How Alex Cora Addressed Red Sox Playing Another Last-Place Opponent

The Boston Red Sox will hope to take full advantage of another vulnerable National League opponent.

Boston improved to 46-45 after sweeping a three-game series against the Washington Nationals, who remain last in the NL East at 37-53. The Red Sox can stay hot when they host the Colorado Rockies, who enter Fenway Park with an MLB-worst 21-69 record and minus-229 run differential.

Asked before Monday’s game about handling business at Washington, per WEEI’s Tom Carroll, Alex Cora cautioned against sleeping on any big-league team. The Red Sox manager noted that the Nationals had just won two of three games over the Detroit Tigers, who have notched an MLB-best 57 wins this season.

“Any given night at this level, somebody will be on the mound and he’s gonna be throwing 97-98 (mph),” Cora said. “And if they execute, we’re gonna be in trouble. And if we don’t execute our plan, we’re gonna lose games. That’s the reality of it.”

Cora used Washington’s success against Detroit as a wake-up call for his squad.

“You don’t take it for granted. It’s very hard,” Cora said of winning. “I think watching Detroit right before us in Washington, that was kinda like, ‘Hey, you better show up because they have good players. They have big leaguers.'”

It’s an easier message to send about the Nationals, who wield a capable lineup behind young stars James Wood and CJ Abrams. However, Cora must now make sure the Red Sox don’t take the historically bad Rockies for granted.

The 2024 Chicago White Sox may not stay infamous too long, as Colorado enters Monday 52 losses shy of matching the dubious single-season loss record with 72 games remaining.

Colorado begins the series batting .208/.268/.344 on the road and pitching to a 5.54 ERA away from the hitter-friendly Coors Field. The Rockies have lost their last five series since taking three of four over the Nationals.

Monday’s game starts at 7:10 p.m. ET on NESN.