The Boston Red Sox lost to the Rays 5-1 on Sunday afternoon at Tropicana Field. The game itself did not matter. What happened later did.
The Braves beat the Astros to eliminate Houston from wild card contention, and the Red Sox’ postseason berth became official. Players pulled on celebration gear and goggles, posed for a team photo on the field, and returned to a locker room that erupted in champagne and beer.
For one player in particular, the moment carried weight that went beyond the standings.
Anthony Gets His Moment
Roman Anthony was on the roster for last year’s Wild Card Series against the Yankees. He never got to play in it. An injury kept him off the field for the biggest games of the season, and he could only watch as Boston’s run ended in three games.
This year brought another injury. Anthony missed significant time before fighting his way back in August. When the celebration started Sunday, he was in the middle of it.
“I felt this a little bit last year but obviously being injured, I am so happy to be part of it now,” Anthony said. “It’s just an amazing feeling. Obviously, we wanted to win, but the way it happened, being together watching that game, it was amazing.”
The emotion was real. Anthony has dealt with two straight seasons of injury setbacks during the most important stretches. Getting to celebrate with his teammates, healthy and contributing, meant something different for him than it did for most of the room.
Tolle Reflects on How Far The Red Sox Have Come
Payton Tolle was one of the last players to speak with reporters after the celebration had settled. His perspective captured what the locker room was feeling.
“I think it was just relief,” Tolle said. “I think there’s also just that feeling of like, ‘Man, we’ve come a long way.’ You know, we’re going to enjoy this and be proud of it. It was a whole lot of fun.”
“Obviously, you want to win, but being in is the most important thing,” Tolle added.
The big left-hander has been one of the best stories of Boston’s season.
Tracy and Contreras Address the Room
Chad Tracy took in the scene from the side of the room before addressing what his team had accomplished.
“At the beginning, we had a long way to go,” Tracy said. “It’s like, ‘How do we get on track and get things moving in the right direction?’ When the end of June hit and things started to go, and we started to see things come together, it became very much on our mind. So I’m just really happy for our guys.”
“They stared almost an impossible task right in the face, and they refused to take no for an answer,” Tracy said. “They’re very battle tested, and I’m super, super proud of them.”
Willson Contreras called for silence and delivered a message to his teammates.
“We create a good family here, good chemistry throughout the season,” Contreras said. “We just needed time, and the time came for us. And what’s the most important thing to me is that everybody never stopped working. Everybody was finding a way to make adjustments and play the game the right way.”
“This is what we play for,” Contreras said. “This is why we’re here.”
The room answered with a roar, and the celebration picked back up.
Final Word for the Red Sox
The Red Sox were 32-46 on June 24. They are in the playoffs with six games to spare.
The words from Sunday’s locker room told the full story. Relief from Tolle. Pride from Tracy and Contreras. Gratitude from Anthony, who finally gets to experience what he missed a year ago.
This team earned every drop of champagne. What comes next starts September 29.
Red Sox Roman Anthony Makes Personal Admission After Playoff Clinch