Boston Red Sox: Satisfaction with playoff qualification proved to be their demise

Red Sox demonstrate that home-field advantage was not a priority

It is still incomprehensible to me how unimportant John Farrell and the Red Sox players deemed the acquisition of home-field advantage. Being swept by the Yankees with home-field advantage at stake is unacceptable. Craig Kimbrel’s implosion against the Yankees on the night the Red Sox clinched the AL East, allowing four earned runs, three walks and a hit, without retiring a batter, may have been one loss too many and that defeat falls squarely on the players’ shoulders.

However, the line-up that John Farrell sent out the following night, in what would result in another defeat at the hands of the Yankees, was Farrell’s contribution to our failure to secure home-field advantage against the Indians.

First, Farrell tapped Henry Owens to make the start. That bit of information, in and of itself, indicates the importance, or lack there-of, that Farrell placed upon home field advantage. Second, our line-up featured Ortiz for a single at-bat, which is one more at-bat than the cumulative total of at-bats for Pedroia, Betts, Leon, and Ramirez.

If Kimbrel had not choked in the second game against the Yankees and Farrell had not rolled out a Little League squad in the third game, the Red Sox likely win both games. In addition, they likely secure home-field against the Indians, and are likely now battling Toronto, with home field advantage, for a World Series berth.