The Boston Red Sox are sitting on the doorstep of franchise history, riding a 15-game win streak into their series finale against Baltimore. One more win gives them the longest streak in team history.
It’s hard to believe this is the same club that was 10-17 under Alex Cora back in April.
The Cora Era Comes to an End
Boston made the move to fire their 2018 World Series-winning manager after a miserable start to the season. The numbers tell the story – a .667 team OPS and 4.44 ERA through those first 27 games. That’s not Red Sox baseball.
Cora’s second stint in Boston never really clicked. Sure, there was that Wild Card appearance against the Yankees, but they got bounced quickly. Over four seasons, the Sox went 336-339 under his watch. When you’re playing sub-.500 ball for that long, something’s gotta give.
Enter Chad Tracy
The Red Sox promoted Chad Tracy from Triple-A Worcester, and he’s completely changed the culture. No more small ball in extras – this team’s aggressive on the basepaths and playing with confidence.
The turnaround’s been remarkable. Under Tracy, Boston’s gone 42-31 with a .729 team OPS and 3.22 ERA. Both numbers sit above league average, which is exactly where this roster should be performing.
The recent hot streak is even more impressive. The Sox have gone 20-2 over their last 22 games and swept five of their past six series. The local media’s calling it the “Tracy Turnaround,” and it’s easy to see why.
Making It Official
Here’s the thing – Tracy’s proven he can handle this job. Boston needs to drop that “interim” tag and give him a real contract before someone else comes calling.
You don’t often see a manager completely flip a team’s trajectory like this. The Red Sox went from one of the worst clubs in baseball to legitimate contenders in just a few months. That doesn’t happen by accident.
If Tracy keeps this up and gets some Manager of the Year consideration, it’ll be well-deserved. Right now though, the focus is on making history. Sixteen straight wins would put this team in the franchise record books – not a bad way to cement your case for the permanent job.
