By the end of the day, it hardly mattered that the Boston Red Sox had just lost.
The 5-1 defeat to the Tampa Bay Rays was quickly forgotten. Less than an hour later, one of the most improbable turnarounds in recent Red Sox history had ended with Boston clinching a postseason berth.
The Red Sox needed one final result: an Astros loss to the Braves.
Then came a moment that felt almost too perfect.
Mike Yastrzemski, grandson of Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski, launched a three-run homer to break a 1-1 tie and put Houston in trouble.
All these years later, another Yaz had come through for Boston.
Then the celebration began.
“There was a lot of beer,” Red Sox left-hander Payton Tolle said.
There was also champagne, cigar smoke and a hose that randomly sprayed unsuspecting players with water. The clubhouse turned into a party.
For a Wild Card team, it might have seemed excessive. But there was nothing ordinary about this season.
The Red Sox were 32-46 after 78 games and appeared buried in the standings. Interim manager Chad Tracy had taken over a 10-17 team on April 26 after Alex Cora was dismissed.
“They didn’t take no for an answer,” Tracy said.
Boston slowly turned its season around, completing a comeback few saw coming. The Red Sox became the first team in history to finish above .500 after losing at least 46 of their first 78 games.
Now, they have October baseball.
Boston currently sits as the No. 5 seed and is most likely headed for a best-of-three Wild Card Series at Yankee Stadium beginning September 29.
That would set up a rematch with the Yankees, who defeated Boston in three games last postseason after the Red Sox won the opener behind a brilliant performance from Garrett Crochet.
But Sunday wasn’t about the Yankees or what comes next.
It was about celebrating how far the Red Sox had come.
Five months ago, questions surrounded chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s decision to dismiss Cora and dismiss or reassign six coaches after just 27 games. By Sunday, there were no regrets or second guesses.
There was only champagne, beer, cigar smoke and a clubhouse full of players celebrating a season that had gone from seemingly lost to unforgettable.
The Red Sox had climbed all the way back. And now, they were going to the playoffs.
