The Boston Red Sox haven't posted more than five runs in a game since May 5. Besides one nine-run night against the Minnesota Twins that evening, Boston's offensive stall goes back to May 2.
The Red Sox have struggled with runners in scoring position and it's cost them dearly. Since May 11, Boston has won or lost by a maximum of a two-run margin.
The Red Sox strike out at a high clip — they're tied with the Oakland Athletics for the second-most strikeouts in the league with 437 — but they get on base a reasonable amount. Boston ranks 11th in the league in hits with a .363 OBP, but struggles to score with men on base.
In the last edition of MLB standings, the Red Sox ranked near the top in home runs. Since then, Triston Casas has been out with an injury and Tyler O'Neill's home run pace has decreased. Now, the bats have slowed to the point that it's hurting Boston's record more than anything else.
MLB Standings Ordered by RISP Success: Red Sox failing miserably
Team | Batting Average with Runners in Scoring Position |
|---|---|
Texas Rangers | .305 |
Kansas City Royals | .294 |
Cleveland Guardians | .290 |
Atlanta Braves | .290 |
Milwaukee Brewers | .287 |
Philadelphia Phillies | .276 |
New York Yankees | .275 |
Arizona Diamondbacks | .274 |
Cincinnati Reds | .270 |
Seattle Mariners | .267 |
Los Angeles Dodgers | .265 |
Miami Marlins | .263 |
Houston Astros | .260 |
Colorado Rockies | .260 |
Baltimore Orioles | .260 |
San Diego Padres | .258 |
New York Mets | .250 |
Detroit Tigers | .241 |
Tampa Bay Rays | .240 |
Washington Nationals | .238 |
Chicago Cubs | .236 |
San Francisco Giants | .234 |
Minnesota Twins | .232 |
Los Angeles Angels | .230 |
Boston Red Sox | .228 |
Oakland Athletics | .215 |
Toronto Blue Jays | .207 |
Pittsburgh Pirates | .204 |
Chicago White Sox | .198 |
St. Louis Cardinals | .191 |
The Red Sox rank 25th in MLB in average with runners in scoring position. Boston has frequently fanned in important moments or generated poor contact to collect an out with the ball in play. The Red Sox have struck out with the bases loaded nine times and 105 times with runners in scoring position, tied with the Pirates for fourth-most in MLB.
Despite the Sox's early-season homer total — which is up to 45 as of May 17 — they've only hit 15 home runs with runners on base. The other 30 have been solo shots, which are still great, but homers in clutch moments could have flipped some of those one or two-run losses into victories.
The American League East is well spread out in the rankings. The Yankees are near the top, which is surprising considering the Orioles' 64 home runs, but New York is hot on their tail with 60 long balls of its own. Baltimore ranks squarely in the middle of the league with two other ballclubs, Houston and Colorado. Tampa Bay ranks close to the Orioles at No. 19 and the struggling Blue Jays fall at No. 27.
The Red Sox's current opponent, the St. Louis Cardinals, ranks dead last in batting average with RISP with a lowly .191. Boston still boasts the lowest team ERA in the league, so putting a stop to the Cardinals' bats could be easy for its arms.
The Red Sox's series against St. Louis would be an ideal time to break out of their offensive slump. The Cardinals are in a bad spot this season, and a few wins in St. Louis could give the Sox some of the confidence they need to get back on their feet offensively.