The Boston Red Sox went into the All-Star break on their best note of the season — they hadn't reached 11 games over .500 all year to that point, and the Sox and their fans were feeling confident.
But a three-game sweep by the Los Angeles Dodgers may have brought Boston back to Earth. It could change how the front office feels about the club's postseason chances in the final charge to the trade deadline.
It's well established that the Sox have been on the hunt for starting rotation help, and the Dodgers' bats revealed needs in the bullpen, as well. Kutter Crawford allowed five home runs in Los Angeles on July 21. Brennan Bernardino let up a grand slam on July 19 and has an 18.00 ERA in his last seven outings.
Boston posted 13 runs in its three games on the West Coast, but its bats struggled with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox left 25 men on base over three games, and the batting order screamed for a boost.
After being swept by Dodgers, Red Sox series against Rockies has become a must-win
Some takeaways as the Red Sox are swept in LA: https://t.co/3wAYjFC9hv
— Jen McCaffrey (@jcmccaffrey) July 22, 2024
It took the front office weeks to reveal its potential trade deadline plans, and even then, chief baseball officer Craig Breslow never said they would be buyers verbatim. Alex Cora publicly pleaded with the front office to buy into his squad, but these three most recent games could shake anyone's confidence. The Dodgers' sweep of the Sox has turned their series against the Colorado Rockies into a must-win.
Boston's last "must-win" matchup didn't go great for it. Fans hoped the Red Sox would, at least, claim a series win against the league-worst White Sox from June 6-9, but they split the games. Boston won the following two series against the Phillies and Yankees so the split with Chicago didn't sting as much. Still, the Red Sox have another series with their rivals coming up before the July 30 deadline, and the Yankees are also firmly in must-win territory.
Coors Field is the definition of a hitter-friendly ballpark, and the Sox's pitchers haven't been as sharp as they used to be. The 36-64 Rockies have a strikingly good .440 win percentage in their home park — it may not be as easy as it looks for the Sox to get back on track in Denver. The Rox recently split a series with the Brewers and beat both the Royals and Giants. They could give the Sox some trouble.
It took the men in charge weeks to commit to a trade deadline strategy, and ownership has looked for any reason to ignore the Red Sox in the past few seasons. Boston must pull off at least two wins to keep the front office invested in a buyers' mindset before the trade deadline.