After a 4 game sweep over the lowly Angels, reality returned to Boston in the form of the New York Yankees. And while some of the few remaining uber-optimists out there might gleam a slice of hope from Sunday's 9-3 win, the fact remains that the Red Sox simply aren't in the Yankees league this season.
The Sox are now 1-8 against the Yankees and Rays. And it's not as if many of these games have been close. And it's not as if the Sox are just one or two adjustments away from being on par with the clubs in New York and St. Petersburg.
Josh Beckett has lousy Aprils. I gave him a pass, but it was only good for one month. It's now well into May, and his 7.46 ERA sounds more like a type of Boeing jet than that of a $17 million/year pitcher.
Then there's all that run prevention. Adrian Beltre is hitting (2/4 with 2 doubles and 2 RBI Sunday night), but he's not fielding. Only the Pirates and Diamondbacks have allowed more runs this season than the Red Sox.
And for every flash of brilliance David Ortiz shows, there's a long pause of darkness and disappointment. He's like Haley's Comet, putting on a great show once and awhile, but for the most part, he doesn't show up. While had had a ground-rule RBI double last night, he's still below the Mendoza Line.
The good news is that Jon Lester has settled down from a struggling start. He's only allowed 3 earned runs in his last 4 starts (27.2 innings, 0.98 ERA), and his last 3 outings have been Quality Starts.
The Sox have a rough stretch ahead of them: 16 straight against teams with winning records, 11 of those on the road, 8 against division leaders, 2 against the Yanks, 3 with the Rays, 2 with the Twins, and 3 in Philly.
Sox host the Jays tonight at 7 on NESN+. Lackey vs. Brandon Morrow, who scored 20 goals for the Dallas Stars this season.
Photo Credit:
Getty Images
No comments:
Post a Comment