Red Sox relying on a young core with valuable — but scant — playoff experience

David Ortiz had been retired for only a few minutes. He hadn’t even taken his uniform off for the final time. It was the aftermath of Game 3 of the 2016 AL Division Series, and the slugger wanted to relay a message to his teammates after they had been swept out of the playoffs by the Indians.

"I remember telling them even though we only played three games in that playoff, that they saw the intensity," Ortiz said. "I said, ‘You guys saw the emotions. You guys saw the best of the best playing. You guys take a little bit of that with you. Make sure to carry that over next October.’"

The time is nearly here, and the Red Sox are ready to prove they are ready for the stage that seemed just a little too big last year.