Red Sox Homestand Vs. Angels Is Much Needed Tonic
After going 3-7 in the last 10 games, the Boston Red Sox need this home series against the Los Angeles Angels to go well, especially manager John Farrell.
The top headlines this morning, regarding the Red Sox, are either how terrible the pitching staff is or the debate of whether firing Farrell will change anything. Eric Wilbur of Boston.com reports that, if he were Boston’s president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, “I would meet with Farrell on the doorstep to a nine-game homestand, and convey the message as transparently as possible: Immediate improvement on what was a dismal, 10-16 swoon in June is essential heading into July.” Then he added, “I would give him until the upcoming All-Star break to convince the masses that he’s earned a stay. Then, I’d fire him.”
That plan isn’t a terrible one, and likely the one that Dombrowski is going to implement. The Red Sox went from turning the team’s fortune around and earning a share of the lead, after they sat in the American League East division basement for two straight seasons, to sit five games back of the Baltimore Orioles and are only ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays by half a game.
When Farrell’s job was on the line last season, whether it was right or wrong, his bout with lymphoma actually saved him from being fired. Not that anyone in Boston’s organization would admit to that fact, but BoSox Injection released an article that stated how imperative it was for the players, especially the pitchers, needed to play for Farrell like as if they were trying to save their own father’s job.
Now, three months after the 2016 season started, the addition of ace pitcher David Price and the unloading of Wade Miley to Seattle has not done much to change the situation. The Red Sox still lead the majors in runs scored, but that total has stayed relatively the same for the last few weeks while the other teams have started catching up. For the last seven days, Boston has found itself in 16th place, scoring 36 runs, while three of their division rivals have scored much more often. The Red Sox, as a team, are also pitching a 4.36 ERA, good enough for 17th in the majors, just ahead of the New York Yankees (4.41 ERA) and the Tampa Bay Rays (4.47 ERA). However, if judging by only the last seven days, Boston has slipped heavily, pitching a 6.45 ERA which is good enough (or bad enough) for 25th in the majors.
Even Rick Porcello, Boston’s winningest pitcher this season, has a 3.78 ERA which is good enough for 44th in the majors. Steven Wright, the supposed fifth starter for the Red Sox, has a 2.18 ERA which puts him fourth in the majors, yet he has five losses. Talk about a discrepancy of statistics to wins, the Red Sox are a model of inconsistency, especially the pitching staff. Considering Farrell was a pitching coach before he became a manager, that doesn’t bode well for anyone arguing that the fully-recovered leader of the Red Sox would not have his head on the proverbial block for this latest dive in the standings.
Enter the Angels of Anaheim.
Los Angeles has lost nine of their last 10 games, drowning 18.5 fathoms back in the A.L. West division. With an away record of 16-21, the Angels should bless Farrell and the Red Sox with at least a few victories, if not a much-needed series sweep. Each starter for the Angels has an ERA over four runs, which should lead to run support that the Red Sox starting pitchers desperately need, as of late.
The only problem is that their two best hitters, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, have been heating up before the July stretch. In six games, they’ve combined for 24 hits, five home runs, and 10 RBIs. If the Red Sox can’t get these two men out on a consistent basis, Red Sox Nation better strap themselves in for another few shootouts.
Likely, if all goes according to plan, Farrell’s job should be safe at least until the All-Star Break. However, if the Red Sox were to slip down to third or fourth place in the division after playing the Angels, one of the worst teams in the American League, don’t expect Farrell to last too long past the fourth of July. If they lose that series, Boston may see Independence Day as the day that they separate from Farrell’s regime.