When we last took an depth look at the Sox they were starting their road to recovery. On May 1st they had gone 8-4 in their last 12 to meet last year’s .667 winning percentage. Since then they’ve gone 8-2. Mash that together and it’s 16-6 since April 19th. That’s a .727 winning percentage for the math geeks out there. Can they keep it going against the 19-21 Rockies?
Pitching Matchups/Schedule (TV)
5/14 – Chris Sale vs Kyle Freeland (NESN)
5/15 – Eduardo Rodriguez vs German Marquez (NESN)
Notable Numbers
+27: That is the Red Sox run differential. On April 19th the Red Sox were 29th (of 30 teams) in baseball in run differential at -42. Now they’re 9th at +27. This team is clicking on all cylinders.
.217: This Rockies batting average on the road this year. That’s the fourth lowest in the league.
What To Watch For
Every Chris Sale start is notable, and this one is no different. The Rockies power bats (Nolan Arenado and Trevor Story) are right handed, and destroy left handed starters (.400 for Arenado, .314 for Story). With the cooler weather, and that kind of right handed power in the lineup, the Rockies will be a challenge. It’s another good test for Sale, despite the Rockies low road average. Sale has a 2.61 ERA over his last five starts. But every start is another step forward or back. A good start would be further encouragement that Sale is back.
Eduardo Rodriguez was celebrated a little too much for finally pitching seven innings in a start for the first time since September 23rd of 2017 his last time out. Will he pull it off in back to back starts? If he does, it could be a harbinger of a true step forward from the mercurial Rodriguez.
Expectations
The Rockies have a lot of potential, and their 10-10 road record is actually an achievement. But the Red Sox are red hot. The Rockies will show better than the reeling Mariners did in the last series, but the Sox should continue to dominate. Expect a brief two game sweep by the Sox before the schedule tightens up in the next couple of weeks.
