The Red Sox Currently Hold A Playoff Spot, But I Don't Feel Like I'm Watching A Playoff Team
I’m starting to think that these last two games against the Yankees will ultimately become a microcosm of Boston’s entire season, meaning they’re good enough to be in it until the very end, until they end up losing.
If the Red Sox fail to make the postseason, it won’t be because of a lack of talent. That much, I know. It’s because this team has a knack for collectively slumping and vice versa. When one guy in the lineup gets hot, they all get hot and kick the shit out of teams. When one guy in the lineup slumps, they all slump and lose very winnable games. Same thing with the bullpen. They were rolling for a little while there, and now there isn’t one guy in that bullpen who I feel comfortable giving the ball to with the game on the line.
They’ve got major problems, and it’s a fucking miracle that they’re only three games back of first place. The Red Sox came into June 1 with a 3-game lead in the American League East, and they were 12 games over .500 at 32-20. Since then? They’re 29-32 with the 20th best team ERA (4.29), yet they’re still leading the MLB in batting average over that span (.273). And while they’ve been busy playing losing baseball for the last two and a half months, the first-place Toronto Blue Jays have the second best record in the MLB (37-24), and the Baltimore Orioles are hanging in there, going 36-28 over that span.
And that’s with a hot stretch mixed in there for the Red Sox, too. From July 3 to July 21, the Red Sox went 11-2, which was the best record in the majors. Since July 22, the Red Sox are 7-13, which is tied for the second worst record in the MLB. The only team with a worse record over that span is the Angels, who are responsible for two of those 13 Red Sox losses during this 20-game stretch.
I just feel like this team is never going to click. Statistically, they’re still the best offensive team in the MLB, but it certainly doesn’t feel like it recently. Over their last 20 games, they’re hitting .244 with a .703 OPS, both below league average. For months, we complained about the starting pitching, and identified that as being the major flaw on this team, but Red Sox starters have a 3.83 ERA (better than league average) over this 20-game stretch in which the team has the second worst record in baseball. They just can’t all get on the same page. This is easily one of the most frustrating Red Sox teams I’ve ever seen, because they’ve demonstrated that their offense and starting pitching is good enough to be a serious threat in the postseason, but they’ve never been performing well at the same time.
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On a positive note, Eduardo Rodriguez’s improbable return to form continued last night. And I only say that it was improbable, not because he doesn’t have the talent, but because this was a guy who was optioned to Pawtucket on June 27 with an 8.59 ERA, and a shitload of problems, which included pitch tipping, not having a third pitch, and not having any confidence. He came back after a start and a half in Pawtucket, and in the six starts since he’s rejoined the Red Sox, he has a 2.80 ERA with 32 strikeouts in 35.1 innings. By the way, the Red Sox are 2-4 in those games, which just goes to show you how maddening it is to watch this team.
One of those four losses, of course, came last night, after Rodriguez was lifted from the game after seven innings, having allowed just one earned run on three hits, while striking out six. He was at 93 pitches, so obviously manager John Farrell drew some criticism for lifting Rodriguez when he was cruising along, and under 100 pitches. If the bullpen holds on to the 2-1 lead that Rodriguez left the mound with, then nobody’s talking about Farrell’s decision to remove Rodriguez from the game. But, they didn’t hold the lead. Again.
Brad Ziegler came on in the eighth inning, and allowed three singles to load the bases, before Jacoby Ellsbury “doubled” to drive in a pair of runs to give the Yankees the lead. You’re obviously not going to kill Andrew Benintendi for this, but that ball should’ve been caught. Plain and simple, that play cost the Red Sox the game. He lost the ball in the lights, it happens, but that play right there was the difference between taking a series against the Yankees and losing two straight in crushing fashion.
Apparently John Henry went into the Red Sox clubhouse after the game last night. No word on what he said, but I’m assuming he gave the most underwhelming motivational speech ever. That’s the last dude on earth who could fire me up or instill any fear in my heart whatsoever. Bottom line is that if you’re looking for someone to blame for all of this, blame the players. Dave Dombrowski did his job. He got you an ace, and he got you a closer. When the ace and the closer didn’t work, he traded for a starting pitcher with the fourth lowest ERA in the MLB, and he traded for another closer. At some point — or maybe it never happens — these players have to perform to their capabilities. They haven’t, and that’s why they’re in third place, looking like a team that doesn’t belong in October.
Final score: Yankees 4, Red Sox 2