(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The Red Sox Are Giving No Indication That They’ll Be Making A Playoff Push
One week ago we were all hyped up about a 19-3 thrashing of the Yankees in their first Fenway appearance of the season, followed up by a 10-5 win on Friday and a 9-5 win on Saturday.
The fun stopped there.
Chris Sale was 2019 Chris Sale last Sunday and spoiled a chance to finish off a crucial four-game sweep against the division leaders. Instead, he helped to start a five-game losing streak (their longest since July of 2015) which has dropped the Red Sox back down to 11.5 games behind New York and four games behind Tampa for a Wild Card spot.
I’m not a naturally pessimistic person. Sometimes it takes a lot for me to muster up a negative take. With that being said, I’d be absolutely shocked if this team makes the playoffs. Dombrowski did nothing to improve the bullpen at the trade deadline, their ace is having by far the worst season of his career, and David Price has had four bad starts in a row. They have less than nothing going for them right now as far as pitching. The starters and the pen are toast.
The Sox have one of the best offenses in baseball, but that just isn’t enough. No matter how great of a lineup you have, they’re supposed to be allowed an off-night every once in a while. Championship teams need to be able to win 1-0 games, 2-1 games, 3-2 games. This Red Sox team appears incapable of winning without scoring at least five runs. It’s amazing how many times the offense is already chasing a deficit before they even have a chance to hit.
Regardless of how many four or five-game winning streaks they go on or how many times they absolutely obliterate a pitching staff with 15+ runs, out-slugging teams will not produce consistent W’s. It’s the reason why every positive stretch this season has been followed by a week or two of more disappointment. They’ve been the model of inconsistency, and at the most crucial point of the season they’ve settled into their worst stretch yet. My advice is don’t get too invested in this team if you’d like to enjoy the rest of your summer.