We’ve talked a lot around these parts about how Red Sox baseball this September — particularly after the disappointing late-August Yankees series in the Bronx — has been looking a little sleepy. With playoff positioning essentially fixed, the Sox have gone just 7-5 on the month overall, despite playing an entire slate of teams below .500. Does it matter? Well, maybe. “Throughout baseball history, World Series winners have typically excelled on October’s doorstep, with the 121 champions posting a collective
.629 winning percentage from Sept. 1 through the end of the regular season… Only 10 World Series winners had sub-.500 records in September, most recently the 2015 Royals.” But the expanded playoffs has changed things. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
But there was nothing sleepy about Payton Tolle’s performance last night. His immaculate inning was just the eighth in Red Sox history, the first since Chris Sale in 2021, and the first to occur in the first inning since Pedro did it in 2002. The fact that he cracked a smile before firing the final pitch certainly made Tolle’s unique, though. “I was definitely thinking about it, had it in the mind,” Tolle said. “Just looked over at Bailes (pitching coach Andrew Bailey), and he was smiling, too.” (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
And here is that Pedro immaculate inning, by the way. He should probably get a few bonus points for starting his off against Ichiro:
Tolle is almost certainly the most well-liked Red Sox player right now (though Mickey Gasper of all people is hot on his heels, judging by the reception he receives at Fenway). Where does he stand in terms of popularity amongst New England athletes overall? If he has some moments like last night in October, he could become the most popular athlete in the whole region. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)
Willson Contreras may not have cracked as big a smile as Tolle, but he was pretty pleased with his return performance, though he still seems a little miffed about recent treatment from the fans. “I had to (run the bases). I don’t want to get booed again,” Contreras said. “So I made sure my hamstring was 100%.” (Christopher Smith, MassLive)
Hopefully Tanner Houck returns from injury as seamlessly as Contreras did. But what role will he play? “Three innings out of the pen is a little bit more appealing than just being a one-inning limited-pitch-count guy,” Houck said. “So if I can get built up for 40-50 pitches and help out in any way, then it’s a lot easier role. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
