Inconsistent Sox Offense Strikes (Or Doesn't Strike) Again

The Sox went 0 for 13 with runners in scoring position. They lost a series in Fenway to the A's for the first time since 2006.

Will Middlebrooks made his MLB debut and did well. He was 2 for 3 with a walk, a double, and stole a base.

The Sox got their share of baserunners. Brandon McCarthy has given up a lot of hits in each of his starts. But the Sox never got timely hits with runners in scoring position.

It's an inconsistent lineup. The Sox scored 16 runs in this series. That's 5.3 per game. Not bad. But 11 of those runs came in one game. The Sox only managed 5 total runs in the other two. This series has been a trend for the Sox all season long. It's either feast or famine. It's either 3 runs or less, or 9+ runs.

To be fair, Ellsbury and Youkilis are out. That hurts the lineup. Ross, Saltalamacchia, Sweeney, and Aviles have all contributed to the offense, but they shouldn't be relied on to regularly produce. These guys went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position last night.

Guys like Adrian Gonzalez, though, should be counted on to produce.

The Sox welcome the 2nd place Orioles to Fenway Friday night. Jon Lester faces 2-0 Wei-Yin Chen.

Photo Credit:
AP Photo