Zolak & Bertrand: When is it okay to expect more from the Red Sox?

The Red Sox are in the thick of the American League Wild Card race, so Zolak and Bertrand wonder if we should be expecting more from a team that has rallied around an underdog mentality all year long:

Beetle: Are the Red Sox now in a position where you say if they don't make the playoffs, they're half a game out behind the Royals, it's very disappointing. That it's now reaching a stage, even with their difficult schedule that is ahead of them, That you'll be left disappointed if they don't make it onto the right side of that line? 

Zolak: I would say yes now. Based on how they have played, if you want to date it to back what mid-May, mid, June, whatever, you see how they played against the Yankees. You see how they played against better teams like they're in these games. Like they they're in those games. Like you're there. So I would say, yeah, it would be disappointing. Now, if you're beating the scrubs, and get your *** kicked by the good team, I would say no, it's not disappointing because that's reality. The reality is, is they're there and they got a hell of a manager. And maybe he could get you a game or two, and maybe if you could get into that damn series. You'd be a tough out. 

Milliken: They have the best OPS in baseball right now. Pete Fatse, what he did, changing the hitting meetings back in May. David Hamilton, what you're seeing out of him the last couple of days come back to life after they gave him, gave him a three day breather. Masataka Yoshida. Are you kidding me? Almost a .900 OPS going back to July 1st. Dom Smith over .800 OPS. Going back to June. You’ve just gotta sit there and tip your cap. Pete Fatse deserves a lot of credit. The hitting has been way above I think what anybody expected this year. 

Beetle: So I guess the real question is when does this team go from being a good story, and that underdog that's overachieving to a team that's worthy of expectations?  

T-Bone: How about after a win tonight? 

Milliken: You sweep the Royals. That's pretty serious. That's the team right in front of you. 

McKone: Shouldn't there already be expectations? Like you did buy at the deadline, you did invest in the team. I know they didn't go out and have a blockbuster trade deadline, but you also didn't sell off parts like you did. Add to the roster, so there should be some expectations when it comes to the Red Sox. 

LISTEN: Should we have higher expectations for the Red Sox now?

The final major championship of the 2024 men’s golf season is set to get underway this week. So far in 2024 there have been no “playoffs” needed to settle a champion. In fact, we are closing in on 10 consecutive majors without needing a playoff to determine the winner. Below is a look at major tournaments since 2010 that needed extra golf to settle who the champion would be! 

But before the list, here’s a look at the playoff format of each of the major championships....

The Masters - The Masters uses a sudden-death playoff format that starts on the 18th hole. Should a second playoff hole be needed they go to the 10th hole. The 18th hole and 10th hole run parallel to each other on the course. The playoff rotates through those two holes until there is a winner. 

PGA Championship - The PGA Championship uses a three-hole aggregate playoff format. The holes are determined based on the setup of the course the tournament is being played on. Should the playoff be tied through the three hole aggregate it moves to a sudden death format. 

U.S. Open - The U.S. Open uses a two-hole aggregate playoff format. Much like the PGA Championship, the holes used are based off of the course being played, and the playoff becomes a sudden death if it is tied after the aggregate playoff.  The U.S. Open used to use an 18-hole playoff but changed to a two-hole aggregate in 2018. 

The Open Championship - The Open Championship uses the same playoff format as the PGA Championship, which is a three-hole aggregate playoff. 

Martin Kaymer took home his first major championship at Whistling Straits in 2010 with a playoff victory over Bubba Watson. Kaymer shot even par in the three hole playoff while Watson shot one-over par.

Keegan Bradley won his first major championship in his first major championship appearance at the 2011 PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. Bradley shot one-under par in the playoff to beat Jason Dufner by a stroke.

Bubba Watson won his first of two Green Jackets in a playoff over Louis Oosthuizen in 2012. After both men parred the first playoff hole they played the 10th hole. Watson hit a ridiculous shot from the trees and ultimately ended the playoff with a par and a bogey from Oosthuizen.

A year after Bubba Watson's victory on the second playoff hole at the Masters, Adam Scott pulled off the same feat. The Aussie found himself in a playoff with 2009 champion Angel Cabrera. Scott would win the playoff with a birdie on the second playoff hole and become the first Australian born golfer to win the Masters.

When Zach Johnson won The Open Championship in a playoff it was a four hole playoff. Johnson outlasted Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen in the playoff at St. Andrews. Johnson played the four holes at on-under while Oosthuizen shot even par and Leishman shot two-over par.

Sergio Garcia's long awaited major championship victory came in a playoff at the 2017 Masters. Garcia and Justin Rose faced off in the playoff and Garcia won on the first playoff hole with a birdie putt to claim the Green Jacket.

The last major to go to a playoff was the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills. Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris competed in a three-hole playoff for the Wanamaker Trophy. Thomas would ultimately claim his second PGA Championship title by playing the playoff at two-under par.