Pawtucket Red Sox Ides of July review: The bats

Jul 11, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (52) pitches against the New York Yankees during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

The Pawtucket Red Sox are being picked clean by Boston in the last six weeks and that is exactly as intended. The PawSox primary responsibility in their job description is to do just that – provide support for Boston. So now it is the Ides of July for Pawtucket as they drift precariously close to the basement of the International League North Division. The PawSox were magically in first place a short six weeks ago. Not now.

The pitching now faces life without Brian Johnson, arguably a top three IL hurler, and the forever absence of Eduardo Rodriguez – who may have been the best in the IL. Steven Wright has returned to the Pawtucket fold with mixed results and Henry Owens is continuing to wait his call to Boston. Keith Couch has continued on a path of disappointing performances and the remaining members of the staff do not elicit anything, but a shrug.

Then comes the hitting and this has been consistent all season – consistently bad. The pitching is manageable and not porous, but you need hitting and a league bottom .236 average and next to bottom .311 OBP is not going to get you within hailing distance of .500.

So this Ides of July will be on the bats and who is doing what and how that could potentially relate to the Red Sox. As mentioned the pitching prospects is Owens and that is it.