Red Sox homestand against Yankees, Cubs & Orioles ends disappointingly
The Boston Red Sox ended their nine-game homestand in disappointing fashion and remain in third place in the American League East.
The Red Sox left Baltimore on April 23 riding a 6-2 win with two days off, one because of rain, to prepare for their first series of the year with the New York Yankees. Following the two-game set with the Yankees, were the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs, and an intense rematch with the Baltimore Orioles to wrap it up.
Over a span of ten days, the Red Sox would play six games against division rivals and three against the best team on the planet. The past nine games were as great a time as any to assert themselves as the class of the American League East. Instead, the club showed more negatives than positives.
The Sox would score just one run in their two games against the Yankees, getting swept in the series. They managed to take two-out-of-three from the Cubs but left the series wanting more after four errors in the second game cost them. Then the Orioles rolled into town for a four-game set that saw it’s fair share of home runs, ejections, and actions that have no place in baseball. After splitting the series, the Red Sox ended their homestand 4-5.
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The club came home 11-8 and in third place, only to leave 15-13 and in third place. They’re still within range of the Yankees (17-9) and Orioles (17-10), first and second in the AL East respectively, but are quickly realizing that they’ll need to do a lot more than they have to catch up.
Over the nine-game stretch, the team hit .238/.303/.352, averaging just 3.3 runs per game. While the offense has been and will continue to be an issue moving forward, a new problem has emerged.
Despite an elite outfield and Gold Glove winners in Dustin Pedroia and Mitch Moreland on the right side of the infield, sloppy defensive play has become the newest concern for the team. The Red Sox committed 12 errors in the first six games of the homestand and followed that up with three more in the final stretch. They now lead the major leagues with 26 errors in 28 games and possess a league-worst .974 fielding percentage.
Of their 26 errors, 12 have come from third base – the highest on the team. Prior to the season, third was an easily identifiable point of concern for the club and just 28 games into the season it’s already looking to be a black hole. Pablo Sandoval hit the disabled list at the beginning of the homestand with a right knee sprain, while Brock Holt is still recovering from vertigo and lacks a timetable for return. To make matters worse, their third option at the hot corner, Marco Hernandez, left Wednesday’s game with a left shoulder subluxation.
Josh Rutledge is now the starting third baseman and newly signed infielder Chase d’Arnaud will try to provide some sort of a buffer while Sandoval and Holt recover.
The bottom line is that the homestand left fans wanting more. There were some positives for sure – Chris Sale is still dominant and Hanley Ramirez has found his power stroke – but all things considered, a 4-5 record at home is not good enough.
Looking at the big picture, the season still has a lot to get excited about. David Price looks to be nearer to a full recovery and could be back as early as the end of the month. The bullpen has been elite despite missing two key arms. The pitching staff has been good enough to keep the team above water while the offense figures out how to score runs.
The sky isn’t close to falling, but there are still areas that need major improvement.
Next: Red Sox vs Twins: Series Preview
The Red Sox are kicking off a six-game road trip with three in Minnesota (14-12) and three in Milwaukee (15-14). Both teams have been surprisingly good to start the year and won’t be pushed around easily. Perhaps some time on the road to clear their heads is exactly what the team needs after their disappointing homestand.