Red Sox September Standings Watch: Clinging to AL East lead
By Sean Penney
The Boston Red Sox are clinging to a tight lead in the AL East. Here’s how their outlook for making the postseason appears down the stretch.
Wake me up when September ends. That seems to be the mentality of the Boston Red Sox entering the last full month of the season. While many of us were out having a barbeque over Labor Day weekend, the Red Sox were busy getting smoked.
The Red Sox dropped three out of four in the Bronx, allowing the New York Yankees to creep closer in the division race. Boston’s bats couldn’t bunt their way past the balky knee of C.C. Sabathia to open the series. At least they could count on Doug Fister, arguably their best starter since July 31, to even things up with a win Friday night.
A three-run homer by Matt Holliday knocked Drew Pomeranz out of the game in the sixth inning of Saturday’s game. It was the lefty’s first loss since June 11. He hadn’t allowed 4+ runs in a start since July 14… against the Yankees.
Boston had to feel good about their chances to split the series with Chris Sale taking the mound on Sunday. Nope. The ace of the staff couldn’t make it out of the fifth inning after allowing three solo homers.
A return home to Fenway Park was supposed to make the Red Sox quickly forget about that ugly trip to the Bronx. They would start the week with a Labor Day game against a Blue Jays team they recently swept in Toronto. Unfortunately, Fenway hasn’t been kind to Rick Porcello this year. He was blasted for seven runs, inflating his ERA at home to 5.38 this season.
In the wake of a disappointing holiday weekend, where do the Red Sox stand in their quest for the postseason?