2021 Boston Red Sox season

2021 Boston Red Sox
American League Wild Card Winners
LeagueAmerican League
DivisionEast
BallparkFenway Park
CityBoston
Record92–70 (.568)
Divisional place2nd
OwnersJohn W. Henry (Fenway Sports Group)
PresidentSam Kennedy
Chief baseball officer
Chaim Bloom
General managerBrian O'Halloran
ManagerAlex Cora
TelevisionNESN: Dave O'Brien (play-by-play) with Jerry Remy, Dennis Eckersley, and Ellis Burks (color)[a]
RadioWEEI-FM / Boston Red Sox Radio Network: Joe Castiglione with Will Flemming, Sean McDonough and Lou Merloni
← 2020 Seasons 2022 →

The 2021 Boston Red Sox season was the 121st season in the team's history, and their 110th season at Fenway Park. The team entered the offseason conducting a managerial search, after declining to bring back Ron Roenicke from the shortened 2020 season.[2] On November 6, 2020, the team re-hired Alex Cora as manager; Cora had skippered the Red Sox in 2018 and 2019, then sat out 2020 serving a one-year suspension for his role in the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal in 2017.[3]

This was the Red Sox' first season since 2019 with fans at Fenway Park, with a limited capacity of approximately 4,500 to start the season due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[4] The capacity was increased to approximately 9,400 for games after May 10.[5] Fenway returned to full capacity starting May 29,[6] with an announced attendance of 25,089 at that day's game.[7] The first home sellout of the season was the June 25 game against the New York Yankees, with an announced attendance of 36,869.[8]

On June 4–6, the Red Sox swept a three-game series against the rival Yankees at Yankee Stadium for the first time since June 2011.[9] On June 13, the Toronto Blue Jays set a single-game record for home runs by a visiting team at Fenway Park, with eight.[10] In early July, the Red Sox led MLB with five players selected to the All-Star Game.[11] Beginning in late August, the team had a spate of positive COVID-19 testing, resulting in more than 10 players being placed on the COVID-related injured list.[12][13]

The Red Sox finished the regular season with a 92–70 record and qualified for the postseason as the fourth seed in the American League (AL),[14] defeating the fifth-seed Yankees in the AL Wild Card Game at Fenway Park on October 5.[15] They then defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Division Series, 3–1 games.[16] The Red Sox lost to the Houston Astros in the best-of-seven AL Championship Series in six games.[17]

  1. ^ "NESN Announces Red Sox Talent Roster For 2021 Season". NESN.com (Press release). March 19, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference rongone was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Browne, Ian (November 6, 2020). "Cora back as Red Sox skipper on 2-year deal". MLB.com. Retrieved November 6, 2020.
  4. ^ Browne, Ian (February 25, 2021). "Red Sox announce Fenway reopening plans". MLB.com. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  5. ^ Cotillo, Chris (April 27, 2021). "Fenway Park capacity will increase to 25% starting May 10, Boston Red Sox can host roughly 9,400 fans starting May 11 vs. Athletics". MassLive.com. Retrieved May 11, 2021 – via MSN.com.
  6. ^ Browne, Ian (May 17, 2021). "Fenway cleared for full capacity on May 29". MLB.com. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
  7. ^ Smith, Christopher (May 29, 2021). "Adam Ottavino strikes out 2 with bases loaded, Boston Red Sox pitchers combine for 14 punch-outs in win over Marlins". masslive.com. Retrieved May 29, 2021.
  8. ^ "Sellout crowd watches Red Sox beat Yankees at Fenway Park". WCVB-TV. AP. June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference steele was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference ruminski was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ delos Santos, Justice (July 4, 2021). "Red Sox lead MLB with 5 All-Star selections". MLB.com. Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  12. ^ Mastrodonato, Jason (September 10, 2021). "As Red Sox' COVID outbreak continues, Alex Cora stays upbeat". Boston Herald. Retrieved September 12, 2021.
  13. ^ Speier, Alex (September 17, 2021). "Inside the COVID-19 outbreak sweeping through the Red Sox". The Boston Globe. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
  14. ^ "Boston Red Sox to host New York Yankees in AL Wild Card Game". ESPN.com. October 3, 2021. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  15. ^ "Boston Red Sox oust New York Yankees to win wild card, advance to ALDS". ESPN.com. AP. October 5, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
  16. ^ Browne, Ian (October 11, 2021). "Sox walk off to ALCS, ousting 100-win Rays". MLB.com. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  17. ^ Browne, Ian; McTaggart, Brian (October 12, 2021). "Red Sox-Astros Game 1 FAQ". MLB.com. Retrieved October 13, 2021.


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