AMAN

DAÂ

SABG

A/St

aff p

hoto

2-for-2HOW ALEX CORA, J.D. MARTINEZ

INJECTED NEW LIFE

INTO THE SOX

2018 RED SOXPOSTSEASON PREVIEW

J.D. Martinez Alex Cora

FINAL-1 Tue, Sep 25, 2018 12:59:14 AM

Dave Dombrowski arrived in Boston with a reputation as an executive that never shied away

from making a big splash.That’s proven to be well

deserved, as the Red Sox posted their best regular season in franchise history thanks in large part to the star power on their roster.

Here are Dombrowski’s five best moves as Sox shot-caller, and the one non-move that could come back to bite him:

5 TRADING FOR CRAIG KIMBREL

When the Red Sox dealt four prospects for Craig Kimbrel, they were expect-ing a bullpen-altering arm in return.

The closer has lived up to that billing.

Kimbrel solidified the back end of the bullpen — he represented Boston in three consecutive All-Star Games — and turned in an other-worldly 2017. Kimbrel struck out a hair under 50 percent

of the batters he faced, and as a reliever, finished sixth in the Cy Young voting.

4 HOLDING ON TO THE CORE

Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make.

While Dombrowski has never shied away from trad-ing horses for ponies, he deserves kudos for holding on to the right ones.

When he arrived in 2015, Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts were up-and-com-ers, but not yet superstars. Prior to the 2016 season the Red Sox needed starting pitching, so Dombrowski knocked on a few doors. When the ask was Betts and/or Bogaerts, the Sox said no thanks.

At that time, Andrew Ben-intendi and Rafael Devers were top prospects that hadn’t yet gotten a sniff of the big leagues. They weren’t moved either.

If you look at the top of the Red Sox batting order, it’s homegrown — and J.D. Martinez, who we’ll get to in a moment.

3 HIRING ALEX CORAThough it seems like

a slam dunk now, back in

November there was plenty of risk in hiring Alex Cora.

The majority of his post-playing days had been as an analyst, and the Sox skip-per only had one season of coaching experience at the Major League level — albeit, a pretty darn good one, winning a World Series as

Houston’s bench coach in 2017.

Still, Dombrowski went after a new-school manager in Cora and it’s paid off in a big way.

2 TRADING FOR CHRIS SALE

It took a king’s ransom, but the payoff has been worth it.

Chris Sale is the most dominant Red Sox pitcher since Pedro Martinez. Bar none.

To land Sale, Dombrowski had to ship away base-ball’s top prospect in Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech — a flame-thrower with a bright big league future — and two other prospects, but Sale has been well worth it.

The ace’s starts are appointment viewing.

1 SIGNING J.D. MARTINEZThis was Dombrows-

ki’s finest hour.He played his cards bril-

liantly to land J.D. Marti-nez, a franchise-changing bat.

During last offseason’s unprecedented free agent freeze, Dombrowski knew the market for Martinez. The big fish were all out of the running for one reason or another, and with no Dodgers, Cubs, Nationals or Yankees to contend with, there was no rush.

With Martinez’s super agent Scott Boras in no rush, Dombrowski waited. And waited. And waited some more.

Ultimately, he landed Mar-tinez on a modest five-year, $110 million deal, and the slugger has responded with one of the best first seasons in Red Sox history.

ONE THAT COULD HAUNT HIM: NOT DEALING FOR BULLPEN HELP

The 2018 Red Sox are a ready-made World Series threat — with one blemish.

Their bullpen has been an issue since last postseason, and one that was never addressed. Dombrowski didn’t replace the departing Addison Reed, nor did he add an arm in free agency, though the ’pen was seri-ously lacking in left-handers.

When Carson Smith threw his glove — and his season — away, Dombrowski didn’t make an in-season move. Nor did he when Tyler Thorn-burg’s stuff didn’t come back as sharp as they’d hoped. The deadline came and passed while Domrowski stood pat.

If the Sox crumble again this season, don’t be shocked if their bullpen proves to be the Achilles heel.

MASTER BUILDERHow team president rebuilt Red Sox into superpower

Chris Mason

AP file photo

The success of the 2018 Red Sox can be attributed to some of Dave Dombrowski’s moves as president of baseball operations.

N

orth

of

Bos

ton

Med

ia G

rou

p •

20

18 B

OS

TO

N R

ED

SO

X •

Wed

nes

day

, Sep

tem

ber

26,

201

8

S2

Sewing Machines • Repairs • Fabrics • Notions • Books • Classes

A fun place to shop - where customers are friends!sewcreativebeverly.com • 14 Elliott St. • Beverly • 978-524-8848

Hours: Tues-Fri. 9:30-5:30 • Thurs. ‘til 7 • Sat. 9:30-4:30 • Sun. 12-4

In Celebration of the Red Sox Clinching the AL East Bring in this coupon for a 10% discount on a one yard or more cut of regularly priced fabric

(thru 10/27/18)

GO SOX

FINAL-1 Tue, Sep 25, 2018 12:59:16 AM

S3

North

of Boston

Med

ia Grou

p • 2

018

BO

ST

ON

RE

D S

OX

• Wed

nesd

ay, Sep

temb

er 26, 2018

Famous Marinades

Sirloin Tips | Boneless ChickenBoneless Pork | Wings & Thighs

Prepared Foods

Salads | Soups | QuicheDips | Desserts

Beer & Wine

A Great Selection of Beer & Wineto Complement Our Food Items

New Seasoned Steaks

Seasoned with Montreal SeasoningAvailable in All Cuts

Meats

Full Line of Packaged &Custom-Cut Meats

Produce

Expanded Produce Department

ADD SOME FLAVOR

TO THE PLAYOFFS!

DANVERS: 182 North Street, 978-777-3000 • NEWBURY: 2 Morgan Ave., 978-463-3001

LET US CATER YOUR NEXT FAMILY OR COMPANY PARTYOpen 7 days a week: Sun.-Sat. 9 a.m.-7 p.m.

w w w . d a n v e r s b u t c h e r y . c o m

FINAL-1 Tue, Sep 25, 2018 12:59:17 AM

After falling flat again in 2017, the Red Sox were in need of a franchise face lift.

Two men were able to engineer that — albeit, they were the two biggest free agents in their respective fields.

After Boston’s second con-secutive deer-in-the-head-lights American League Division Series exit, John Farrell was fired and Dave Dombrowski eyed a new manager.

En route to the World Series as the Houston Astros bench coach, Alex Cora had quite a few suitors. Sharp, affable and bilingual, Cora was a new-school

thinker with a knack for connecting with those around him. He checked most of the boxes teams look for in a manager, despite his inexperience.

Dombrowski didn’t hesitate.

The Red Sox architect landed Cora while the postseason was still being played. During an introduc-tory press conference in early November, the rookie skipper radiated a cool confidence.

“Boston, for a lot of peo-ple, is a challenge. For me, it’s not,” Cora said. “This a city that I understand they live baseball 24/7, but you know what? I come from a country that we live base-ball 24/7. In my family, for

breakfast, we talk baseball. For lunch, we talk baseball and for dinner, too.”

The Puerto Rico native stressed that transparency and accountability were two things he wanted to see in his team, and promised to hold himself to the same standard.

While Dombrowski was swift in landing Cora, it would take longer to acquire the second member of Extreme Makeover: Red Sox Edition.

The Sox had missed David Ortiz dearly in 2017 — both on the field and in the clubhouse — and as another season ended prematurely, it was obvious they needed a middle-of-the-order bat.

Enter J.D. Martinez.The Sox and the slugger

were an obvious match, but he wasn’t going to come easily. After a career year saw Martinez belt 45 home runs, super agent Scott Boras dubbed him “The King Kong of Slug,” and they were rumored to be seeking a $200 million contract.

Though the two sides didn’t strike a deal when they met at the Winter Meetings, the conversation they had in Orlando proved significant. For Cora, it

really began to click that Martinez fit the mold of what he wanted on the field and in the clubhouse.

“The way he talked, he was very passionate about baseball,” Cora said. “He’d talk about communica-tion with his players in Arizona. After that I made some phone calls and, yeah... They told me he was amazing.

“He was able to communi-cate, to share information, he’s a good guy. So that’s when I was like, OK, this is going to work.”

After two more months of

negotiations, Martinez was perched on a podium along-side Dombrowski and Cora, introduced as the newest member of the Boston Red Sox.

“It’s come to a fruitful end, and we’re absolutely thrilled,” Dombrowski said.

Martinez was ready to pick up where he’d left off in Arizona.

“I’m expecting, hopefully, to do a lot of damage,” Mar-tinez said. “That’s the game plan coming in.”

Martinez is a baseball bookworm, and on the

Band of BrothersHow Martinez and Cora helped change everything for the Sox

Chris Mason

See BROTHERS, Page S5

Red Sox manager Alex Cora, showing a little intensity himself, says he was impressed with J.D. Martinez’s passion for the game of baseball.

AMANDA SABGA/Staff photos

In his first season in Boston, J.D. Martinez has put up MVP-caliber offensive numbers.

N

orth

of

Bos

ton

Med

ia G

rou

p •

20

18 B

OS

TO

N R

ED

SO

X •

Wed

nes

day

, Sep

tem

ber

26,

201

8

S4

FINAL-1 Tue, Sep 25, 2018 12:59:18 AM

fields at JetBlue Park, Cora was struck by the amount his players began talking about the game — specifi-cally hitting. The manager believes baseball chatter is a hallmark of good teams, and the conversation that started in spring training never relented.

When the real games finally began, it didn’t take long for Cora’s accountabil-ity mandate to be tested.

Less than two weeks into the regular season, the rookie skipper slipped up.

On a frigid April after-noon, the Sox offense rallied to take an 8-7 lead against the Rays in the bottom of the eighth. With his best defensive outfielder avail-able on the bench, Cora still left Martinez in the field for the ninth inning.

Why didn’t he insert Jackie Bradley Jr. into the game?

“I’m going to be honest with you,” Cora said. “We scored six runs and we were so excited about it and the manager missed that one.”

Why so readily admit that?

“Because I did. Why lie? It happens,” Cora said. “Everybody saw that. I think I ask our guys to be genuine, transparent and responsible. So if I am ask-ing them to be that way, I better be that way because if I say something else they know I am not telling the truth.”

With that, the standard was set. A culture change that had been talked about was being practiced, and throughout the season, the vast majority of Red Sox players took ownership of their mistakes, too. That wasn’t the case in 2017.

On the field, Martinez changed everything.

His first season in a Red Sox uniform was MVP caliber, and the trickle down effect was real. With Marti-nez mashing, Mookie Betts saw more pitches to hit and delivered the best season of

his career, and that wasn’t all.

In the batting cage, Mar-tinez acted as an amateur hitting coach and one that was always willing to help his teammates.

Whether it was Jackie Bradley Jr. or Rafael Devers, when a Sox hitter snapped out of a slump, “J.D. noticed something and helped me out,” became a familiar refrain.

With Cora calling the shots and Martinez deliver-ing them, two men were able to engineer a culture change that the Red Sox sorely needed.

Chris Mason is a Red Sox beat writer for the Eagle-Tribune and CNHI Sports Boston. Email Chris at cma-son@eagletribune.com and follow him on Twitter at @ByChrisMason

BROTHERS � Continued from Page S4

AMANDA SABGA/Staff photos

J.D. Martinez’s success has trickled down to his teammates, who have seen more pitches to hit with Martinez in the middle of the lineup.

Manager Alex Cora has said transparency and accountability are two things he wants to see in his players and has held himself to the same standard.

S5

North

of Boston

Med

ia Grou

p • 2

018

BO

ST

ON

RE

D S

OX

• Wed

nesd

ay, Sep

temb

er 26, 2018

FINAL-1 Tue, Sep 25, 2018 12:59:20 AM

5 APR. 8 RED SOX 8, RAYS 7

This was a sign of things to come.

On a frigid April after-noon — it was 38 degrees at first pitch — the Sox had already won their series with the Rays and seemed to be sleepwalking through the finale.

Trailing 7-2 in the bottom of the eighth, they woke up.

The Sox struck back for six runs, all with two outs, and stole an 8-7 win from the Rays. It was a game they really had no business win-ning, but Alex Cora’s club rallied back anyway. 4 JUNE 2

RED SOX 5, ASTROS 4By early June, the Red Sox

were on an impressive pace

and sat first in the American League East, but still had a knock on them.

They hadn’t played many

good teams.The Sox had steamrolled

lesser competition but weren’t given their first real test until they traveled to Houston for a date with Cora’s old team. After drop-ping the first two against the Astros, the whispers were getting louder. The Sox needed a statement win.

David Price and Andrew Benintendi delivered it.

Price didn’t have his best stuff, but matched Astros ace Justin Verlander for six innings. In the top of the seventh, Benintendi hit a go-ahead home run and the Sox held on for a signature win.

They’d shell Charlie Mor-ton a night later to salvage a series split.

3 JUNE 22 RED SOX 14, MARINERS 10

In his worst start of the season, Steven Wright gave up 10 runs. He didn’t get the loss.

Wright would wind up on the DL after this start, but left his team in a 10-5 hole against the first place Mariners

No bother.The Sox would erupt for

nine unanswered runs, fin-ish with 20 hits, and put another victory in the win column.

2 SEPT. 5 RED SOX 9, BRAVES 8

After taking two against the Braves and with firm grasp on first place in the AL East, Cora trotted out his B-team for a getaway day game.

They trailed 7-1 in the eighth against a first place team and could have eas-ily mailed it in. Few would have faulted them for hop-ping on their flight home content with taking two of three. Instead, the split-squad Sox rallied back for six runs to tie it.

After Atlanta regained

an 8-7 lead, Brandon Phil-lips — playing his first game in a Red Sox uniform — launched a two-run homer in the top of the ninth to give his new team the win.

It was utterly ridiculous, but somehow made sense for the ’18 Sox.

1 AUG. 5 RED SOX 5, YANKEES 4 (10 INNINGS)

The Red Sox were hoping to complete a demoralizing four-game sweep against the Yankees in early August, but down to their final strike against Aroldis Chapman, they looked cooked.

Steve Pearce worked a

walk to keep the inning going, and trailing 4-1 with the bases loaded, J.D. Mar-tinez stepped into the box. The Sox slugger scalded an RBI single that scored two, and when Xander Bogaerts bounced a ball that third baseman Miguel Andjular airmailed, Boston sent the game to extras.

Andrew Benintendi com-pleted the walk-off win with an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th, and the Red Sox went up 9 1/2 games in the division.

This was the dagger. The Yankees would never come close in the AL East race again.

Chris Mason

THE HIGH FIVEBest Red Sox wins of 2018

Boston Red Sox’s J.D. Martinez is doused after the team’s win over the Seattle Mariners on June 22. Martinez singled in the go-ahead run in the 14-10 victory.

AP photos

Andrew Benintendi hits an RBI-double in a six-run eighth-inning rally during an April 8 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Christian Vazquez, right, celebrates his seventh-inning home run with third base coach Carlos Febles in the team’s June 2 win over the Houston Astros.

N

orth

of

Bos

ton

Med

ia G

rou

p •

20

18 B

OS

TO

N R

ED

SO

X •

Wed

nes

day

, Sep

tem

ber

26,

201

8

S6

www.hampshireroadstorage.com 603-894-4631 • 800-891-4631

• 7 Day access, 7am–7pm

• Two convenient locations

• Monthly Rentals available in many sizes

HAMPSHIRE ROADSELF-STORAGE9 Hampshire Rd.

Salem, NH

RAJ REALTYSELF-STORAGE

11 Pine St.

Methuen, MA

Household Goods and Business Stock

Also

Available:

Heated

Storage

Units

FINAL-1 Tue, Sep 25, 2018 12:59:21 AM

10 CAN J.D. KEEP MASHING?

J.D. Martinez has slugged at a historic pace, but with premier pitchers on the hill every night in October, can he keep inflicting this much damage? History says yes; Martinez has three hom-ers in seven career playoff games.

9 HOW AGGRESSIVELY WILL KIMBREL BE USED?

Alex Cora has been conservative with Craig Kimbrel during the regu-lar season — only 5 of his first 55 appearances were more than an inning — but how drastically will that change in October? By mid-September, the most Cora had asked of his closer was four outs.

8 DOES HOME FIELD MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

The Red Sox opened the past two postseasons on the road, and landed in 0-2 holes against the Indians and Astros. Will it be differ-ent opening the postseason at Fenway Park? For once, the raucous home crowd will be on their side.

7 WHICH PORCELLO DO WE SEE?

There have been starts this season where Rick Porcello reverted to his Cy

Young form. Other times, the sinkerballer has been hit hard. Which Porcello will show up when he gets the ball? His first two post-seasons in Boston have been turbulent.

6 WHERE DOES THE CATCHING CAROUSEL

LAND?It’ll be intriguing to see

how Cora manages his catchers when the stakes are raised. Sandy Leon calls a great game, but had a terrible second-half slump. Blake Swihart has the best bat, but they still don’t seem to trust him behind the

plate. Christian Vazquez hasn’t offered much but signed a you’re-the-guy extension last offseason.

Who’s it going to be? And for how long?

5 CAN CORA HANDLE THE HEAT?

How will Cora fare as an in-game manager when the chess match intensifies? The rookie skipper hasn’t made many missteps — and admitted the ones he has taken — but with more arms available in October, there’s more thinking to be done. How will he handle the do-or-die heat?

4 WHICH YOUNG GUN STEPS FORWARD?

Prior to the season, Cora challenged Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr. to be as good a young trio as Alex Breg-man, Jose Altuve and Car-los Correa.

The Sox have responded, but the Astros group took it to the next level in the

postseason. Can Betts, Bogaerts and Bradley do the same? Which young leader says “I’m taking over?”

3 IS SALE’S ARM ALL RIGHT?

After two bouts with shoulder inflammation, it’s been a slow build for Chris Sale. Will the Red Sox ace be hindered by it, or will

the added rest aid him? All season long Sale has talked of “saving bullets,” but will the gun be ready to be fire this week?

2 WHO HAS THE EIGHTH?Plenty of criticism

has been lobbed at Dave Dombrowski for not landing another bullpen arm. This is where the Red Sox archi-tect will be proven right or wrong. If Red Sox reliev-ers can’t patch it together, Dombrowski is in for a long winter.

1 PLAYOFF PRICEUntil David Price wins

a playoff start, there will be no bigger story line. The $217 million man needs to get the job done.

And he knows it.

10 postseason storylines to followChris Mason

AMANDA SABGA/Staff photos

Can Xander Bogaerts be the X-factor that puts the Sox on top?

Will Chris Sale have enough ammo left in his arsenal?

With the Red Sox middle relief struggling, how much will Alex Cora ask of closer Craig Kimbrel?

S7

North

of Boston

Med

ia Grou

p • 2

018

BO

ST

ON

RE

D S

OX

• Wed

nesd

ay, Sep

temb

er 26, 2018

Free Estimates • All Work Guaranteed • MA Masters #10301

978.689.8336

www.giardplumbing.com

Timothy A.

24 Hour Emergency Service • Free Estimates • Fully Insured

Methuen, Ma

978-689-8373 or 978-423-2696

Residential & Commercial • Tree & Stump Removal • Limb Removal • Pruning Trimming • Firewood

Year Round Service

www.LivingstonFamilyTree.com

OVER $250 GET $25 OFF OVER $650 GET $75 OFF

FINAL-1 Tue, Sep 25, 2018 12:59:24 AM

N

orth

of

Bos

ton

Med

ia G

rou

p •

20

18 B

OS

TO

N R

ED

SO

X •

Wed

nes

day

, Sep

tem

ber

26,

201

8

S8

09-05787-001-ZIL2

Shown approximate size of 5¼" high.Product subject

to change.

Precious Moments ® ©2018 Precious Moments, Inc.Authorized Licensee, The Hamilton Collection. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Major League Baseball trademarks

and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc. Visit MLB.com

You, Me & the Red Sox™ …

the Perfect Team!

Celebrate your passion for the Red Sox™ … and each other!When this Precious Moments® couple sits down to watch the Boston Red Sox™ on their

big screen TV, it’s almost like they are at the game — only better! Because sitting side by side, they know they have the best seats in town … next to each other!

Offi cially licensed by Major League Baseball Properties & Precious Moments®!“Every Day Is A Home Run With You” is a one-of-a-kind … just like you and your

sweetheart! Handcrafted and hand-painted in fi ne bisque porcelain, it is strictly limited to 120 fi ring days, hand-numbered and arrives with a Certifi cate of Authenticity — your assurance it’s a genuine Precious Moments® and MLBP-licensed collectible only from Hamilton!

This Limited Edition is not available in any store!Celebrate your winning team with “Every Day Is A Home Run With You” for just three

installments of $33.33*; only your fi rst installment is due prior to shipment. Your satisfaction is guaranteed or your money back!

LIKE US ON

Huge Demand Expected. Order NOW!

Name_________________________________________________________

Address________________________________________________________

City_____________________________State____________Zip___________

Email (address)__________________________________________________

Signature_______________________________________________________

9204 Center For The Arts Drive, Niles, Illinois 60714-1300

MAIL TO:

(Please print clearly.)

09-05787-001-l13401

TYES! Please accept my order for “Every Day Is A Home Run With You” as explained in this announcement.

*Add a total of $13.00 for shipping and service, and sales tax; see HamiltonCollection.com. For information on sales tax you may owe to your state, go to HamiltonCollection.com/use-tax. All orders are subject to product availability and credit approval. Allow 6 to 8 weeks after initial payment for shipment.

LIMITED EDITION!

For Fastest Service, Order Online Now At

HamiltonCollection.com/RedSoxHomeRun

FINAL-1 Tue, Sep 25, 2018 12:59:26 AM