Red Sox Notes: Alex Cora Was Ready For ‘Ugly’ Win To Be Over

The Red Sox, and every other Major League Baseball team, will take a win any way they can pick one up. Boston notched its second straight victory Sunday afternoon, but it certainly won’t look at the series finale against Washington as a blueprint for winning games. The Red Sox were on the right side of […]

The Red Sox, and every other Major League Baseball team, will take a win any way they can pick one up.

Boston notched its second straight victory Sunday afternoon, but it certainly won’t look at the series finale against Washington as a blueprint for winning games.

The Red Sox were on the right side of a 3-2 decision for a contest that was littered with odd plays and miscues. Fortunately for Boston, the Nationals were responsible for the majority of the blunders, but the Sox’s overall play was far from pristine.

Such a game can be entertaining for fans, but as the contest unfolded, Alex Cora was eager to put a bow on it and move on.

“I was watching the game and honestly I said, ‘I hope we have the lead in the ninth and we can finish it and let’s go home,'” Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN’s Red Sox postgame coverage. ‘”This was ugly, to be honest with you.”

A loss in a sloppy affair would have been pretty frustrating for Boston, especially considering seven of its next 10 games are against the division-rival Rays. But now, Cora’s crew can head into Monday’s series opener against Tampa Bay at Fenway Park on a high note.

Here are some more notes from Sunday’s Nationals-Red Sox game:

— Brayan Bello pitched five innings (68 pitches) in his first start since April 19. It wasn’t an outing to write home about, but more than anything, the right-hander was pleased with how things are trending for the Red Sox.

“It feels good to be back. It feels good to help the team win and it also feels good that a lot of good things are happening for us right now,” Bello told reporters through a translator. “A lot of guys are coming back, so it feels very nice.

— Kenley Jansen picked up his seventh save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning. The Red Sox closer pitched in every game of the series against the Nationals, marking the first time he pitched in three straight games since September 2021.

— Ceddanne Rafaela was close to making one of the best plays at Fenway Park in recent memory. Boston’s center fielder covered a ton of ground, leaped over the fight-field fence and nearly robbed Eddie Rosario of a two-run home run in the fourth. Cora’s comments after the game indicated Rafaela was not injured on the play after coming up a bit slowly.

— The contest fittingly ended in unusual fashion, as Connor Wong caught Jordan Young trying to steal second for the game’s final out. Boston’s backstop also hosed CJ Abrams in the first inning.

— The Red Sox optioned Josh Winckowski to Triple-A Worcester to make room for Bello on the active roster. Cora called it a “tough decision” to send the right-hander down.