McAdam: On second base, merit and history

The Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles were rained out Tuesday, resulting in a day-night doubleheader Wednesday at Fenway, with game times at 1:05 p.m. and 7:10 p.m.

Until then, here are three thoughts on the Red Sox in the final week:

1. Third base isn't the only position in flux in the infield.

While the Red Sox evaluate third base and made a decision between Eduardo Nunez and Rafael Devers, it seems second base is similarly unsettled.

Veteran Ian Kinsler is slashing .185/.206/.246 since September 1. He's also 1 for his last 22 and doesn't have an extra-base hit this month. And his range, no doubt compromised by the hamstring injury he suffered soon after joining the Red Sox at the non-waiver deadline, has dipped considerably, reducing the clear advantage he once owned over Brock Holt in that department.

While Kinsler slumps, Holt has gone in the opposite direction. Since Sept. 1, he's slashing .353/.476/.676 with three homers and 10 RBI. Typically, Holt is a streaky hitter whose upsurges don't last long, but in this instance, he may be able to sustain his hot stretch at the plate for another couple of weeks.

At the very least, the Sox may be considering some sort of platoon at the position in the post-season. That, too, would have been unthinkable not long ago.

2. Alex Cora has made his team a meritocracy

From the beginning of the season, the rookie manager hasn't been afraid to make changes to his lineup or pitching usage, based on performance.

His biggest and boldest move, of course, came when he pushed for the release of Hanley Ramirez when the Sox were in need of a roster spot. That was a risky gambit for a rookie manager just two months into the job and could have backfired in the clubhouse. Baseball, by its nature and long schedule, tends to be less reactive than other sports because "it's a long season and these things have a way of working out.''

Instead, Cora ripped the band-aid right off, theorizing that if Ramirez's playing time was about to be reduced and would lead to issues down the road, it was better to confront the issue then and there.

Subsequent decisions have followed, though none that dramatic. He reduced playing for Christian Vazquez when it became clear that Sandy Leon was the better receiver. He began using Eduardo Nunez at third more when Rafael Devers' play fell off. And now he's broadly hinted that he'd be open to a change -- or at the very least, a job share -- at second base in October.

"We'll throw our best lineup out there on a nightly basis in the playoffs,'' Cora said Monday. "Whoever we feel can do the job that night.''

What a concept.

3. It's OK to salute a great regular season.

In Boston, championships have become the ultimate and, at times, only measuring stick. Since 2001, The Patriots have won five Super Bowls, the Red Sox three World Series and the Bruins and Celtics have each won titles. It's been a great time to be a fan in the region.

And thanks to their first-round belly flops in each of the last two trips to the post-seasons, there's a decidedly "wait-and-see'' attitude toward the Red Sox.

Earlier this season, the narrative took hold that their record was the result of beating up on the multitude of bad teams in the division. And some of that is certainly true. But other contenders have had the same opportunity -- the Indians, for instance, have played nearly a quarter of their schedule against the Royals and White Sox and have yet to reach 90 wins, much less 106.

Think of the great Red Sox teams of the past, oh, 50 or so years. Some (1967, 1975, 1986) won the pennant, only to lose in the World Series in Game 7. Others won World Series (2004, 2007, 2013). Still others (1972, 1978, 2003) were star-studded but missed out on the post-season altogether.

And none came close to winning 106 games. Ted Williams, whose time with organization spread out over parts of four decades, played on just one 100-win team. Carl Yastrzemski, Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs, Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz never did.

"We should call time out and enjoy this one,'' observed Cora Monday night.

He's absolutely right because whether the Red Sox win 11 games next month or none, 106 wins -- and counting -- in a season is a huge accomplishment.