The excitement of a race to the playoffs could be found at Fenway Park Friday night. And when the Red Sox high-fived their way off the field following a follow-the-blueprint, 7-1 win over the Orioles, their followers were allowed for a much-needed, late-September sigh of relief.
Chris Sale was back not giving up runs.
Bobby Dalbec cleared the fence once again.
Every starter but Kiké Hernandez came away with at least one hit, with Alex Verdugo staying hot with three.
Relievers Garrett Whitlock, Hirokazu Sawamura, Matt Barnes and Martin Perez all looked close to the best versions of themselves.
And, most importantly, the Red Sox won and the Blue Jays lost, putting them one game up on Toronto and 1/2-game up on the the Yankees for a Wild Card spot.
"This is why you do it," Barnes said. "You do it to get to the postseason for a chance to win a World Series. I was fortunate enough to experience one in ’18. There's nothing like winning in Boston. There really isn't. The excitement around Boston, the excitement in the stadium, the excitement in the clubhouse with the fans and everybody, it's a really awesome feeling out there. I mean, there was a buzz in the stadium when I got back out there. It's just awesome. It really is."
But the scars from the last month or so are still not quite healed over.
Sale, for instance, offered the kind of image most had hoped considering his COVID-induced layoff. Five innings. One run. Despite just one strikeout, that will do.
"I feel like Chris Sale finds a new way to amaze me every time he takes the mound," Barnes noted. "I mean, the guy’s been nails for as long as he's been in the big leagues. And it's super incredible. Even what Nick did the other day in Chicago, coming right off and to have the command and stuff that he did, both of those guys really impressive, really awesome, especially where we're at right now. To come back and be able to do those two things and get really quality outings, it's awesome to see. I mean, Sale was great tonight. Sale is always great."
Still, the confirmation after the game that Sale isn't vaccinated -- which would necessitate an instant seven-day quarantine if close contact is determined -- does nothing to push down the anxiety that lingers these days.
Even with the wave of players coming back, the idea that the virus could derail the Good Times Express once again is still a very real thing.
Then there is at actual performance.
Can Sale's velocity creep back in time for the big Yankees series?
Will Barnes be able to close out games?
Are the middle-of-the-order bats going to be able to supply the kind of punch that has been hit-or-miss throughout September?
Will Hernandez find his way out of this post-COVID slump (4-for-36 since his return), stabilizing the top of the batting order?
Can Dalbec keep this up for when it counts the most?
As the Red Sox showed against the Orioles, they suddenly seem to have the pieces to reel in the positive vibes of the first four months. That's a start. And so was beating the Orioles.
"That’s what we need to do," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora after his team's third straight win. "You have to put teams away. It’s been a grind for a while. The wins have been close and the ones we lose too so it was good to go to these guys and get them some work and now let's get ready for tomorrow and come out with the same intensity."