The 2018 Boston Red Sox won 13 of their first 15 games of the season. This year’s team has won five. Last year’s team was sparking on all cylinders, and then first manager Alex Cora was pushing all the right buttons. This year’s team can’t get out of their own way.
Where shall we begin: The entire pitching staff has been terrible and clearly not prepared for the start of the season. Rick Porcello and Chris Sale are each 0-3 on the young season. Nathan Eovaldi doesn’t have a decision…lucky for him, since his ERA is 8.40 and his WHIP is 1.86, while giving up six home runs.
David Price has been the most consistent, and his ERA is a whopping six. The only starter who has even logged a win is Eduardo Rodriguez, and he accomplished that in game 14 of the young season.
Overall, the entire team has looked lethargic. Last year’s gold glove recipient in right field, Mookie Betts, has had awful defensive lapses the last two games; not to mention only batting .226. Definitely not the way the defending AL MVP, or Red Sox Nation thought Betts would start he 2019 campaign. Let’s remember, he had a very pedestrian playoff performance last year.
On cue, and en masse, Red Sox Nation is losing faith quicker than the Israelites lost faith in Moses. But let’s put this in perspective, the season is still ridiculously young: with still less than 10% of the games played. Since coming home the team has shown some signs of life, winning two of their last three games.
The formula isn’t a mystery; pitch well, as Rodriguez did Friday, and win. Pitch poorly, as Porcello did Saturday, and lose. Some of Porcello’s problem may be that he had expressed interest in taking a “team friendly” deal heading into this last year under contract with the Sox, and they seemingly declined his request.
Something like that can prey on a player’s mind. If it is that, hopefully he can get his head back on straight and realize he’s pitching for a contract…somewhere.
Here’s the reality, last season the Sox went 108-54 on the season, which is a winning percentage of .667. The team has won two of their last three games, which is a winning percentage of .667. There are 147 games left on the young season.
If they play .667 ball the rest of the way, they’ll win 98 more games, which will give them 103 wins. Admit it, when the season started, any Red Sox fan would be ecstatic if the team won 103 games this year. I don’t know any analyst who predicted another 100 win season.
The point is, it’s a long season…and as the cliche says, it’s a marathon, not a sprint. That seems appropriate with the Boston Marathon being run this Monday; apparently they’ll be two marathons run in Boston this year…one will end in October, with the Red Sox hopefully hoisting another trophy.
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