Shipping Up To Boston - MLB 19 The Show Boston Red Sox Franchise

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Reset: Deja Vu - Sox lose Betts, Sale on same day for extended period of time



You have to got to be kidding me.

Really, there's nothing else left to say.

An early season April game against the Baltimore Orioles turned costly for the Red Sox, as they will be without both Chris Sale and Mookie Betts for the next two months, minimum....again.

Sale was cruising, having struck out five betters through his first four innings, and hadn't yet allowed a base hit. He immediately reached for his arm following a slider in the top of the fifth, however, and the Red Sox immediately pulled him from the game. They would find out later that he suffered a minor tear in his shoulder.

Betts, who we wrote about last week, was fresh off his game-winning three-run home run against the Twins, when he was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning. He would also leave, and end up with a fractured hand.

Both Sale and Betts were immediately placed on the 60-day IL. Dakota Hudson and Mike Yastrzemski were recalled from Pawtucket.

Sale and Betts were off to great starts - Sale was 3-0 with 35 strikeouts in 24 2/3 innings, sporting a 0.73 ERA, while Betts was hitting .298 with a .944 OPS.

It could be argued, and fairly so for that matter, that season-ending injuries to Sale and Betts last year cost the Red Sox their chance to repeat as World Series champions. This shouldn't be the case this season - it's early enough that both players should be able to return by the All-Star break (although the Sale situation is much more tenuous), just like the injury to Xander Bogaerts last year.

The Red Sox also prepared for this...allegedly. They went out and acquired Jose Martinez from the St. Louis Cardinals to bolster their bench and give the team another serious hitter should they suffer another serious injury. The pitching situation, however, is more concerning - there is no David Price to bail out the Sox this time (Price was sent to St. Louis as part of the aforementioned trade). With Darwinzon Hernandez sidelined, the team will turn to the young Hudson, who has a 3.20 ERA and 1.22 WHIP in three starts at AAA so far. He was the winner in his first start with the big league club on Sunday, allowing four runs in just over six innings.

Despite these two devastating injuries, the team did exactly what they needed to do - they beat up inferior competition. The Sox put together an impressive 6-0 week, sweeping both the Orioles and the Tigers. They allowed just 10 runs total as the pitching staff, particularly the bullpen, continues to dominate hitters.

With pitching like this, it may be enough for the Sox to hold onto first in the American League East until Sale and Betts return...maybe.

The week in review

Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox
Apr 14, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Baltimore (6-11)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	1
Boston (11-4)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	x	1	4	0
W: Weber (1-0) L: Cobb (1-3) S: Steckenrider (4)

Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox
Apr 15, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Baltimore (6-12)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	4	1
Boston (12-4)	0	0	0	1	1	2	0	0	x	4	6	0
W: Porcello (4-0) L: Hess (0-1)

Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox
Apr 16, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit (6-12)	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	0
Boston (13-4)	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	x	3	6	0
W: Rodriguez (2-0) L: Boyd (0-1) S: Workman (1)

Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox
Apr 17, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit (6-13)	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	2	4	14	0
Boston (14-4)	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	1	x	5	12	1
W: Eovaldi (2-1) L: Perez (2-2) S: Weber (3)

Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox
Apr 18, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit (6-14)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	1
Boston (15-4)	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	x	3	3	0
W: Lakins (2-1) L: Fulmer (2-2) S: Weber (4)

Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox
Apr 19, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Detroit (6-15)	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	9	0
Boston (16-4)	1	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	x	5	9	0
W: Hudson (1-0) L: Mize (2-3) S: Steckenrider (5)

Three up
1. Bullpen: After having one of the most frustrating bullpens in all of baseball last season, and one that ultimately couldn't get the job done in the playoffs when it mattered the most, the 2020 Red Sox 'pen is arguably the best in the majors so far. This past week the relievers combined to throw 12 2/3 innings and allowed only two runs. More impressively - they struck out 18 hitters and did not allow a single walk. Three different players recorded saves as Alex Cora continues to masterfully employ the closer-by-committee approach, although getting more consistent results out of Drew Steckenrider has to be a priority.

2. Double plays: And this time we are talking about the defense! Well, not just the defense actually. Last year the Red Sox offense was the worst in the majors when it came to the double play ball - meaning they hit into the most. This year they've hit into just 12 - tied for 4th best in the league. This past week, the defense turned eight, which helped bail out the Red Sox pitchers in the limited trouble they found themselves in.

3. Michael Chavis: Nice rebound for the kid who found himself on the down list last week. Although he only received 12 at-bats over the six games, he knocked out five hits, including a home run, and drove in six runs. Getting Chavis going is even more necessary now with Mookie Betts out.


Three down
1. Injuries: I mean, there isn't much more to say. Losing your best pitcher and best player last year was brutal, and may have cost the team the World Series. To lose both again this year, on the same day, is nearly unthinkable. The fact that the Sox were able to go 6-0 with both players out of the lineup is impressive, but superstitious Sox fans have to be thinking of a certain curse at this point.

2. Tetsuto Yamada: Tough week for the former Japanese League star, who didn't pick up a hit in his 10 at-bats. Yamada may be struggling a bit with playing time, as he's gone from an everyday starter in Japan to role player here in Boston. We are reaching a bit here - when you sweep two series after losing your two best players, it's hard to find any negatives. The team would like to see Yamada find more consistency at the plate, however.

3. Schedule: The Red Sox currently sit at 17-4 - the best record in baseball, and a similar callback to their 17-2 start in 2018. Of course, they really haven't played anyone yet - their only series against a team with a winning record in 2019 was agains the Cleveland Indians, and they lost two of the three games.



Just wondering...
1. Lineup adjustment? If you were a big believer in the theory that moving Mookie Betts back to the leadoff position was the key change in helping spark the Sox impressive offense to this point, this past week confirmed your beliefs. The team struggled to hit with Betts out, and they haven't scored more than five runs in a game since April 11th. The leadoff position continues to be problematic, especially with Cora reluctant to move Andrew Benintendi back there.

2. Carl Yastrzemski's grandson Mike Yastrzemski made his Red Sox debut this past week and got a standing ovation, thanks to his connection to Red Sox legend Carl Yastrzemski. He also had a decent week - picking up two hits and three walks, while scoring two runs.

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Series Spotlight: They aren't quite the Yankees, but the Astros are quickly becoming one of the Red Sox top rivals



They met in the ALDS in 2017. They met in the ALCS in 2018. They met in the ALCS again in 2019. And it looks like they are headed for yet another showdown in 2020.

Granted, it's ridiculously early, but can you guess who has the best two records in the American League so far? Surprise, surprise - it's the Red Sox and the Astros.

Monday will be the first meeting between the two since that epic ALCS last fall that saw the Astros take down the Red Sox in seven games, and will be the first of a four game series at Minute Maid.

The Red Sox will be looking for revenge, although they likely won't find any satisfaction with a series win in April. It's all about October for these two teams, who have combined to win the last three World Series titles.

This series doesn't mean a whole lot - both of these teams will be in the postseason come the end of September. You could talk about confidence, but the Red Sox went 5-1 against the Astros last year only to find themselves on the losing side in the playoffs.

Ultimately - sit back and enjoy some great early season baseball against two of the best teams in the league.



Pitching matchups
Monday - Rick Porcello (4-0, 0.56) vs Brad Peacock (0-2, 5.68)
Porcello has been on a different planet so far in 2020, sporting a ridiculous 0.56 ERA on the season. One incredible stat - he has yet to walk a batter. Taking the mound on the Astros' side will be Brad Peacock, who has struggled so far - as have all of the Astros' starters not named Justin Verlander. Peacock allowed three runs in six innings, receiving a no-decision in Game 4, which the Red Sox eventually won 4-3.

Tuesday - Eduardo Rodriguez (2-0, 3.00) vs Colin McHugh (2-1, 4.50)
Call this the Eduardo Rodriguez Revenge Game. No one was more upset by the Red Sox postseason failure last season than ERod, who was forced to leave Game 7 early after suffering an arm injury in the third inning. He'll have to control his emotions early. McHugh is a wildcard - he's taken over the fifth spot in the rotation from Wade Miley, and has been just so-so so far this season.

Wednesday - Nathan Eovaldi (2-1, 4.01) vs Gerrit Cole (2-3, 6.04)
No one needs to remind Eovaldi about last season. He took three losses in the ALCS, and received plenty of blame from Red Sox fans around New England. While he wasn't very good in either start, he gave a great effort in relief in Game 7 and was ultimately a hard luck loser. He's gotten off to a slow start but was excellent last time out. Cole has been brutal so far in 2020, and wasn't great in either start in the ALCS.

Thursday - Travis Lakins (2-1, 1.21) vs Lance McCullers Jr. (1-2, 4.15)
This will be a big test for the rookie Lakins, who has been great so far albeit against pretty weak competition. McCullers Jr. was terrific in Game 7 last season, going eight innings and allowing just two runs, limiting the Red Sox offense to only a handful of hits and leaving them hitless with runners in scoring position. Expect many of the Red Sox hitters to want some revenge in this one.

Three Key Hitters - Astros
1. 2B Jose Altuve: Altuve killed the Red Sox in last year's ALCS, earning himself the MVP. He kept it up in the World Series, earning him the World Series MVP as well as the Astros won their second World Series in three years. He's gotten off to a slow start this season, however - he's hitting just .263 with one home run and an OPS of .685. The Red Sox pitching staff need to do a better job keeping him contained than they did last season.

2. SS Carlos Correa: Arguably the best player in baseball so far, Correa is hitting .293 with six home runs and 20 RBI in just 82 at-bats (putting him on pace for nearly 150 RBI on the year). He has a huge OPS of 1.001 and has been crushing the ball in the early going - even more impressive considering Altuve has barely been on base.

3. C Jonathan Lucroy: The biggest piece the Astros added this offseason was Lucroy, who should offer a significant upgrade for them at the catcher position. Lucroy has been good so far - he's hitting .282 with four home runs and a .790 OPS. Houston's bottom of the order hurt the Red Sox badly in the ALCS last season, and Lucroy gives them another bat to do some damage.

Three Key Hitters - Red Sox
1. LF Andrew Benintendi: Since being switched back to the two hole in the lineup to begin the season, Benintendi has been terrific. He's hitting .338 with 11 runs scored, three stolen bases, and an OPS of .786 (although he's yet to hit a home run). As a result, Alex Cora has elected to keep him there rather than move him to the leadoff position to replace the injured Mookie Betts.

2. LF J.D. Martinez: Martinez was brutal in the ALCS last year. After winning the season MVP and winning the Triple Crown, he hit just .200 with only one home run and an OPS of .613 against the Astros in the playoffs. Unfortunately, that seems to have carried over into 2020 - he's hitting just .208 on the year with only four home runs and an OPS of .677. With Betts now out, the Sox desperately need J.D. to return to his regular season form of last year.

3. DH Jose Martinez: Jose Martinez was acquired should the Red Sox suffer another major injury to one of their key hitters. Well, they have - so it's time for Martinez to deliver. He's been excellent so far - hitting .348 with six RBI and seven runs scored in just 48 at-bats, although he's hit only one home run. His defense is also a problem - he'll likely assume the DH role, forcing J.D. Martinez into the outfield, who isn't great but is much better than Jose, at least.

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Reset: 'Stros snap Sox win streak but Porcello continues to dominate



The emergence of Darwinzon Hernandez in the second half of last season seemed like the writing on the wall for Free Agent to be Rick Porcello.

He was by no means awful last season, finishing with a 15-7 record and respectable 4.09 ERA, his lowest since 2016 when he won the Cy Young. But he was set to become a Free Agent, and with the Red Sox needing to create some room in their budget for several RFAs, Porcello and his $20 million/year salary was simply too rich.

But then David Price was traded.

And suddenly, there was an opening in the rotation - and if Porcello was willing to take a pay cut, it could be his. Sure enough, he was - in fact, he took a huge pay cut, accepting a four year deal with $30 million total.

Porcello has been terrific so far to begin 2020. Like, the best he's pitched in his career terrific. On Monday, he improved the Red Sox win streak to nine games by throwing 7 1/3 shutout innings against the Astros, a game the Sox would win 1-0. He picked up his sixth win of the season against the San Diego Padres on Saturday in what was actually his worst start of the year - he allowed two runs in six innings.

On the season, Porcello is now 6-0 in six starts, and has a minuscule 0.79 ERA and 0.75 WHIP. He leads all major league pitchers with a 1.6 WAR, and he's allowed just four free passes in 45 1/3 innings of work.

He obviously won't be able to maintain this pace, but if Porcello can avoid a huge drop off, he gives the Sox a much needed number two starter behind Chris Sale.

The week in review

Boston Red Sox at Houston Astros
Apr 20, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (17-4)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	2
Houston (15-8)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
W: Porcello (5-0) L: Peacock (0-3) S: Steckenrider (6)

Boston Red Sox at Houston Astros
Apr 21, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (18-4)	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	8	0
Houston (15-9)	2	0	0	0	1	0	1	2	x	6	17	0
W: McHugh (3-1) L: Rodriguez (2-1) S: Rondon (3)

Red Sox at Astros |
Apr 22, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Extras	R	H	E
Boston (18-5)	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	02	5	9	0
Houston (16-9)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	00	3	11	0
W: Brasier (2-0) L: Devenski (0-1) S: Barnes (1)

Boston Red Sox at Houston Astros
Apr 23, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (19-5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	3	13	0
Houston (16-10)	2	0	4	1	0	0	0	0	x	7	14	0
W: McCullers Jr. (2-2) L: Lakins (2-2)

Boston Red Sox at San Diego Padres
Apr 24, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (19-6)	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	0	8	11	1
San Diego (9-16)	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	4	6	0
W: Brasier (3-0) L: Maton (0-1)

Boston Red Sox at San Diego Padres
Apr 25, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (20-6)	0	0	1	3	1	0	0	0	0	5	9	2
San Diego (9-17)	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	4	10	0
W: Porcello (6-0) L: Lucchesi (0-4) S: Alvarez (1)

Red Sox at Padres |
Apr 26, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Extras	R	H	E
Boston (21-6)	0	0	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	01	5	13	1
San Diego (9-18)	2	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	00	4	6	1
W: Watson (1-0) L: Erlin (0-2) S: Workman (2)

Three up
1. Andrew Benintendi: It was a good week for Benintendi at the plate - he picked up eight hits and five walks, scoring five times and hitting his first home run of the season. It was a ridiculous week for Benny in the field, however. He made two remarkable diving catches, took a home run away in Houston, and threw out Tyler White at home in the bottom of the eighth to preserve the Red Sox 1-0 lead on Monday.

2. Jose Martinez hitting leadoff: Martinez was fine against Houston - the Astros mostly avoided him, walking him five times in the four-game series. With a ridiculous on-base percentage, Alex Cora tried something out of the box, and hit Martinez leadoff against the Padres. It worked. He went 10-15, scored two runs and drove in another as the Sox swept San Diego.

3. Rafael Devers: Devers continues his hot April, driving in nine runs this week to give him 22 on the season, second-most in the American League. He also hit three home runs this week, none bigger than his go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning of Friday's 8-4 win over the Padres.

Three down
1. Outfield defense: Normally, the Red Sox should have the best outfield defense in the majors, with Benintendi in left, Jackie Bradley Jr. in center, and Mookie Betts in right. With Betts injured and JBJ struggling at the plate, however, it's forced Cora to use J.D. Martinez and Jose Martinez - and it hasn't been pretty defensively. J.D. has already made two errors and his .923% fielding percentage and 1.49 range factor are the worst among all qualified left fielders in the league. Jose hasn't been much better - he's also made two errors, the most among all right fielders.

2. Bullpen overuse: The bullpen has been outstanding for the Red Sox so far in 2020, but it saw a lot of action this past week. In fact, in seven games, Alex Cora went to his 'pen 31 times - an average of over four pitchers a game. Red Sox relievers combined to win three games and pick up four saves, but threw 27 innings in the process.

3. Jackie Bradley Jr. hitting leadoff: The search for a leadoff hitter continues for Cora and the Red Sox, with Jose Martinez the most recent candidate. Initially, the team tried JBJ there - but it was not working out well. He picked up just three hits this past week, although he did go deep once. On the year, he's batting just .217 and has an on-base percentage of .290 - not good enough.



Just wondering...
1. Do they need to add a long reliever? The Red Sox have arguably the best bullpen in the majors right now, even with Drew Steckenrider struggling. They do not have a guy who can give them three or four innings, however - when a Red Sox starter gets pulled early, it almost guarantees that Cora will need to use at least four pitchers just to get through the game. With that in mind, it may be worth the Sox adding a long reliever to give the 'pen a bit of a break at times.

2. Yankees stay right behind Sox The Red Sox are a ridiculous 22-6 so far, but there's still very little margin for error. That's because the Yankees are equally as hot, and trail the Sox by four games. They have the third best record in the majors (18-10), and were actually just two games back on Friday before losing back-to-back games over the weekend.

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Reset - Monthly Edition: Behind lights out pitching, Sox off to unbelievable start in 2020



After a disappointing ALCS defeat to the Houston Astros that saw both the offense and pitching come up short, Dave Dombrowski made two items his main offseason priority - 1) add more major league quality hitting depth and 2) improve the bullpen.

Even he couldn't have assumed he would have built the best bullpen in baseball.

That's exactly what the Red Sox have right now - the best bullpen in baseball. The Red Sox relievers have combined for a ridiculous 3.0 WAR so far in 2020. This is one of the main reasons why the Sox lead the majors in team ERA. If we look at the total WAR of the bullpens of the next four teams in terms of ERA ranking, here's what we get: Dodgers (0.3), Mariners (0.3), Nationals (1.0), Yankees (1.3). The Red Sox bullpen has a higher WAR than the next four teams...combined.

What's behind the sudden change? It could be Alex Cora's decision to essentially remove bullpen roles - anyone can come in at anytime, so they all need to be ready to go.

Let's take a look at stats from the team's seven relievers:

• Ryan Brasier - 3-0, 0 saves, 3 holds, 15.2 ip, 2 walks, 23 strikeouts, 0.57 era, 0.45 whip
• Tony Watson - 1-0, 2 saves, 10 holds, 14.2 ip, 0 walks, 15 strikeouts, 0.61 era, 0.61 whip
• Ryan Weber - 1-0, 4 saves, 2 holds, 11.2 ip, 1 walks, 5 strikeouts, 0.77 era, 0.86 whip
• Jose Alvarez - 0-0, 1 saves, 4 holds, 12.0 ip, 0 walks, 10 strikeouts, 0.00 era, 0.92 whip
• Brandon Workman - 0-1, 2 saves, 4 holds, 10.2 ip, 3 walks, 10 strikeouts, 3.38 era, 0.94 whip
• Matt Barnes - 2-0, 1 saves, 1 holds, 10.0 ip, 2 walks, 15 strikeouts, 2.70 era, 1.20 whip
• Drew Steckenrider - 0-1, 7 saves, 3 holds, 12.0 ip, 0 walks, 21 strikeouts, 7.50 era, 1.50 whip

Every single reliever in the bullpen has thrown at least 10 innings, but no one has thrown more than 16 - meaning everyone is getting work, but no one is getting overworked. Six different relievers have recorded a save, and all of them have at least one hold - meaning they can be used in close games, if necessary. And four of the seven have an ERA below 1.00.

The addition of Tony Watson, in particular, has been a godsend. Watson leads all relievers in the league with 10 holds and has yet to walk a batter in 17 games so far this season.

This shouldn't diminish the success of the Red Sox starting pitching, which has been excellent in it's own right. But the emergence of a dominant bullpen is one of the main reasons why the Red Sox are currently playing .800...yes, .800...baseball.



Of course, even with a 24-6 record, this is Boston, so it can't all be sunshine and rainbows. Here are three players who struggled in April, and the concern level Red Sox fans should feel regarding their play so far.

1. J.D. Martinez
Good news Red Sox fans - at the end of April last year, J.D. Martinez had seven home runs and 21 RBI. He would go on to win the AL MVP and Triple Crown. This year? He has five home runs and 19 RBI - not far off his 2019 pace. Of course - he was also hitting .294 with a .549 slugging percentage. This year? Just .229 and .417, respectively. Those numbers need to improve if Martinez wants to even come close to putting together the kind of season he did in 2019.

Concern Level Low.
Martinez is a pure hitter, and a slow April shouldn't be too much of a concern - especially considering he still drove in 19 runs. The fact that he only has three doubles is a little odd, but this isn't the time to panic over the reigning MVP.

2. Drew Steckenrider
For all the talk about how good the Red Sox bullpen has been, it glosses over a hard truth - Steck has been brutal. In 13 games, he has a 7.50 ERA and has already allowed two home runs - one fewer than he did all of last season. He has recorded saves in seven of his eight opportunities, although he was bailed out several times by other relievers who had to come in and clean up his mess. As a result, Alex Cora has adopted a closer by committee model, which has worked...so far.

Concern Level Moderate.
Steck isn't having trouble with his control - he's struck out 21 batters and has yet to allow a walk in 12 innings of work - but he's been awfully hittable, allowing 18 hits and two home runs in the process. He's been than he's pitched, but maybe not as good as he was for the Red Sox in the postseason last year.

3. Jackie Bradley Jr.
JBJ had a career year in 2019, and was rewarded with a respectable contract in the offseason. So far, however, he hasn't been able to repeat that success. Thrust into the leadoff position with the injury to Mookie Betts, Bradley Jr. is hitting just .207 on the season and has only scored eight runs. His .278 on-base percentage has a lot to do with that, and he's striking out at a much higher rate so far this season. The recent demotion should hopefully help him find his stroke.

Concern Level Higher than low, but lower than moderate
JBJ hit .316 in 2019 - he had never hit higher than .267 in his career previously. It was likely, therefore, for some natural regression to occur. His low on-base percentage is concerning, however, as is the fact that he's 0-3 in stolen bases. While it isn't realistic to expect him to get back to 2019 levels, he is a much better player than he's been so far in 2020.

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Reset: Sox continue to win but offensive struggles remain a growing concern



The Red Sox put together another impressive week, sweeping the Giants in a quick two-game set at Oracle Park before taking two of three from Kansas City in Fenway. A 4-1 record is pretty remarkable considering the team failed to score more than three runs in any single game.

This lack of offensive production has been a problem for a few weeks now - ever since Mookie Betts fractured his hand, to be exact. In the 17 games since Betts' injury, the Red Sox have scored four or fewer runs in 11 of them.

This past week they were particularly inept at the plate. In five games, they managed only 14 runs and 36 hits. Of those 36 hits, just eight went for extra-bases, and only two left the ballpark.

With Betts in the lineup, the Red Sox scored 83 runs in 15 games - 5.5 per game. Without Betts, the team has scored just 64 runs in 18 games - 3.5 per game. What's more remarkable, however, is that this lack of offense hasn't cost the team in the standings - they were 11-4 with Betts in the lineup, and they are 15-3 without Betts - despite scoring two less runs per game.

On the year, the team ranks seventh in batting average and ninth in runs scored. The lack of power is a concern, however - the Sox have hit only 31 home runs total, which ranks 26th in the league, and have a slugging percentage of .415, which ranks 10th.

This lack of offense hasn't caught up to the Red Sox in the standings yet - but it will, unless the team starts hitting more consistently.

The week in review

Boston Red Sox at San Francisco Giants
Apr 28, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (22-6)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	2	9	0
San Francisco (16-13)	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	0
W: Barnes (2-0) L: Gott (1-1) S: Watson (2)

Boston Red Sox at San Francisco Giants
Apr 29, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (32-6)	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	3	6	1
San Francisco (16-14)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	2
W: Lakins (3-2) L: Rodriguez (4-2) S: Steckenrider (7)

Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox
May 1, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Kansas City (11-19)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Boston (24-6)	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	x	3	6	1
W: Porcello (7-0) L: Keller (1-4) S: Weber (5)

Royals at Red Sox |
May 2, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Extras	R	H	E
Kansas City (11-20)	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	02	5	9	1
Boston (25-6)	0	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	00	3	6	0
W: Zimmer (1-2) L: Steckenrider (0-2) S: Kimbrel (4)

Royals at Red Sox |
May 3, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Extras	R	H	E
Kansas City (12-20)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	2	7	1
Boston (25-7)	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	3	9	0
W: Weber (2-0) L: Zimmer (1-3)

Three up
1. Rick Porcello: Ho-hum. Another start, another outstanding pitching performance by Porcello. He allowed just two hits in 7 2/3 shutout innings, striking out 10 batters while allowing zero free passes. He's now 7-0 on the year with a ridiculous 0.68 ERA and 0.68 WHIP.

2. Matt Barnes: After a disastrous second-half last year that saw him removed from the playoff roster in the ALCS, and a brutal first appearance this year, Barnes has settled down and looked like the guy that made his first All-Star game with an outstanding first-half in 2019. He picked up a win this week, his second of the year, and has struck out 16 hitters in 11 1/3 innings. His ERA is down to 2.38 as he continues to throw strikes.

3. Travis Lakins: Great rebound start by the rookie who was roughed up last week in Houston. Lakins had the sinker working, allowing just five hits in eight shutout innings. He's now 3-2 on the season with a 2.45 ERA, and has an impressive 27-6 strikeout to walk ratio.

Three down
1. Drew Steckenrider: It seems nearly impossible for Steck to put together two solid outings in a row so far this season. After looking good in picking up his seventh save of the season on Wednesday, Steckenrider took the loss Saturday night by allowing two runs in the top half of the 10th inning. His control once again was the main issue, as he walked two batters, both of whom came around to score.

2. J.D. Martinez' power: Martinez had a particularly rough week as he continues to slump so far in 2020. He went just 4-17 at the plate with zero extra-base hits and only two walks. Martinez' lack of production coincided with the injury to Mookie Betts is the main reason why the Sox are struggling to score runs.

3. Christian Vazquez: 2019 was supposed to be the year that Vazquez took over the number one catching role for good and cemented himself as an everyday starter. Then he made three separate trips to the IL. So it was pushed back to 2020 - but he hasn't delivered. He went just 1-12 this week and is hitting only .205 on the season, with a .293 on-base percentage. Sandy Leon, on the other hand, is hitting .286 with a .390 on-base percentage, and continues to play exceptional defense.



Just wondering...
1. Finally some breathing room... The Yankees maintained a steady pace until this point, but finally gave way this past week, losing four in a row. With just two wins in their last nine games, the Bronx Bombers are now seven games behind the Red Sox for first place in the AL East.

2. Keep the day games coming! The Red Sox have been downright unstoppable in the afternoon so far this year, which is a good thing because they've played half of their games during the day so far. In 17 day games, Boston is a ridiculous 15-2.

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Reset: Sox offense sinks to a new low against A's, but team rallies to sweep Yankees



Finally, the Red Sox offense, or lack thereof, caught up them this past week. For weeks the team has struggled to consistently knock out hits and plate runs, but it hasn't cost them in the standings due to their outstanding pitching.

It did against Oakland.

The Sox managed just two runs in their four game series, losing three of four. The most shocking thing about that may be that they were even able to win a game.

This set the stage for a weekend series in New York with the Yankees set to make up some ground in the standings. It didn't happen.

The Sox responded in a big way in the Bronx, sweeping the Yankees thanks once again to some great pitching (they allowed just nine runs in three games) and some timely hitting, including a two home run, five RBI game by Jose Martinez.

The sweep improves the Red Sox record to an impressive 30-10 so far, and, more importantly, increases their AL East division lead over the Yankees to 7.5 games.

The Red Sox may need to make some moves sooner rather than later when it comes to addressing their slumping offense - but it's hard to make adjustments when you have a win percentage of .750.

The week in review

Oakland Athletics at Boston Red Sox
May 4, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Oakland (15-21)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	0
Boston (26-7)	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	x	1	3	0
W: Eovaldi (3-1) L: Mengden (2-5) S: Brasier (1)

Oakland Athletics at Boston Red Sox
May 5, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Oakland (15-22)	0	0	3	2	0	0	2	1	0	8	16	0
Boston (27-7)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	0
W: Blackburn (3-2) L: Lakins (3-3)

Oakland Athletics at Boston Red Sox
May 6, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Oakland (16-22)	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	8	0
Boston (27-8)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	1
W: Luzardo (4-4) L: Porcello (7-1)

Oakland Athletics at Boston Red Sox
May 7, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Oakland (17-22)	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	3	5	12	1
Boston (27-9)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	6	1
W: Montas (2-6) L: Hudson (1-1) S: Treinen (10)

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
May 8, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (27-10)	0	0	1	0	0	1	4	1	0	7	12	0
New York (23-15)	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	8	1
W: Rodriguez (3-1) L: Montgomery (4-3)

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
May 9, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (28-10)	3	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	0	7	10	0
New York (23-16)	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	5	9	1
W: Eovaldi (4-1) L: Happ (2-5) S: Weber (6)

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees
May 10, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston (29-10)	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	2	0	4	6	0
New York (23-17)	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	1
W: Lakins (4-3) L: Kahnle (0-1) S: Watson (3)

Three up
1. Xander Bogaerts vs Yankees: With Mookie Betts out and J.D. Martinez playing some of the worst baseball of his career (more on that later), the Red Sox needed Bogaerts to step up and lead the way offensively. He did that over the weekend. In three games against the Yankees, the X Man hit .500 with four runs scored, four RBI, and two stolen bases. He also made several outstanding plays in the field.

2. Andrew Benintendi hitting leadoff: Alex Cora held off for as long as he could, but he needed to make an adjustment to the lineup after a horrendous showing against the Athletics. Benintendi spent most of last season hitting leadoff, and Cora went back to that formula over the weekend. It worked. Benny only went 3-12 overall, but scored two runs, drove in two more, and stole a base, helping spark an offense that desperately needed a kick in the pants.

3. Travis Lakins vs Yankees: Lakins was brutal on Tuesday against the Athletics, allowing eight hits and five runs in just four innings of work, suffering his third loss of the season. Things got off to a bad start on Sunday against the Yankees, his first career appearance in New York, as he allowed two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The rookie rebounded, however, with six scoreless, allowing just two hits after giving up three in the first. With the win, Lakins is now 4-3 on the season, and has an impressive 2.48 FIP.

Three down
1. Offense vs Oakland: The entire lineup gets an F here. In four games against Oakland, the Sox managed just two runs and 21 hits. The mots shocking stat? All 21 hits were singles. That's right - not a single hitter even reached second base out of the batter's box, let alone hit one out of the park. The team also struck out 27 times compared to just nine walks, and hit into three double plays.

2. Rick Porcello's first loss: It had to come eventually, but Porcello's undefeated season ended this week when the Sox failed to score a run against the Athletics. Porcello was good, as per usual - he allowed two runs in seven innings and struck out nine batters - but the team managed only four hits and didn't get a runner in scoring position once in the ballgame.

3. J.D. Martinez: The 2019 MVP and Triple Crown winner is a mess at the plate. Against the Athletics, he went just 1-14. Perhaps this is somewhat forgivable, because the entire team struggled that series. The team responded against the Yankees but Martinez did not - he went just 1-7, and was actually given the day off Sunday to regroup. Hopefully that will spark something in the slugger.



Just wondering...
1. Time for a bench shakeup? The Red Sox were extremely excited about their rebuilt bench coming into the season, but that can no longer be the case. The injury to Mookie Betts has forced Jose Martinez to become an everyday player. He's responded well, but the bench has suffered for it. Tetsuto Yamada is hitting just .224 with a .582 OPS, David Freese is hitting .239 with a .655 OPS, and Mike Yastrzemski is hitting .158 with a .431 OPS. Considering the team has Brock Holt (.333, 1.066 OPS), Jarren Duran (.291, .832 OPS) and Steve Pearce (.302, .793 OPS) tearing it up at AAA, it may be time for a shakeup.

2. How long will the team stick with Dakota Hudson? The injury to Chris Sale and injury plus struggles of Darwinzon Hernandez forced the Sox to go to Hudson before they wanted to. He's struggled so far in four starts - although he has a 2-2 record, he has a 5.09 ERA and 1.52 WHIP, and has walked 11 batters in 23 innings. Jerad Eickhoff has looked good so far in AAA (2.76 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 33/10 K/B ratio), and could be an option should Hudson continue to struggle.

[TheJoker12]

Red Sox Reset: Best pitching staff in Red Sox history?



Another week, another set of wins for this Red Sox team that continues to put the league on notice in 2020. And it's because of one thing - pitching.

The Red Sox swept the Jays to begin the week, allowing just four runs over the three game series, before rallying from a Friday night loss to take two of three from the Yankees, limiting the Bronx Bombers to just three runs over the weekend.

With pitching this good, it doesn't matter that the Red Sox offense continues to struggle with inconsistency.

Let's look at some stats, with the team's league ranking in brackets:

• ERA - 2.44 (1st)
• Shutouts - 10 (1st)
• Saves - 25 (1st)
• Blown Saves - 2 (3rd)
• Hits allowed - 369 (2nd)
• Home runs allowed - 31 (1st)
• Walks allowed - 89 (1st)
• Strikeouts - 443 (3rd)

In a word - dominant.

Led by Rick Porcello, Nathan Eovaldi, and Eduardo Rodriguez, the rotation has covered for the loss of Chris Sale. The trio have combined to win 17 games and together have a WAR of 5.1 Porcello has been especially good - he's 9-1 with a 1.22 ERA and 0.83 WHIP.

The bullpen, excluding Drew Steckenrider who continues to struggle although was a bit better this past week, has been even better.

Ryan Weber, Ryan Brasier, Tony Watson, Jose Alvarez, Brandon Workman, and Matt Barnes have a combined record of 9-1 and have picked up saves in 18 of 19 opportunities. In 116 innings of work, they have a 1.18 ERA and have struck out 130 batters. The most impressive stats - they've allowed just five home runs and 22 walks.

Pitching is the reason the Sox currently sit at 35-11, and already have a comfortable nine game lead over the Yankees in the AL East - a comfort they were never afforded last year as they battled right down to the end with New York and Tampa Bay.

This likely cannot last - their 2.44 team ERA is the lowest total since 1918, when the game was almost like a different sport. Still, the return of Chris Sale should boost an already strong rotation, and if Steckenrider can start to turn it around, it's hard to see this staff getting significantly worse any time soon.

The week in review

Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox
May 11, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Toronto (19-22)	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	9	0
Boston (30-10)	0	0	1	1	0	3	0	0	x	5	14	1
W: Porcello (8-1) L: Sanchez (3-4) S: Watson (4)

Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox
May 12, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Toronto (19-23)	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	0
Boston (31-10)	0	0	1	0	1	0	5	1	x	8	11	0
W: Alvarez (1-0) L: Borucki (2-6)

Toronto Blue Jays at Boston Red Sox
May 13, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Toronto (19-24)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0
Boston (32-10)	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	x	2	12	0
W: Rodriguez (4-1) L: Thornton (3-3) S: Weber (7)

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
May 15, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York (25-18)	0	2	2	0	0	0	0	1	0	5	10	0
Boston (33-10)	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	3	7	0
W: Montgomery (5-3) L: Eovaldi (4-2) S: Chapman (14)

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
May 16, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York (26-18)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	6	1
Boston (33-11)	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	x	2	9	0
W: Lakins (5-3) L: Happ (2-6) S: Watson (5)

New York Yankees at Boston Red Sox
May 17, 2020	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York (26-19)	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	9	0
Boston (34-11)	0	2	1	0	0	0	2	0	x	5	9	2
W: Porcello (9-1) L: Severino (3-3) S: Weber (8)

Three up
1. Tetsuto Yamada: We talked last week about a potential bench shake up, and we mentioned that Yamada could be one of the victims due to his struggles so far this season. Maybe he read the article. Yamada was outstanding this week, driving in six runs and scoring five himself. He also hit a home run and stole a base, and started five of the six games at three different positions. This is the Yamada the Sox were hoping for when they signed him from Japan in the offseason.

2. Rick Porcello: This guy could be on this list every week - that's how good he's been. After suffering his first loss of the season against last week, Porcello rebounded with two wins over the Jays and Yankees. Although he was a little more hittable - he allowed 16 hits in 14 innings of work - he's still pounding the strike zone, as he walked just one batter and struck out 14.

3. J.D. Martinez: Finally, some life from the slugger and 2019 MVP. Martinez was 12-20 this past week with a home run, four RBI and four runs scored. Perhaps most encouraging, however, was the fact that he took five walks and only struck out once - a sign that he may be starting to see the ball a bit better.

Three down
1. Michael Chavis: Alex Cora and the rest of the Red Sox coaching staff were extremely excited to have Chavis' bat in the lineup on a daily basis after switching him to first this offseason. It hasn't paid off so far. Chavis didn't have a great week - he went just 3-13 with a run scored - and is hitting only .215 on the season with a weak .322 slugging percentage and .604 OPS.

2. Dakota Hudson: Hudson wasn't awful on Tuesday, and the Sox were able to eventually win the game, but the righty couldn't make it through five innings and struggled with control, allowing six hits and three walks in just over four innings of work.

3. The Blue Jays vs the Red Sox: If you take out the games against the Red Sox this season, the Jays actually haven't been that bad, as they currently sit just under .500. Unfortunately, they are 1-8 against the Sox, and have scored more than two runs in only two of those nine games.



Just wondering...
1. Sick of the Blue Jays yet? If you are a Red Sox fan, the answer should be no, considering how poorly Toronto has played against Boston so far this season (and dating back to June of 2019). They get four more games against the Jays this week, which means in just over a month and a half of baseball, the Red Sox and Jays will have played 13 times - remarkable, considering the team has yet to face the Rays so far in 2020.

2. AL East almost over? Of course it isn't - it's only May 17th. But a nine game lead is hard to overcome. Of course, the Red Sox are no strangers to blowing nine game leads (hello 2011!), and despite the recent success, the Red Sox faithful will always expect the worst. Still, the team is looking pretty good to take home their fifth straight AL East title - the most by any time since the Yankees won nine straight from 1998-2006.

[spursup]

I just skimmed through all the things I missed in this thread the last 2 months. Tough way to end the first season but you're definitely set up well for the rest of the current season with the absolute tear you went on in April. Can't wait to see how the rest of the season sets up!