-14T02:26:47","modified_gmt":"2025-09-14T02:26:47","slug":"breaking-news-alex-cora-draws-the-line-red-sox-skipper-says-its-time-to-stop-talking-about-october-as-final-stretch-heats-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=92570","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING NEWS: Alex Cora draws the line \u2014 Red Sox skipper says it\u2019s time to \u2018stop talking about October\u2019 as final stretch heats up!"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<nav aria-label=\"articleLabel\">\n<ol id=\"articleLabel__list\"><\/ol>\n<\/nav>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div aria-live=\"polite\">\n<article id=\"arc-44OMDPBOSBFY3KYVD7MK72VLPA\" data-type=\"article\">\n<div>\n<figure>\n<div>\n<div><picture><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.masslive.com\/resizer\/v2\/BLWLHEIOVNHZBEUSUAFVXGV274.jpg?auth=4f5042a1a101862230ab1702a5db7ba32357b9c8fb86b53dc53e44ba1ec5f95c&amp;width=1280&amp;quality=90\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.masslive.com\/resizer\/v2\/BLWLHEIOVNHZBEUSUAFVXGV274.jpg?auth=4f5042a1a101862230ab1702a5db7ba32357b9c8fb86b53dc53e44ba1ec5f95c&amp;width=500&amp;quality=90 500w, https:\/\/www.masslive.com\/resizer\/v2\/BLWLHEIOVNHZBEUSUAFVXGV274.jpg?auth=4f5042a1a101862230ab1702a5db7ba32357b9c8fb86b53dc53e44ba1ec5f95c&amp;width=800&amp;quality=90 800w, https:\/\/www.masslive.com\/resizer\/v2\/BLWLHEIOVNHZBEUSUAFVXGV274.jpg?auth=4f5042a1a101862230ab1702a5db7ba32357b9c8fb86b53dc53e44ba1ec5f95c&amp;width=1280&amp;quality=90 1280w\" alt=\"Why Red Sox\u2019 Alex Cora wants to \u2018stop talking about October\u2019 as final stretch begins\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption>Alex Cora offered a stark reminder about the standings Saturday at Fenway. (Photo by Daniel Shirey\/MLB Photos via Getty Images)MLB Photos via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<p id=\"RG7YVGMTT5DYNIYGNJZ2ROJ7QQ\">BOSTON \u2014 Asked a question Saturday about whether or not finding the right lineup to deploy against left-handed starters was a priority before the beginning of the postseason, Red Sox manager Alex Cora offered a stark reminder that he\u2019s not putting the cart before the horse.<\/p>\n<p id=\"OL7SJBWT7BBFRLSNTPGJ6JFG3U\">\u201cI think we should stop talking about October, to be honest with you,\u201d said Cora. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of stuff going on and we have to play better. I\u2019m not saying we\u2019re in a bad spot. But we have to wait to see if October is part of this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"7FIRL7WI2JA77ERMW6UB6A7MIU\">The Red Sox have long been in position of one of the three American League wild card spots and that\u2019s still the case entering Saturday with 14 games to go in the regular season. The gap has closed, however. After a brutal Friday in which everyone else in the playoff picture won \u2014 including the Blue Jays, Yankees, Astros, Mariners and Rangers \u2014 the Sox find themselves in a bit of a tenuous position. The Rangers, who have won five in a row, are now just five games off the pace for the third and final spot and Boston now trails Toronto by 4 \u00bd games in the division race (as well as the Yankees by 1 \u00bd games).<\/p>\n<p id=\"SC34AJ4MPVEKTO6A3Q3CZR7H3A\">Cora\u2019s deflection was telling when it comes to the Sox, who have gone just 5-5 in September as other teams have improved their records. In addition to Texas, which is now 78-70, the Mariners have won seven games in a row to climb to 80-68, which makes them tied for the AL West lead (and a game behind Boston in the wild card race). FanGraphs still lists the Red Sox as having a 90.2% chance to reach the postseason but another performance like Friday\u2019s quiet loss to the Yankees paired with some wins for the teams out west would close the gap further, making for an interesting final two weeks.<\/p>\n<p id=\"YBVR2OALLBEAVFFDU7LR6AXEPY\">The Red Sox have multiple key series left on their schedule with two games remaining against the Yankees, a big trip to Toronto from September 23-25 and the final series of the regular season coming at home against the Tigers from September 26-28. In that time, there are roster questions to figure out, from who would serve as the fourth starter in a playoff series to how Cora will line up his offense against a top lefty. From the outside, it\u2019s easy to look at the final 14 games as a tryout period as Boston sets up its playoff roster. It remains clear, though, that the internal message remains focused on winning games as Boston looks to progress toward clinching its first playoff berth since 2021. Discussions about seeding, home-field advantage and playoff matchups can wait in the eyes of Cora and his coaches.<\/p>\n<p id=\"XVCET2DGJFC7XEIDLTJALH5DIY\">\u201cWe\u2019re trying to win games,\u201d Cora said earlier this week in West Sacramento. It\u2019s not a given we\u2019re gonna be in October. We have to win games. There\u2019s no tryouts here. We\u2019re trying to win as many games as possible.&#8221;<\/p>\n<section data-gaid=\":Rdoaq6:\">\n<ul data-testid=\"list\">\n<li>What Red Sox\u2019 Jarren Duran told Ceddanne Rafaela after ninth-inning lineout<\/li>\n<li>Red Sox, banged up and in throes of an ill-timed losing streak, suddenly not sitting pretty | Sean McAdam<\/li>\n<li>Alex Bregman has simple message for \u2018amped up\u2019 Red Sox with wild card lead down to just two games<\/li>\n<li>Red Sox reactions: After another loss to Yankees, wild-card standings tighten<\/li>\n<li>How Red Sox castoff did in strong Phillies debut after Boston released him<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p>If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/p>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Red Sox manager Alex Cora offered a stark reminder that he\u2019s not putting the cart before the horse on Saturday afternoon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":92571,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-92570","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>BREAKING NEWS: Alex Cora draws the line \u2014 Red Sox skipper says it\u2019s time to \u2018stop talking about October\u2019 as final stretch heats up! 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