Red Sox Standings Watch: Stuck in the middle of AL East
By Sean Penney
A monthly review of where the Boston Red Sox stand in the hunt for October, along with analysis of teams rising and falling in the AL East.
If you avoid looking at the standings then you may be under the impression that the Boston Red Sox are off to a wildly disappointing start to a season in which they seem intent on testing the limits of Murphy’s Law. We’re only one month in, yet this team has already endured nearly every scenario that could derail their playoff aspirations.
The biggest question facing the Red Sox entering the season was how the offense would fare in the absence of David Ortiz and so far those concerns have been warranted. Boston ranks 12th in the league in runs scored and dead last in home runs. Getting runners on base hasn’t been a problem, it’s driving them in that remains an issue.
The offensive woes can partially be attributed to the Red Sox working without their full Opening Day lineup for the bulk of April. Only Mitch Moreland has appeared in all 24 games, while the stars that make up the heart of the order have each missed at least a few games due to various injuries and an outbreak of the flu that ravaged the clubhouse.
Losing an ace caliber pitcher is a setback that would hinder any team. Boston’s pitching staff is fourth in the league with a 3.49 ERA, thanks mostly to the solid work of the bullpen. The rotation’s 4.09 ERA ranks 12th, despite being led by Chris Sale‘s sparkling 1.19 ERA. The starting staff was supposed to be a strength of this team, but that was when we thought they had a three-headed monster at the top of the rotation. David Price has yet to take the mound this season and his absence has forced the team to keep sending the struggling Steven Wright out to start every fifth day.