Slumping Boston Red Sox team faces a daunting schedule

The Boston Red Sox are staggering around in a fog of defeat

The Red Sox are a dead man walking team at this point of the season. Or they could be headless, Mike? Mike was a chicken who had its head lopped off and survived for 18 months. Is it possible the Red Sox can survive until the season is over? If you have on rose-colored glasses and can’t stomach Red Sox negativity, stop here and try the clickbait ads.

After the Detroit and Toronto debacles, the team can lose any way you choose. A bullpen collapse? No problem, Matt Barnes has you covered! Hitting malice? No problem! Take a slumping Red Sox since you have an entire selection that takes turns crashing. And then there is the rotation. I’ll pass on baserunning, defense, and even managerial decisions.

This Red Sox team now has the opportunity to get back in the race or continue to embarrass. The Tampa Bay Rays come into Boston firmly entrenched in first place. Three games at Fenway Park for a Rays team that wins and wins. Boston can fold or make a statement.

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At the end of August, the Red Sox – if they are still standing – travel down to the land of Blue Bell Ice Cream and cowbells for a four-game series. So that may all fall under the umbrella of hope, but so far, that seems to be hopelessness.

As I continue to bandy about the negativity, another team is on the horizon that is painfully close to leapfrogging over our locals. If you said New York Yankees, go to the head of the class. Boston will head to Noo Yawk for a three-game set starting in mid-August. So far Boston has owned the Yanks.

If a resuscitation takes place on the Red Sox, the near end of the season has the Yankees coming into Fenway. That could be a crucial series in a tight American League East and Wild Card dynamic. Red Sox Nation can rub the worry beads that this series will be meaningful for the locals. And the Jays? Thankfully that is over with on the 162 game schedule.

Right now, the team on the field resembles a casting call for The Walking Dead. Would the Red Sox be better off checking the chances of getting a Zombie or two? Then there is the bad luck. Gotta have a dose of that, folks.

Kyle Schwarber is the needed left-handed slugger, and with a 137 wRC+ and 25 home runs, that is his calling card. Reports are that Schwarber has suffered a rehab setback. Great. So just stick with Franchy Cordero and Bobby Dalbec.

Negativity is challenging to avoid when looking at the post-All-Star results. What is evident from watching the team is, well – obvious. They are listless, rudimentary skills are in cold storage, and the opposition smells the fear.

With games against division rivals, lining up is an opportunity, but that goes asunder when you roll over for Detroit. At this point, even the Orioles no longer represent a powder puff for the BoSox. There are no soft touches on the schedule the way Boston has played.

Will Chris Sale be the difference? Is the bombastic Sale capable of igniting a pulse in the corpse? Can a Sale dominating on the hill energize a team that is as exciting as putrid tap water? And can Cora get out the paddles on a managerial defibrillator?

The Red Sox have an ardent fan base who may finger point but show more emotion in the stands than the team on the field has of late. No Roy Hobbs is coming up to help out. This squad has to do it themselves, and if a plus exists, there has been no nastiness emanating from the clubhouse.