Right now the Red Sox are poor Ned Umber. Nailed to a wall of poor performances, turned by the Night King of a 6-13 record, and set on fire by Red Sox Nation.
This is not a melodramatic assessment. Check out what David Price, the only starter who has thrown 7 shutout innings this year, has to say:
With that in mind they start a three game series with the division leading Tampa Bay Rays tonight.
They have guys performing like this all over their roster:
Pitching Matchups/Schedule (TV)
4/19 – Eduardo Rodriguez vs Ryan Stanek (NESN)
4/20 – Rick Porcello vs Charlie Morton (NESN)
4/21 – David Price vs Tyler Glasnow (NESN)
Notable Numbers
.1835 This is the career batting average of current Rays regulars against Rodriguez (.184) and Price (.183). This is just another reminder of what the Red Sox starters are capable of if they can get their heads screwed on straight.
The Red Sox have very few at bats against Stanek, but have hit .381 against him. They have a little more history against Charlie Morton, who they’ve hit to a .333 clip.
What To Watch For
Xander Bogaerts will have a lot to do with any success the Sox have this weekend. He’s hitting .500 against Morton in 12 at bats, including a home run, and .381 against Stanek with a triple.
This is a big weekend for the Red Sox, but even more so for Rick Porcello. He’s completely out of sorts, and the Rays have a lot of success against him. He could either spin off into oblivion, or turn his season around.
Sunday’s game could be a great pitching duel. Glasnow comes in with a 4-0 record, 1.13 ERA, and .88 WHIP. Price went 7 innings and allowed no runs his last time out against Baltimore.
Expectations
Another series, another ‘Who can say?‘ History says this is a series win for the Sox. But the reality is the Sox are 6-13, while the Rays are 14-5.
The Red Sox have to snap out of it at some point. Right now they have a 10 game stretch where they play the Rays six times. That’s a real opportunity to change the narrative. It’s also a massive risk where the Night King takes over and the whole team gets traded.
We’ve gone from watching glory, to a Shakespearean tragedy. At least it’s interesting.
Featured image via HBO screen grab.
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