McAdam: For two members of the Red Sox, a win like no other

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The regular season is a slog: a long, protracted journey stretching from March through October. You win some, you lose some -- sometimes you do both in the same day -- and even the best teams will lose a lot.

The key is to maintain an even emotional level and try not be overwhelmed by the losses or seduced by the wins. Fans are sometimes infuriated that players and managers seem blasé after the most excruciating of defeats, but that's the proper defense mechanism. To do otherwise is to invite trouble.

Still, there was no denying the emotion evident after the Red Sox' 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0. That had less to do with the team's gut-punch defeat Thursday and more to do with a couple of people at the center of Friday's win.

The triumph represented the first victory of Alex Cora's managerial career and, to commemorate the achievement, many of his players dragged him into the shower in the visitor's clubhouse immediately after the game and doused him with beer in celebration.

If the notion of pouring large quantities of alcohol onto your boss seems either juvenile or excessive, you're entitled to think so. Pro tip: don't try this with your immediate supervisor in the office on Monday. But the display was noteworthy because of the outpouring of support it demonstrated for Cora.

A somewhat sheepish Cora greeted the media in his office in a shirt and shorts, a towel draped over his shoulder, and acknowledged that he had undergone a baptism of sorts.

"A lot of good thoughts,'' reflected Cora. "I'm thinking about my Dad. He passed away when I was 13, and how important he is. (I'm thinking about my brother) Joey and the 25 (friends and family) who are here and my Mom back home. I bet she's going nuts right now. For how bad it was (Thursday), this is awesome, a 1-0 game. I really have had both ends of the spectrum, huh?''

In his short time on the job, Cora has won the support of his players because of the support he's shown for them. They appreciate that he went and personally visited with most of them during the offseason and spelled out his vision for the team and his expectations of each player personally. They've taken note of his humanity, of his regard for their well-being and his willingness to communicate with them.

Some, no doubt, were disappointed they couldn't finish off the job in Thursday's opener when a surefire win morphed very quickly into a dispiriting loss that had social media questioning his qualifications and aptitude.

"Yesterday would have been nice,'' said Xander Bogaerts, in whom Cora has particularly invested time and attention, "but today probably is even better — a bounce-back from yesterday. I know it definitely means a lot for someone who's a first-year manager.''

If Cora was flush with emotion over his first win, imagine what was going on for Kimbrel, who missed much of spring training to be with his infant daughter Lydia, who has undergone two major heart procedures in her five months.

"For everything that he's gone through,'' said Cora, "it's cool to see him. There's more than just him closing out a game. You could see it. I don't know what he was thinking on the mound but if he's thinking the same thing I was thinking, I'm glad we're on the same page and that things are getting better in Boston.''

Kimbrel confirmed that he was thinking about his wife and daughter while on the mound, and guessed that they were watching the ninth inning from Lydia's room at Boston Children's Hospital.

To commemorate Cora's first win, Kimbrel took the ball from the final strikeout and had it authenticated by MLB officials who are on hand for such matters every game. Each member of the coaching staff was also presented with a game ball.

Call it delayed gratification if you wish, since it should have happened the night before. But no one was complaining.

There will be 160 more -- at minimum -- and there almost assuredly will be wins more thrilling or improbable than Friday's was. But for the rookie manager realizing a dream and the veteran closer who helped cement it, it will be tough to match Game No. 2 for sheer emotion.