Red Sox Offense Is Red Hot
The Boston Red Sox offense is still bailing out their starting pitchers and their woes. Yet, its not just the long ball that is the reason behind the surge.
After the complete obliteration of the Oakland Athletics’ lead, the Red Sox look to keep the good times rolling. They are third in the majors in runs scored, but the most important part of that statistic is that they’ve done it by hits alone. Boston is first in team batting average (.284), while being only 15th in home runs (34).
Is this a shift in hitting philosophy? Well, this season, the Red Sox have struck out 252 times for only 16th in the majors. In walks, they are 14th with 100 free passes to first base. Before the All-Star game in 2015, the Red Sox were hitting just .257, with 581 strikeouts to 277 walks. The on-base percentage last season was .301 at this time of the year, while presently the percentage is .345. So, while the strikeouts are averaging about the same, the hitting has been better.
The Red Sox are not swinging for the fences, and missing, anymore. Five of their starters are hitting over .300, while Xander Bogaerts was the only one to hit that mark (.320) last year. Two out of the other three players who qualify as starters are hitting above .280. The only one, ironically, who is hitting under .250 is leadoff man Mookie Betts (.246); however, Betts is also hitting .267 when there are runners in scoring position.
The leader of the cause on the field has been David Ortiz, the face of the franchise, with a .321 batting average, nine home runs, and 29 RBIs, with 15 walks and 21 strikeouts. His keen eye for the ball, in his final season with the team, has been inspiring to the rest of the club, including the youngsters Bogaerts (.315), Travis Shaw (.308), and Jackie Bradley Jr. (.303).
While all of the praise is well deserved, Red Sox Nation shouldn’t think it to be a pleasure cruise to the post-season. Boston also is sporting a team ERA of 4.22, good enough for 19th overall in the majors. While Steven Wright (1.52 ERA) and Rick Porcello (2.95 ERA) have pitched better than first expected, the usual suspect Clay Buchholz (5.90 ERA) and huge surprise David Price (6.75 ERA) have floundered on the mound. With Joe Kelly placed on the disabled list and Eduardo Rodriguez soon coming off of it, nobody knows what to expect from them when they return to the rotation. Henry Owens tried to help the cause, but got pumped for seven runs in just over 12 innings of work.
Next: Boston Red Sox Demolish Oakland Athletics In 14-7 Win
Nobody’s saying that the Fenway faithful should be depressed about the situation. The team is tied for first place in the American League East division, a great stride for the team that was dead last the season before. Just don’t get too comfortable; the ride to October should be a rough one if the starting pitching doesn’t get any better, no matter how good the bats continue to be.