The Red Sox: The American League Unfavorables
9/19/2023 By Jules Mazzolini
This past week, the Red Sox hosted the Yankees in a four game series which, due to weather delays, turned into two double-headers on Tuesday and Thursday. They then traveled to Toronto to face the Blue Jays in another American League showdown.
The Red Sox and Yankees arguably hold the biggest rivalry in sports history. With the Yankees being second to last in the American League, the only team that trails is the Red Sox. Going in with something to prove, the Red Sox started Pivetta on the mound. Rafael Devers went for a homerun and Triston Casas went 3 for 4 in a tight game. Despite a clean performance from Pivetta, the Red Sox failed to render up a win, losing three to two.
For game two of the double-header, the Red Sox threw Crawford on the mound to start the game. Pitching about four innings, Crawford walked three and let up three hits. With lack of offense, the Red Sox scored their only run off of Ceddanne Rafaela’s homerun in the first inning. After a run through the bullpen, the Red Sox lost four to one.
In the first game of Thursday’s double-header, the Red Sox shutout the Yankees for a five to zero win. With Tanner Houck to start the game, he recorded seven strikeouts through six innings, as well as only allowing four hits. Trevor Story and Ceddanne Rafaela each recorded a homerun. The Red Sox continued to score with three more runs in the eighth inning. In the high scoring second game, the Red Sox failed to come up with extra runs, and lost eight to five.
The Red Sox are in a rebuild, or at least that’s what Bostonians have been saying since their last World Series in 2018. With new talent, like Triston Casas, and veterans, like Rafael Devers, they have potential to build their bullpen and come back from the bottom of the pack.
Unfortunately, rookie Triston Casas may be out for the rest of the season after being placed on the injured list Monday. It has been reported it is due to “right shoulder inflammation,” according to The Boston Globe. This comes with just twelve games left in the season.
After the upsetting 3-1 series finish with the Yankees, the Red Sox traveled to the Toronto Blue Jays for a three game set. In the first game, the Red Sox were shutout in a 3-0 loss, where they only recorded five hits. With limited depth in the bullpen, the Red Sox stuck to just two pitchers for game one.
The Red Sox also lost game two the next day, 4-3. Rafael Devers went for a homerun, and the Red Sox combined for, once again, five hits. The loss went into their bullpen. After six innings, Chris Sale was taken out despite his ten strikeout performance. The Red Sox went through seven more pitchers through the thirteenth inning, with a walk-off win from the Blue Jays.
The Red Sox went on to lose once more to the Blue Jays, with a narrow 3-2 loss. Tied in the bottom of the ninth, the Blue Jays once again scored on a walk-off hit from Matt Chapman. Another homerun from Rafael Devers did not get the job done.
With the Red Sox nine games behind the Blue Jays, the sweep was not unexpected. In three close games, the Red Sox were outscored by ten points in the series, with two close games and one shutout.
Hopefully the Red Sox can create some motivation for the next season, as their 74-74 record is unsatisfactory to fans. They travel to Texas to face the Rangers for a three game series this week.