From the outside looking in, it might have seemed as if the Boston Red Sox were feeling the pressure of holding on to a playoff spot. They struggled to score runs against the New York Yankees in the first two games of the series, played tight defense and made baserunning errors. Alex Cora even pumped the brakes on playoff expectations in a press conference.

On Sunday night, the offense exploded in the first inning, scoring six runs against Yankees starter Will Warren. The pitching staff held on for the rest of the game, avoiding a sweep. While the win quelled some of the panic from the fan base, manager Alex Cora said the clubhouse is as loose as ever.

“It was fantasy football this morning. They watched a lot of football, and they were ready to play,” Cora said.

He also noted that the

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