Getty Image
- The Red Sox are off to a rough start, posting a 10-19 record through 29 games
- Alex Cora is taking a drastic measure to pull his team out of the AL East cellar
- Read more MLB news here
The Boston Red Sox have struggled out of the gate in the 2022 season.
Through 29 games, the Bo Sox are just 10-19, sitting 10.5 games back of the division leading Yankees. A far cry from where they thought they’d be with an offense boasting the likes of Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, and Trevor Story.
While Bogaerts and Devers are both hitting better than .300 on the year, Story has been awful at the dish. He’s hitting just .194 with 35 strikeouts in 93 at-bats. He’s yet to homer and is one of six starters batting below .220 this season.
The slow start at the plate has led to a few changes. Manager Alex Cora has shuffled the lineup, moving Story down to sixth in the order. Devers, Bogaerts, and JD Martinez have moved up a slot as a result.
But the lineup isn’t the only thing that coach Cora is changing.
He’s gotten superstitious, making a drastic adjustment to his facial hair choice in hopes of sparking a turnaround.
Alex Cora’s beard is officially gone pic.twitter.com/cx2t7VlINP
— Christopher Smith (@SmittyOnMLB) May 10, 2022
Cora has gone clean shaven after rocking the full beard for the first month of the season. Red Sox fans are confident that the move will lead to success.
Boston fans react to Alex Cora’s clean shave
Alex Cora shaved his beard. Put the mortgage on the Sox.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) May 10, 2022
Alex Cora is gonna shave his beard and all I gotta say is that’s a real leader move. Only up from here.
— Steve Perrault (@Steve_Perrault) May 8, 2022
Alex Cora is the new Carita. Clean shaven as the Sox look to turn things around on the road. #redsox pic.twitter.com/G7WPM3YvkM
— Tom Caron (baseball szn!!!) (@TomCaron) May 10, 2022
BREAKING: Alex Cora’s beard is gone.
— Boston Strong (@BostonStrong_34) May 10, 2022
Cora’s evil twin has been vanquished, the real Alex Cora is back and the Red Sox will start winning again. @ac13alex pic.twitter.com/DEWtuwRzZt
— Will Noonan (@willnoonan) May 10, 2022
We’ll see if losing the beard starts a win streak in Boston. Cora has already said he’ll take full credit if the Red Sox get hot.
“If we win 10 in a row, it’s on me.”
We’ll get our first glimpse of beardless Cora in action on Tuesday as the Bo Sox take on the defending champion Atlanta Braves. Let’s see if Boston gets its mojo back.