Article: Red Sox Road Trip No. 13: Go West, Young Sox!

[Steve Trefz]

As the season winds down, Boston heads to Phoenix and Sacramento for a 6,414-mile round trip of opportunity. This trip features a perennial NL contender and a perennial AL laughingstock, but the distance makes it tougher. Ready to gamble Sox fans?

 

Arizona Diamondbacks - September 5-7
Chase Field - Capacity 48,405
2024 Attendance: 2,341,876 (Averaged 28,912, 11th in NL, 18th overall)

The Red Sox last invaded the desert confines of Chase Field in 2023, and they erupted for seven runs in an opening-game victory, survived a game two 2-1 nailbiter, then dropped the getaway game. In three trips and nine games in Phoenix since 2007, the Red Sox have gone 5-4.

Chase Field is worth the trip in and of itself. The stadium opened in 1998, boasting a retractable roof and plenty of room to roam. From the outfield swimming pool and restaurants to the kid-friendly experiences, the park has plenty to offer a visiting fan. As the fourth-oldest stadium in the National League, renovations are in order, and the funding fight has been circling the media again. Will another playoff run seal the deal, or will Ken Kendrick follow the ownership playbook and threaten to decamp for greener pastures without extra taxpayer money?

The team opened a 20th Anniversary Experience exhibit in 2022, a good reminder that this young franchise had won a World Series against the Yankees during my lifetime. While it seemed a bit overambitious at the time, in 2023, they almost repeated the feat before ultimately falling to the Rangers. This balanced and youthful team remains loaded and ready to keep aiming for championships, while the MLB remains the media rights owner of the team. How will the finances support keeping the young nucleus intact? 

The Phoenix area offers many hiking and outdoor activities, delicious local eateries, and indoor entertainment venues. The abundance of spring training parks also allows you to catch a rookie league game or two while you are there. However, since the trip happens this early in the season, it is not as optimal. 

From Chase Field, the Red Sox will head west, just not as far west as they might be used to traveling, because the Athletics are no longer waiting for them in Oakland. They'll make their first-ever road trip to the bustling metropolis of Sacramento.

The Athletics - September 8-10
Sutter Health Park - Capacity 14,014
2024 Attendance (in Oakland): 922,286 (Averaged 11,528, 15th in, 30th overall)

When the Red Sox made their last-ever trip to Oakland to play the Athletics in April 2024, they were definitely rude guests. A three-game sweep, with a blowout win and two one-run games, got Boston off to a hot start and set up Oakland for the disappointment to come. Boston had been making the cross-country road trip to play the Athletics since 1968. Unfortunately, ownership didn't do any maintenance since then, so now the Red Sox have to travel to Sacramento to play the A's. Overall the Red Sox have not enjoyed their trips to Oakland, going 132-153 over the decades.

The Athletics were the only club to draw fewer than a million fans in 2024. This isn't surprising because Oakland had already decided to leave the community, but it's still a harsh reality for the players. The offseason has seen the Athletics finalize their Las Vegas Stadium plan, spend to retain Brent Rooker, and add Luis Severino and Gio Urshela. They appear to be a team on the rise and will enter Vegas strong in 2028.

In the meantime, Sutter Health Park will provide an intimate setting, allowing any visiting team's fans to get extremely close to their favorite team. California's state capital has a surprising amount to offer tourists and baseball fans alike. The Sacramento River offers recreation, wineries, and restaurants, and it shows some of California's best, but off-the-beaten-trail, coastline. The Crocker Art Museum and the State Railroad Museum trend as popular destinations, and opposing fans should be able to track around town with their team with a spring training vibe during games that count!

After these two series, Boston travels home to host the Yankees and Athletics. It’s time to make hay while the A’s shine, but will the Sox be able to capitalize when they will be favored?

How do you think this western journey will go, Sox fans?

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