The Dog Days are Upon Us

dog days of summer
noun plural
1 American slang term for warm summer days during
which it is difficult for first place baseball teams to stay on top
2 July and August

Jul 2, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia (15) reacts to being tagged out at second base during the fifth inning against the San Diego Padres at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Ok, so I made that up. There may not be a technical definition for the “dog days of summer” but I think it’s safe to say that we are headed right for them. After the Sox finish the current series against the Padres at home, they hit the road. They will play ten games in ten days on the west coast against the Angels, Mariners, and Athletics.

Each of these opponents offers their own unique challenges. Oakland has the second best record in the AL at the moment. Both Jed Lowrie and Josh Donaldson are swinging hot bats.

The Angels are currently under .500, but they’ve won seven games in a row and seem to be heating up at just the right time to be a pain in the Sox behinds yet again.

Seattle is easy to overlook. They have a losing record (.434) and have lost six of their last ten games. But Felix Hernandez is always a tough opponent. In his last start he struck out 11 Pittsburgh batters, which is no small feat given how hot the Pirates have been lately. Kendrys Morales’s hitting has been exploding lately. He’s gotten nine hits in just the last five games.

But as long as the Sox can survive the Left Coast, they’ll be fine, right? The All-Star Break will certainly be a nice rest for the guys. After that, however, the Sox will face not one, not two, but THREE consecutive series against teams in our division. They’ll face the Yankees and Rays at home and Baltimore on the road. The road ahead is not an easy one; the Sox will need to keep their noses to the grind stone.