“Surprising Sox” dominating offense leads MLB and AL East
By Earl Nash
With today’s 10-5 shellacking of the over-paid and under-performing fallen Angels of Anaheim at Fenway, here is where the team that most experts predicted would not make a Playoff slot stands:
First place in the AL East.
Leads all MLB teams in RBIs [330], runs [336], OBP [.352], SLG [.457], OPS [.809].
Second in MLB in BA [.275] behind Detroit [.282].
Apr 16, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell (53) in the dugout prior to a game against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Boston won 7-2. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Best ERA in AL: 3.31.
Most games over .500 this season: 14 and never under .500 this season.
Best Winning % in AL: .609.
Leads MLB with 13-6 record in Day games.
Best road record in AL: 18-11.
[SEE: How Red Sox Could Win AL East Flag https://bosoxinjection.com/2013/02/04/how-red-sox-could-win-the-al-east-crown/]
On Feb. 4th we said:
"“the media will use “The Surprising Sox” as the 2013 storyline.”"
[https://bosoxinjection.com/2013/03/30/al-east-jay-walk-to-flag-surprising-sox-win-wild-card-in-photo-finish-bookies-rate-yanks-over-toronto/]
Today’s game concluded a short homestand with a 4-2 record and the Sox head to Tampa and Baltimore with the Rays in 4th place, 4 GB, the Orioles in 3rd place, 3.5 GB, and the Yankees in 2nd 1.5 games behind the AL East leading Sox.
Veteran Ryan Dempster [4-6] got his 2000th strikeout and his 128th win, vs. 130 losses, as the Beantown Bashers smacked 4 HRS; in the 3rd inning David Ortiz’s homer put the Red Sox ahead of the Angels to stay, and back-to-back HRs by Jarrod Saltalamacchia (one of his two on the day) and Mike Carp completed the clubbing of the hapless Blanton [1-10].
After winning eight straight games, the Angels (27-36) dropped 9 of their last 13, sending them 9 games below .500 and 10 1/2 games back in the American League West.
The Boston franchise is getting a much better bang for its buck, $158,967,286, than Artie’s
Los Angeles Angels de Anaheim, $142,165,250 and rumors are rampant that, due to the sloppy defense and mental errors by his players, Mike Scioscia, the longest running manager in MLB, may find a pink slip in his locker before All-Star break, despite the LA Times headline of May 15:
Angels’ Arte Moreno: ‘Zero’ chance Mike Scioscia fired in-season
Some baseball people are wondering why the manager is playing Iron Glove Trumbo at 1b, while Pujols plays DH, as well as the many errors, both physical and mental, being committed by his well-remunerated players.
BOX: http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2013_06_09_anamlb_bosmlb_1&mode=box
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