Tag Archives: AL East

RED SOX – YANKEES SERIES PREVIEW

It was so close to being the perfect series for the Red Sox down in Tampa. After taking the first two games of the series they just failed to pick up the third against Charlie Morton. Officially as of writing that game is under protest, but if I understand the rules correctly the result will stand. Whatever happens with that game, the Red Sox mentally need to move on and be ready for this massive series with the Yankees. Take three of these games and they have a shot in the division. Lose three and it is as good as over as far as the division is concerned.

7/25 Rick Porcello vs. Masahiro Tanaka (R) 7:10 pm NESN

7/26 Andrew Cashner vs. James Paxton (R) 7:10 pm NESN

7/27 Eduardo Rodriguez vs. C.C. Sabathia (L) 4:05 pm NESN

7/28 Chris Sale vs. Domingo German (R) 7:00 pm ESPN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

PITCHERS

The last time we saw Rick Porcello and Masahiro Tanaka face off it were in London and it did not go well in for either. Since that outing, both pitchers have struggled, with Tanaka having a 5.40 ERA and Porcello an 8.64 ERA in their starts since. There is every chance this first game could be high scoring.

Here are this season road ERAs for the Yankees pitchers. Tanaka: 5.40; Paxton: 4.78; German: 5.66; Sabathia: 6.59. The Red Sox should have plenty of opportunities to score runs in this series, and with some of the struggles their pitching staff has had they will need to.

So Cashner is not off to a great start with the Red Sox, having a 7.36 ERA through two starts. It is a small sample size so no need to panic yet, but this will be a tough test. In his career, Cashner has faced off with the Yankees 10 times. Over the course of 10 starts, he has a 2-5 record with a 3.96 ERA. However, in three starts in 2019 he has a 6.19 ERA and an 0-2 record. The Red Sox desperately need him to change that.

HITTERS

After a sluggish start, the Yankees offense has killed it in the last two months. In those first two months, they hit below .260 with a .450 slugging percentage. However, since the start of June, they have hit over .280 with a slugging percentage over .500. Since the All-Star break, they have hit .303 with 24 home runs and a .541 slugging percentage.

The Red Sox have had more success at home than on the road this season. Their batting average at Fenway Park is .277, compared to .267 on the road, with a .475 slugging percentage, compared to .451. They will need to be every bit at their home best if they are to go toe-to-toe with this Yankees offense.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Pitching: This is the ultimate test of this pitching staff. Series like these are where heroes stand up and make themselves known. That is especially the case with arguably the Red Sox three weakest starters on the mound. There is a chance this bullpen will be tested to the max across this series, and how they cope will be very telling.

Hitting: I mentioned the Red Sox starters road ERA above and that will be key for the Red Sox. This season they have been better against relievers than starters, by a fairly significant margin. If they can get on top of the first couple of starters in this series they could do some real damage to this bullpen by the end of the series.

EXPECTATIONS

The Red Sox briefly got themselves tied for second place in the division. However, their loss to the Rays in the final game has left them trailing the Yankees by 11 games. Even if they win this series 3-1 they will only close up two games and just creep back under double-digits.

The Red Sox need to lay down a marker in this series. They will face the Yankees on the road next week and if they can carry a 3-1 or 4-0 victory out of this series then they could spring a real surprise next week. The only way back into this is likely to be small victories but closing up four or six games in these two series would really give them a shot heading into the final third of the season.

RED SOX – YANKEES SERIES PREVIEW

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As we expected, the last week has been a massive test for the Red Sox. Three games in Houston were immediately followed by a three game home stand against the Indians. Unfortunately, they have come away from those six games with a 2-4 record. Things are not about to get much easier as they travel to a Yankees team who are 28-9 in their last 37 games.

5/30 Chris Sale vs. J.A. Happ (L) 7:05 pm NESN

5/31 Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Domingo German (R) 7:05 pm NESN

6/1 Rick Porcello vs. TBD 7:15 pm NESN

6/2 David Price vs. Masahiro Tanaka (R) 2:10 pm ESPN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

PITCHERS

After allowing just an average of three runs per game in Houston, the Red Sox allowed the Indians to score a whopping 26 runs in their three game home stand. Nine of those runs came off stand-in starter Ryan Weber, but the majority of the rest of the damage came off the bullpen. Porcello allowed five runs to score (three earned), with the remaining 12 runs being dealt to the pen. That is a major concern for a Red Sox team who have been fighting to get consistency from their starters for most of this season.

After a rough last two games against the Indians the Yankees need to bounce back immediately. The good news is that Chris Sale has an extremely good history against the Yankees and in Yankee Stadium. In 105 2/3 career innings against the Yankees, he has allowed just 22 earned runs (1.87 ERA). In Yankee Stadium he has a 2.36 ERA in 53 1/3 innings.

Domingo German has been the ace in the pack for the Yankees this season, especially at home, where he has a 1.69 ERA this season. However, he was hit hard by the Kansas City Royals in his last start on the road. German allowed four home runs off him, with seven earned in total. The Red Sox will be hoping they can exploit the same part of his game that the Royal did so capably last time out.

HITTERS

This will be the first time Michael Chavis has faced the Yankees in his young career. The rookie infielder has 10 home runs already this season, to go with a .269 batting average. Chavis has been pretty equal with his home run distribution. Six have come against righties, four against lefties, five at home and five on the road. How he performs in the next four games could give Red Sox fans a glimpse into the character behind the stats.

The Yankees rank sixth in the majors in home runs, seventh in batting average and eighth in slugging percentage. However, they have had some struggles against left-handed pitchers. They rank 21st in batting average, 27th in home runs, and 23rd in slugging percentage. Those are very promising numbers considering the Yankees have three lefties on the mound in this series.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Pitching: The entire equation has switched in the last couple of weeks. It was no long ago we were looking for better performances from the starters. All four starters going in this series allowed three or less earned runs in their last start. However, as I mentioned above the bullpen struggled massively against the Indians. Bullpen performance can be wildly inconsistent, but many felt it was a real weakness for the Red Sox entering the season. It would be great to see some dominant performances from the bullpen in this series. Especially in a stadium where the Red Sox could have potential playoff games.

Hitting: The Red Sox need a few more hitters to step up, especially with Mitch Moreland hitting the IL. Chavis, Bogaerts, Martinez, Devers and Betts are all pulling their weight. Christian Vazquez has been impressive when left-handed pitchers have been on the mound but then there are some question marks. They will want more out of Benintendi and someone to step up and make the gap left by Moreland their role. Whether that is Steve Pearce or someone else it does not matter, but someone needs to step up and fill the gap.

EXPECTATIONS

After a rough week the Red Sox really need to turn it around in New York. The Yankees are currently on a fantastic run of form, but that will just motivate this Red Sox team even more. The positive for the Red Sox is that the Yankees numbers with left-handed pitchers on the mound is significantly less than stellar.

There is no way to look at this other than the Red Sox need to at worst split this series. The Red Sox are 7.5 games behind the Yankees entering this series. Slipping further behind would not be a disaster, but it would be a problem. This Yankees team is missing some key pieces and is still tearing up the diamond. If their stars come back and click, the Red Sox need to be in touching distance to have a real shot.

RED SOX – BLUE JAY SERIES PREVIEW

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Only a second half rally in the final game against the Astros prevented the Red Sox being swept in the last series. With a return trip to Houston at the end of the week, the Red Sox will be hoping to pick up momentum with a series against the struggling Blue Jays

5/20 David Price vs. Edwin Jackson (R) 1:07 pm NESN

5/21 Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Marcus Stroman (R) 7:07 pm NESN

5/22 Rick Porcello vs. Aaron Sanchez (R) 7:07 pm NESN

5/23 Hector Velazquez vs. Ryan Feierabend (L) 7:07 pm NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

PITCHERS

David Price’s return from the injured list is timed perfectly for the Red Sox. His return in the first game of this series gives him a tune up outing before he will be required to pitch in Houston over the weekend. In terms of ERA, Price has been the Red Sox best pitcher this season. In six starts, Price has a 1-2 record, a 3.75 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 36 innings. Additionally, both his FIP and xFIP this season are below his ERA, suggesting he is every bit worth his current numbers.

It has been an interesting season for Marcus Stroman. The Blue Jays pitcher had a strong start to the season. In his first six starts Stroman had a 1.43 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings. However, in May he has struggled, with 13 earned runs allowed in just 20 1/3 innings for a 5.75 ERA with 15 strikeouts.

Aaron Sanchez has had a similar start to the season, with a 2.32 ERA in the first month of the season, and a 6.30 ERA in May. Sanchez left his last start against the Chicago White Sox with a blister on his right middle finger. If he does pitch in this game he could be limited in what he can throw and how he can control the ball.

HITTERS

The Red Sox face three right-handed pitchers again in this series. Mitch Moreland has 12 home runs this season with right-handed pitchers on the mound. Mookie Betts (7) is the only other Red Sox hitter with more than five home runs off right-handed pitchers this season. They account for 19 of the 41 home runs the Red Sox have hit with righties on the mound.

2019 has been a rough season for the Blue Jays at the plate. Over the course of the season they rank in the bottom quarter of the league for most statistics. That includes 26th in OBP and home runs, 27th in runs and batting average, and 28th in slugging percentage.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The Rotation: This series has a lot of interest on the mound for the Red Sox. Firstly, there is the return of Price from injury, who will be looking to get solid innings in in preparation for the trip to Houston. Then the Red Sox hand the ball to their three biggest pitching question marks right now. Rodriguez and Porcello have got their ERAs below five for the first time this season. Thursday’s game sees Velazquez take the ball, after being tagged for five earned by the Astros last time out. The Red Sox will be hoping this group can have a strong outing against a poor Toronto Blue Jays team.

Hitting: It was a slow start to the season for the Red Sox. They ranked 18th in the majors in runs scored, and averaged 4.62 runs per game. In May they rank third with 100 runs at an average of 6.5 runs per game. With the rotation struggling for consistency, the Red Sox need their offense to keep firing.

EXPECTATIONS

Losing at home to the Astros was not ideal by any means. However, the Red Sox were competitive in two of the games, and against the favorites in the AL to make the World Series that is acceptable, if not great. Now they head to the Blue Jays before embarking on a tough stretch of their schedule.

This series is important, not only to win, but to win well. With the Astros, Indians, Yankees and Rays all coming up, the Red Sox need to get some momentum going. The Blue Jays have struggled with the bat this season. Hopefully that means the Red Sox pitchers be able to get some nice outings under their belts. Same goes for the hitters. The Blue Jays have two pitchers on the mound who have struggled in May. Two pitchers will be making just their second starts of the season. This series could be a perfect opportunity for the Red Sox to build some confidence heading into a tough road ahead.

Red Sox – Mariners Series Preview

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It seems a long time ago that the Mariners handed the Red Sox a 3-1 series defeat to open the season. Now over a month later the Mariners comes to face a surging Red Sox. The Sox took their May record to 7-2 and got themselves back to .500 on the season for the first time since the season began.

5/10 Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Erik Swanson (R) 7:10 pm NESN

5/11 Rick Porcello vs. Felix Hernandez (R) 1:05 pm NESN

5/12 Josh Smith vs. Marco Gonzales (L) 1:05 pm NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

The Red Sox face two starting pitchers in Swanson (ERA: 4.94) and Hernandez (ERA: 5.20) who have struggled this season. However, they have had contrasting experiences on the road in 2019. Swanson has a 3.95 ERA on the road, compared to an ERA of 6.16 on the road for Hernandez.

Josh Smith’s first career start for the Red Sox was somewhat of a disaster, as he allowed four earned runs in just 3 1/3 innings. Unfortunately, that is representative of his career as a starter so far. In 41 2/3 innings as a starter, Smith has a 6.48 ERA. However, with David Price and Nathan Eovaldi on the IL, the Red Sox need their 31-year old righty to step up in this start.

This season has been somewhat of a disaster for both Rodriguez and Porcello. However, the shining ray of light in two tough seasons has been their home form. Rodriguez has a 3.63 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 17 1/3 inning in Fenway Park this season. Similarly, Porcello has 3.00 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 18 innings.

Over 20 career games “King Felix” has been a thorn in the Red Sox side. There have been a handful of occasions where the Red Sox got to him in his career, but for the large part he has been very impressive. Hernandez is no longer the pitcher he once was, but the Red Sox should still be wary, as he held them to just two runs in seven innings in his one outing against them last season.

The Red Sox offense stumbled a little in Baltimore, scoring just 11 runs across those three games. However in amongst that there were home runs for Andrew Benintendi (4), J.D. Martinez (5) and Mookie Betts (7). If those three can springboard into a big series against the Mariners, the Red Sox can sail to a plus .500 record for the first time this season.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The Rotation: I think I have mentioned the rotation in every series preview I have done this season. It would be lovely if we could just get some more of these question marks answered. The ace in the pack, Chris Sale, has calmed any fears. But now we need Porcello or Rodriguez to step up. Frankly, anything we get from Smith and Hector Velasquez is a major bonus, but for this team to continue this momentum the current #2 and #3 guys in this rotation have to step up.

Hitting: It might be time to start worrying about Jackie Bradley. His batting average is a woeful .142, and he has just three extra base hits in 123 plate appearances. On the bright side, he has stolen three bases, and his defense is a long way from being a liability. However, he is one of three hitters on the current 25-man roster with a batting average below .200, and this is the time of the season where that becomes a major concern.

EXPECTATIONS

A little hiccup in game two against the Orioles could not stop the Red Sox getting to .500 for the first time since Opening Day. However, they remain five games behind the impressive Rays, and are still 3.5 games behind a banged up Yankees squad. This series against a Mariners team flailing at 2-7 in May gives them the perfect opportunity to try and make a dent in the lead of those two teams.

The threat from the Mariners is their hitting. They rank first in both runs scored and home runs, as well as third in slugging percentage. However, their rotation is not great, and this is the weakest part of it. Unfortunately, this is also the weakest part of the Red Sox! This could be a fun high scoring weekend, which hopefully the Red Sox can escape from with a 2-1 record.

RED SOX – ORIOLES PREVIEW

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The Red Sox are 5-1 in May and now head to Baltimore hoping to take advantage of the 12-22 Orioles.

5/6 Josh Smith vs. John Means (L) 7:05pm NESN

5/7 Ryan Weber vs. David Hess (R) 7:05pm NESN

5/8 Chris Sale vs. Andrew Cashner (R) 7:05pm NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

Josh Smith will be making his first start of the season, and just the 10th of his career in the first game of the series. In three Triple-A starts this season he has a 3.78 ERA and has struck out 23 hitters in 16 2/3 innings. However, in his career as a major league starter, he has a 6.10 ERA and just 31 strikeouts in 38 1/3 innings.

Ryan Weber has been called up from Triple-A to take the spot of the injured David Price, who was placed on the disabled list on Monday. Weber has made eight major leagues starts in his career, with a 5.01 ERA. Additionally, in five starts at Triple-A, Weber has a 5.04 ERA this season.

John Means comes into this series with an impressive 2.81 ERA this season. However, as a starter his ERA is 3.70 compared to 1.15 as a reliever. In his last start against the Chicago White Sox he gave up four earned runs in just five innings. Additionally, he has struggled to strike hitters out as a starter, with just 12 strikeouts in 18 innings.

The Red Sox have faced both David Hess and Andrew Cashner earlier in this season. They have a 1-1 record, scoring three earned runs against each starter. The Red Sox hit one home run against each starter in that series. Andrew Benintendi took Hess deep, before Christian Vazquez did the same to Cashner.

In the month of May the Red Sox have scored a whopping 46 runs, averaging 7.67 runs per game. By contrast, in the first 29 games of the season they averaged just 4.46 runs per game.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The Rotation: With Nathan Eovaldi on the shelf for a while longer after elbow surgery, the Red Sox need someone to step up. With David Price being the only regular starter with an ERA under 4.00, the Red Sox desperately need Smith to provide them a solid fifth option. That is especially the case now that Price is on the 10-day IL with elbow inflammation. They do not need him to be great, but they need solid performances.

Hitting: May has been a strong month for the Red Sox, but there is potentially still more to come. J.D. Martinez has just four home runs this season, all off left-handed pitchers. They will also be hoping that Michael Chavis can stay hot, as he has six home runs and 12 walks in 61 plate appearances.

EXPECTATIONS

The Red Sox have battled their way back to a 17-18 record entering this series. They are now just five games behind the Rays and are showing the form that we came to expect from them last season. Against a terrible Orioles team they have a great chance to keep their foot on the accelerator.

The Orioles pitching ranks last in both ERA and batting average against this season. Therefore, the Red Sox can hopefully hit their way past having to use two inexperienced pitchers to open this series. All eyes will then turn to Chris Sale, who has given up just four earned runs in his last three starts. There is a great opportunity here to get out of Camden Yards with another three wins.

RED SOX – ORIOLES SERIES PREVIEW

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This weekend is one of my favorite as a Red Sox fan, culminating in Patriots Day. Hopefully this year, the Patriots Day series can inspire the Red Sox to turn their season around.

PITCHING MATCHUPS/SCHEDULE (TV)

4/12 Eduardo Rodriguez vs. David Hess (R) 7:10pm NESN

4/13 Rick Porcello vs. Andrew Cashner (R) 1:05pm NESN

4/14 David Price vs. John Means (L) 1:05pm NESN

4/15 Chris Sale vs. Dan Straily (R) 11:05am NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

In what is becoming the weekly Chris Sale report, we enter another stage of this saga. Sale’s average fastball velocity was back at 92 mph, after being 89.9 in the previous start in Oakland. The results against Toronto still were not what we want to see, and the fastball still sits a couple of mph below his career average. Let’s see what Monday brings.

The Orioles enter this series after losing their last series 1-3 to the Athletics. Offensively they struggled in the last three games, averaging just 3.33 runs per game. Overall this season the Orioles rank 22nd in OBP, 21st in home runs and 21st in slugging percentage this season.

The Red Sox offense is continuing to heat up over the last few games. Now they face up against an Orioles pitching staff which ranks 29th in ERA, WHIP and batting average against.

None of the pitchers scheduled to start for the Orioles have much history against the Red Sox. The Oriole with the most appearances against the Red Sox is first baseman Chris Davis. In 595 PA against the Red Sox, he owns a .220 batting average, .299 OBP, .393 slugging percentage and 23 home runs.

Mitch Moreland went deep again in the first game of the Blue Jays series. Entering the second game of that series, he leads the Red Sox with four home runs on the season. With another three right-handed pitchers on the slate, he could play a big part once again in this series.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The Bullpen: With a three run lead in the ninth on Tuesday Matt Barnes got the save opportunity, but after giving up a run the save was completed by Colten Brewer. It will be interesting to see who sees the next save opportunity. The smart money is likely on Ryan Brasier, but it is interesting that he did not get a shot on Tuesday.

Starting Pitching: There are still a lot of questions around this rotation, with all five starters having an ERA over five right now. After six games against the relatively slow starting Blue Jays and Orioles it would be good to see the rotation show some promising signs. Hector Velazquez was interesting in his spot start and could have a shot at the rotation if these struggles continue.

EXPECTATIONS

If the Red Sox can finish of the Blue Jays series with a win and then sweep the Orioles they could be close to .500. After starting 3-8 on the road, they need to at least win four these six games. They have already lost one, meaning they can only really afford one more loss in this home stand.

If they head into New York next Tuesday much worse than 7-10, then questions are really going to start to be raised. We are by no means too far into the season for this to turnaround. However, losing series to the Orioles and Blue Jays would be pretty concerning for a team with World Series ambitions.

RED SOX – BLUE JAYS SERIES PREVIEW

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The opening road trip from hell is over. Unfortunately, the Red Sox return home from that trip with a 3-8 record. However, they find the Toronto Blue Jays coming to town, who have also had their struggles so far this season.

PITCHING MATCHUPS/SCHEDULE (TV)

4/9 Chris Sale vs. Matt Shoemaker (R) 2:00pm NESN

4/11 Nathan Eovaldi vs. Aaron Sanchez (R) 7:10pm NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

The results were better for Chris Sale in his second start, but the way he got there was concerning. The hope was that Sale could improve on his 92.9 mph average fastball velocity from his first start. However, things actually got worse, as Sale averaged just 89.9 mph in his second start of the season in Oakland. He may have only given up one run, but he also only struck out one, compared to two walks.

The Blue Jays were 0-4 in their last series against the Cleveland Indians, largely thanks to their terrible offense. This season the Blue Jays offense ranks 27th in batting average, 29th in OBP, 27th in runs and 26th in slugging percentage.

The Red Sox offense heated up in their last series against the Diamondbacks, averaging seven runs per game. However, they go up against a team who have been pitching well. The Blue Jays are giving up an average of just 2.75 runs against (3rd) and a .194 batting average against (4th). In addition, they are allowing just 1.05 combined hits and walks per innings pitched. However, their schedule has consisted of the Tiger, Orioles and Indians, so this will be their toughest test to date.

Aaron Sanchez has faced off with the Sox 19 times, 11 times as a starter. In 71 innings against the Red Sox, he has a 4.06 ERA striking out 62 batters and a allowing a 1.282 WHIP. Shoemaker on the other hand has been strong against the Red Sox. He is 2-1, with 16 strikeouts in 15 innings and a 2.93 ERA.

Mitch Moreland is coming off an interesting series in Arizona. The left-handed slugger hit two home runs in nine ABs, but they were also his only two hits of the series. With two right-handed pitchers on the slate for this series, Moreland could be a crucial part of the Red Sox offense as they return home.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The Bullpen: With Craig Kimbrel potentially returning to Fenway for the World Series ring ceremony, the Red Sox come home with a number of question about their bullpen still remaining. Colten Brewer gave up the game losing run on Saturday, before Ryan Brasier got the save on Sunday. Both Brasier and Matt Barnes have been really good this season, with neither giving up a run. However, with the Red Sox having given up so many runs early in games we have not had many chances to see these guys in high leverage situations.

Starting Pitching: After the hitters somewhat came alive in their last series, most of the Red Sox question remain with their pitching. We touched on Sale above, and he remains the biggest one to watch, both in terms of results and velocity. Eovaldi has given up nine earned runs in 10 innings, including four home runs. After a strong finish to last season, the Red Sox will be desperate to see Eovaldi get back on track.

EXPECTATIONS

This was never the way the season was supposed to start. 3-8 is not the end of the world, but it is obviously less than ideal. On the bright side, the team is healthy in the large majority. There are major concerns about the rotation, but we are looking at extremely small sample sizes. Two good starts for any of them and their numbers will look fine, if not back to the way we may have hoped when the season started.

The negatives are clear to see, but the positives should not be overlooked. The Red Sox are just 4.5 games back on the division leading Tampa Bay Rays. They are also just two games behind the Yankees, who have not been great out of the gate and are struggling with injuries. We are less than 7% of the way through the season.

There is a lot of baseball still to play, and one of the toughest parts of the schedule is in the rear view mirror.

RED SOX – ATHLETICS SERIES PREVIEW

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After a mixed opening to the season in Seattle, the Red Sox head to Oakland to continue an 11 game road trip. Here is what to watch out for in this second of three opening road series.

PITCHING MATCHUPS/SCHEDULE (TV)

4/1 David Price vs Aaron Brooks (R) 10:07pm NESN

4/2 Chris Sale vs Mike Fiers (R) 10:07pm NESN

4/3 Nathan Eovaldi vs Marco Estrada (R) 10:07pm NESN

4/4 Eduardo Rodriguez vs Brett Anderson (L) 3:07pm NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

The biggest question mark in this series is going to be Chris Sale’s velocity. Thomas touched on it in his preview last week and his fears were somewhat realized. Sale’s fastball averaged 92.8 mph in Seattle on Opening Day. Last season he averaged below that just twice, the fourth game of the season (90.9) and the last (90.1). Last season on Opening Day his velocity was up at 94.9. If Sale’s velocity is low again in Oakland then serious question marks will start to be raised.

Due to the Opening Series in Japan, Mike Fiers and Marco Estrada will be making their third starts of the season. Fiers has struggled with a 5.00 ERA and a 5.71 FIP across nine innings. Estrada has fared better with a 2.45 ERA in his 11 innings. However, Estrada has managed just four strikeouts, compared to two home runs and has an alarming 5.49 FIP.

After a home run loaded Opening Series in Seattle, the Red Sox will not be pleased to see Khris Davis, who has already hit three home runs this season.

Eduardo Rodriguez will not be pleased to see a right-handed heavy Athletics lineup. He struck out just 24% of right-handed hitters he faced last season, and surrendered a 4.15 xFIP against them.

Expect to see J.D. Martinez have a strong series with three right-handed pitchers on the mound. In 2018, he had a 174 wRC+ against righties. Unusually for right-handed hitters, Martinez was stronger last season against righties than lefties.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The Rotation: With the bullpen likely to remain a question mark until it has completely proven otherwise, a lot of pressure will fall on the rotation. Sale is obviously the biggest question mark but there are also questions surrounding Eovaldi and Rodriguez after their first starts.

Hitting Depth: There are no major worries around the hitters at this early stage. However, Nunez, Holt and Swihart had registered just one hit between them in the Sox first three games. With Dustin Pedroia on the injured list the Red Sox need their hitting depth to help them get off to a strong start.

EXPECTATIONS

Many people saw the Opening Series as a disadvantage to the Athletics and Mariners, due to the amount of travel. However, at this stage of the season it is actually an advantage. Those two teams had to ramp up their season preparation a week earlier than everyone else and are therefore slightly ahead of the rest of the league. Travelling to both of those teams in the first eight days of the season is a tough assignment for the Red Sox. The Sox also come into this game having gone 1-2 on the road in Oakland, and 2-4 overall against them last season.

A three series road trip to start the season is really tough for any team. The pros of it are that it gets some of the travelling out of the way early. However, the Red Sox would ideally want to come out of these first eight games around .500, meaning they will need to at least split this four game series in Oakland.

Its time to give Mookie Betts a 20 year contract.

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There are many great players around Major League baseball. Players of all shapes and sizes. Fast or slow. Sluggers or big on base guys. But there are no players like Markus Lynn Betts. Let me tell you one thing, that man is special. The moment he came up to The Show you knew there was just something special about him. He’s not necessarily that strong or that tall, he’s a smaller guy. He’s not Jose Altuve small, but he’s not a big guy. None of that doesn’t matter for Mookie.

WHY HE’S SO IMPORTANT

Mookie Betts is one of the best athletic guys i’ve ever seen. He plays in the toughest right field in baseball very well. Any ball hit in his general area is an automatic out. He has amazing fielding to go along with his strong arm. Mookie in right field is one of those situations where if he’s not playing, you notice. Don’t get me wrong now, I love JD Martinez to death. But whenever he’s in right instead of Mookie, there are several plays that go down that certainly would have turned out differently with Mookie out there.

Then comes his hitting. Its safe to say Mookie no doubt has the quickest hands in the game. You can’t pitch him inside, because no matter how inside you want to get with him he’s able to hit it. Not only is he able to hit it but he’s able to put the barrel on the ball which makes it extremely hard to jam him. He’s having a career year in 2018 hitting with a .339 batting average and a slashing of .432/.625/1.057 with 30 home runs. He’s also struck out only 86 times, which is one of the lowest in all of baseball. Pretty decent leadoff hitter i’d say.

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THE HUMBLE MAN

One of the things I love most about Betts is how humble he is. The last thing he would ever do is go around bragging about what he does and how good he is. In fact, he does the opposite. In 2016, Mookie Betts was the runner up for MVP. After the year he said that he may never have a year like that again. He caught some fire for that quote because he sounded like he he wasn’t confident. What everyone has learned since is that is just how Mookie is. If he ever talks about himself, its in a bad way. He’s almost too humble.

Betts has hit 30 home runs this year, thats enough for someone to be called a home run hitter, right? Not for Mookie. During the Home Run Derby, Jessica Mendoza asked him if he was a Home Run hitter. He said that he wasn’t and sometimes the ball “just gets out.” Alex Cora said recently during an interview that Mookie always fears he’ll lose his swing and start to struggle at the plate. But he just ends up going out there every night and making hard contact anyway. This is just who Mookie Betts is, someone who realizes that you can struggle at any point and you just have to stay humble.

Mookie’s had some huge At Bat’s this year, including the 13 pitch At bat that would result in a grand slam as you can see above. But on Thursday night in Yankee Stadium, he hit one that will forever be special and amazing. The Red Sox went into New York needing to win just one game in order to clinch the AL East. After falling in the first two games, they were facing a sweep. They were also facing the possibility of not being able to clinch in the bronx, which would be a real bummer. Mookie Betts had other plans.

ENDING THEIR HOPES

He would start off the game with a line shot that was about a couple feet from getting out that would end up being a double. In his next AB, with runners on second and third with 2 out, he would go the other way to drive in both runs to make it 3-0. His next AB would result in yet another double after the Yankees took the lead in the bottom half of the 4th, and would later come into score to cut into their lead and make it 6-5. His moment of the game was yet to come.

After the Red Sox rallied back to not only tie the game but take an 8-6 lead, Aroldis Chapman would come into the game in the top of the 8th. Devers would get a hit and Jackie Bradley would walk to put 2 men on. With 2 outs Mookie would come up to the plate with Devers at second and Bradley on first. Two pitches into the At Bat it would be a 1-1 count. The packed crowd at Yankee Stadium all hoping that Chapman can get out of this, keep the game close and see if the offense has one more rally in them.

Although this division race had been over for a good while now, the Yankees still had something to play for in this series. They were playing to prevent Boston from celebrating the division on their turf. That’s a big deal, and those Yankees players would be lying if they said they didn’t care if the Red Sox celebrated on their field. I know that if the Red Sox were in the Yankees position, the last thing i’d want is for them to clinch at Fenway. You can’t let that happen.

CLINCHING AT YANKEE STADIUM

So this crowd did indeed have something to cheer for. Those hopes were all crushed and the souls were sucked out of every Yankee fan as Mookie Betts would take a 1-1 slider from Aroldis Chapman and send it into the Yankee Stadium night for a 3 run homer extending the lead to 5. Sending all the Yankee fans home and putting the dagger on the division race. Giving the Red Sox their 3rd consecutive AL East title and their 4th in the last 6 years.

https://twitter.com/redsox/status/1042971871984013312?s=21

Mookie Betts is just one very special player that the Red Sox are blessed to have. You better bet they are going to offer him a big contract real soon. If I any say in it, just give Mookie 20 years and be done with it. Sign this man to a lifetime contract.

David Price: Beyond Thunderdome

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Tonight is David Price‘s most important start in a Red Sox uniform to date. Yes, I’m aware he’s started Game 2 of the 2016 ALDS, which should hold that distinction in a vacuum. Tonight feels even more weighty, however. It’s a feeling that has been locked in the moment Ian Kinsler grounded into a game-ending double play Tuesday night.

The Red Sox have another chance to clinch their 4th AL East division title in six seasons (their third in a row), and they have the opportunity to do so for the second time in three years in the House That Jeter Built. Nothing would be sweeter than for Price, who is maligned nearly as much by Yankee fans as he is by his hometown supporters, to land the finishing blow.

Bronx Blues

Price has emerged as the most reliable Red Sox pitcher this year. He’s caught fire in the second half of 2018 after his first two seasons in Boston were both up-and-down (2016) and marred by injury (2017). However, any Price positivity will always be overshadowed by his performance when it counts in October and his reputation of being unable to come through in big games…especially against New York.

He did little to dispel those notions earlier this season. The Yankees knocked him out of the game in the first inning of his third start of 2018, scoring 4 runs on 3 hits before Price left the game with a “tingling sensation” in his left hand. As you can imagine, that didn’t go over so well in Boston.

He took the mound against the Yankees again on July 1st, this time in New York. The Yankees bounced him early yet again. Price allowed 8 runs and 5 HR in 3.1 innings. The 8 runs were a career high and ballooned his career ERA at the new Yankee Stadium to 4.75.

A Shot At Redemption

Since that start, however, Price has been dynamite. He’s toed the rubber 11 times; the Sox are 10-1 in those games. That’s due in large part to their $217 million man. Over that stretch, Price is 6-0 with a 2.22 ERA and an absurd 7.77 K/BB rate. Focusing in further, Price has posted a 1.56 ERA in his last 9 starts, with opponents only hitting .188 against him.

Included in that streak? A 6 inning, 2 earned run performance against the second place Yankees on August 5th in Boston. Price wasn’t necessarily extraordinary in that one. But, he didn’t implode, didn’t get Fortnite Fingers, and gave the Sox a chance to win.

You might expect more out of a guy making $30 million AAV against your biggest rival. However, given Price’s history against the Yankees, it was a step in the right direction.

Tonight, the Murfreesboro, TN native can:

Help the Red Sox win their division, and begin prepping for the playoffs in earnest.
Continue one of the best stretches of his career, with an eye towards carrying it through to October
Conquer the pinstripe-clad demons that have haunted him his entire career in their own backyard

Yeah, I’d say this is about as important as a start can get. That is until the postseason begins.

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