BOSTON -- Home field advantage in the ALDS was within arms reach and the Red Sox missed it.
The same team that powered their way to the AL East title didn’t take advantage of an opportunity secure Game 1 and (if needed) Game 5 at Fenway -- games that Rick Porcello, the best home field pitch in baseball, will start.
But no one seems to be concerned with it.
“I don’t know what the splits are, but I feel like the road record’s the same as the home record,” Andrew Benintendi said following the 2-1 loss. “We prefer obviously to be here, but we’re not going to dwell on it.”
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Nor should they, because the 22-year-old got it right. The Red Sox finished the year 47-34 at home and 46-35 on the road. Which speaks volumes to their play on the road in the second half, where they finished 27-17, a noteworthy improvement from their 21-18 record before the All-Star break.
“It would have been nice because we can just stay here,” Robbie Ross Jr. told CSN. “But it’s part of it. You’ve got to out there and play games and win series.”
Boston Red Sox
On the surface it might seem like lip-service, with the team coming off two tightly contested losses, but no one seemed to be concerned about squandering the chance at home field in the first round.
None more so than Jackie Bradley Jr., who replied to the same question posed to Ross and Benintendi, “Are there any concerns about missing out on home field advantage in the ALDS?” with a simple “No,” and a smile.
Clearly confidence isn’t a concern for the Sox entering the postseason, despite finishing the season 1-5. But that’s been somewhat of a theme for this team all season; when things are down, put your head down and keep moving.
One of the biggest reasons for that was their road-heavy schedule in the second half, which has in large part defined the 2016 Red Sox.
“I feel like this team is very comfortable on the road,” David Price said following his Sunday start. “We’ve played really good baseball on the road, especially in the past month and a half, two months. And that’s something we kind of relish.”