BOSTON -- The Red Sox bid adieu to Fenway Park for the regular season two days earlier than expected, but they went out in style, sweeping the Cubs in a split doubleheader, capped by a 2-0 victory in the Game 2 nightcap.
In a unique twist, this three-game series will conclude on Sunday at a neutral site (Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg) due to a nor’easter expected to pound the Boston area this weekend.
As the Sox got ready to head south, they did so in hopes Fenway Park will host playoff games for the first time since 2021.
To accomplish that mission, the Red Sox will have to win their best-of-three-game Wild Card Series against the Yankees on the road next week.
“I think the fans deserve it,” said Wilyer Abreu. “It's been five years since Boston has seen a playoff game. So I think we have to give them that opportunity to see playoff games again here in Fenway Park.”
The first possible game at Fenway in this postseason would be Game 3 of a potential Division Series against the Rays Oct. 7.
Before that can happen, there is the impromptu weekend visit to Tropicana Field, followed by the madness at Yankee Stadium and then what the Sox hope will be a third straight weekend in St. Petersburg.
“That's why we packed for 11 days,” said Red Sox manager Chad Tracy. “That’s the hope is that you take care of obviously this weekend, and then go take care of the Wild Card Series. That's the goal, and you're hoping to find your way back here.”
It was Abreu who broke the scoreless tie with a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the eighth.
The significance of the hit, in the big picture, is that it restored Abreu’s confidence. One of Boston’s best all-around players, Abreu has carried the offense at times. But in his last 19 games dating back to Sept. 3, he has a batting line of .171/.256/.271 with one homer and six RBIs.
“A lot,” said Abreu, when asked what his American League-leading 38th double meant to him. “I've been struggling these past two or three weeks, so it feels good to have the swing that won the game. It feels good to have that confidence back.”
It was veteran pitcher Sonny Gray who helped him restore it. Making a rare start at DH, Abreu chatted with Gray after his third fruitless at-bat of the game and it paid immediate dividends.
“It helped me a lot. He’s a vet,” said Abreu. “He’s got a lot of years in the league to handle those situations. He gave me good advice to feel good with my body, with my athleticism. Trust myself and all that stuff. I tried to get my confidence back, and that was huge because I was able to come through in that situation, put a good swing, drive the ball and drive in those runs.”
Brayan Bello, whose in-season turnaround has been one of the stories of the second half for the Red Sox, fired four scoreless innings (plus one batter in the fifth) in his final tune-up before the postseason.
Demoted to Triple-A Worcester in early June, Bello came back just before the All-Star break and wound up posting a 2.11 ERA in his final 14 appearances of the regular season, including three starts.
Should the Red Sox advance out of the Wild Card Series, Bello could be a candidate to join the rotation if Boston needs a No. 4 starter at some point.
What did Bello learn from his adversity earlier in the season?
“I learned not to let bad moments dictate how the next one is going to be,” Bello said. “Also I learned how to compete in the zone. I feel like in the second half I was able to compete in the zone and beat hitters in the zone, something I wasn’t able to do in the first half. And I think that’s the main thing I take away from this year.”
The same Fenway faithful that booed Bello off the mound in that start just before his demotion showered him with a standing ovation when he exited on Friday night.
“I feel grateful for the fans and they are, if not the best, some of the best fans in all of baseball, and for them to give me that ovation was very nice,” said Bello.
Another pitcher worth cheering for was righty Jedixson Paez, who was called up in between games of the doubleheader to preserve the rest of Boston’s bullpen.
Paez came on for Bello in the fifth and pitched the rest of the day, holding the Cubs to three hits and no walks while punching out five in five innings for his first career win.
For Paez, it was sweet redemption for his only previous appearance, a spot start on Sept. 1, when he gave up 10 hits and eight runs in a 10-3 loss to the Mariners.
“The kid was awesome,” said Tracy. “Especially after the first chance he got, it didn't probably go the way he wanted. He gets another opportunity, goes out there and spins five scoreless innings. It was awesome.”