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Red Sox Take Two Out Of Three From The Rays

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The Boston Red Sox began a crucial stretch for their potential 2019 postseason run on Monday. They took on the Tampa Bay Rays in a three game set, trying to make up some ground in the American League East. The series is now over, with some good news for all of you Red Sox fans out there. Let’s recap this series, breaking it down game by game.

Game 1: Red Sox 9 Rays 4

The Red Sox came out in game one and flat out punched the Rays in the mouth. This one saw a lot of power out of the Red Sox bats from the start. Rafael Devers kicked off the scoring with a two run RBI double. J.D. Martinez hit a three run home run and led the way with a 2-5 night with four RBI’s. Andrew Benintendi and Sam Travis also hit home runs as part of a seven run third inning that gave way to an easy 9-4 win for the Red Sox. On the mound, Eduardo Rodriguez threw seven shutout innings, giving up two hits, four walks, and six strikeouts on the night. It was safe to say that the Red Sox got off on the right foot in this series after game one.

Game 2: Red Sox 5 Rays 4

This one was not as much of a walk in the park as the first game. The Red Sox had to use all 27 of their offensive outs, and a shaky last half inning in the bottom of the ninth, to come away with a 5-4 victory. Andrew Benintendi led the way with a 2-4 performance with 2 RBI’s. Christian Vazquez found himself hitting a deep home run for his 16th of the season. Chris Sale was on the mound in this one and he looked like the Sale we’re used to seeing. He threw six innings giving up 4 hits, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 10 strikeouts; and still had a no decision. The combination of Brandon Workman and Marcus Walden helped secure a one run victory for the Red Sox. That also secured a series win going into the final game of the series on Wednesday.

Game 3: Rays 3 Red Sox 2 (For Now!)

The “For Now!” part we’ll get to in a second. The Red Sox struck first in this one with a two run single from Rafael Devers in the third inning. Unfortunately, that would be the only scoring the Red Sox could muster in the series finale. Charlie Morton kept the Red Sox off the scoreboard after that, going seven innings with 11 strikeouts to his credit.

Here’s the “For Now!” part. The Rays apparently had 10 players in their lineup, including two pitchers. The Red Sox tried to argue this, which led to a 19 minute delay in the game, with umpires even confused about the move. This game is under protest and some think the Red Sox have a legitimate case here. So we’ll see what happens with that. For now, the Red Sox lose this one 3-2. David Price was the tough luck loser in this one, going six innings and giving up three runs.

In Conclusion

The Red Sox proved they can be better than the Rays. They are one game back of the Rays and can catch them this weekend. The only downside: the Yankees are in town. If the Red Sox can prove that they can beat the Yankees in a series right now, the trade deadline can be extra crucial. Also, there could be another postseason in Boston with a good two months of baseball ahead of them. One series at a time though!

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RED SOX – RAYS SERIES PREVIEW

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Well, that series with the Orioles could not have gone much worse. Coming into the series the Red Sox would have been hoping for a sweep. At the very least they would have been hoping to win the series 2-1. Instead, they lost the series and are now left heading to Tampa in a really tough situation. These next 14 days will shape the Red Sox season, be it for better or worse.

7/22 Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Jalen Beeks (L) 7:00 pm NESN

7/23 Chris Sale vs. Yonny Chirinos (R) 7:05 pm NESN

7/24 David Price vs. Charlie Morton (R) 12:10 pm NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

PITCHERS

All eyes will be firmly on Price after his mini-implosion against the Orioles (4 IP, 6 ER, 2 HR, 4K). In that matchup, he was up against the extremely impressive John Means, and he wilted under the spotlight. Well, that spotlight only gets brighter in this outing as he goes up against the even more impressive Charlie Morton. With an 11-3 record and a 2.61 ERA, Morton is firmly in Cy Young contention.

For his part, Morton is also coming into this game off the back of a tough outing. He took his third loss in his last seven starts against the Yankees, allowing five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. However, the rest of the season has been, for the most part, really good. Out of 21 starts, he has allowed three earned runs or less in 18 of those starts. He had two mixed outings against the Red Sox earlier this season. In Boston, he shut them out through six innings, but in Tampa, he allowed five earned runs in six innings. The Red Sox will be hoping for a repeat of that home performance this time around.

Jalen Beeks should be a familiar face to the Red Sox organization. Having spent the best part of five years in the organisation they should know all about him. This will be just his second major league start, having been a starter throughout the minors, but transitioning to a relief role in 2018. This season he has a 2.78 ERA, with 56 strikeouts in 64 2/3 innings. This season he has gone three or more innings 15 times, over four on six occasions, as long as 6 2/3 on one occasion.

HITTERS

The Rays rank 15th in the league this season in batting average, 12th in OBP, 19th in slugging and 17th in runs scored and home runs. Interestingly they have been slightly better on the road, ranking 17th in batting average, 18th in OBP and home runs, 22 in home runs and 23rd in slugging. This is the best place to pitch against the Rays, and with the Rays coming to Fenway next week the Red Sox need to take advantage.

The Red Sox have been marginally better hitters at home, but it the change is fairly negligible. However, against the Rays they have been somewhat of a disaster this season. In nine games they are hitting .212, with a .345 slugging percentage, eight home runs and 90 strikeouts in 63 innings.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Pitching: The Red Sox once again have three lefties on the mound. The Rays are middle of the league against left-handed pitching, so the Red Sox will be hoping for a successful series. Right now these three pitchers are the best bet the Red Sox have for a playoff series. They also need these three guys to provide the majority of their wins in the coming months. This series is going to tell us a lot about the direction of this team.

Hitting: Let’s take a look at who are the best Red Sox hitters on the road this season. Rafael Devers has 14 of his 20 home runs on the road, while hitting .322 and striking out just 37 times in 205 AB. J.D. Martinez is hitting .301 with nine home runs, and Brock Holt is hitting .328 but with just one home run. In contrast, Jackie Bradley Jr. is hitting a woeful .202 on the road, but does have six of his 11 home runs away from Fenway Park.

EXPECTATIONS

The hope was that the Red Sox would be coming into this series with momentum. Instead, they are coming in off the back of a humiliating loss to one of the worst teams in the Majors. There are not many worse ways to head into a 14 game gauntlet against your two biggest divisional rivals.

It is not an understatement to say that the next fortnight is make or break. At the end of this not only could the Red Sox be out of the divisional race, but they could be in an uphill struggle for the wildcard spots as well. This series is one the Red Sox really need at least two wins from, and one of those wins will need to come off either Charlie Morton or Yonny Chirinos. It will be hard but the Red Sox are defending World Champions and now is the time to show it.

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RED SOX – ORIOLES SERIES PREVIEW

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The Red Sox took care of business against the Toronto Blue Jays. A hiccup in game two of the series cost them a series sweep. Now the Red Sox travel to Baltimore for a three-game series in which they will want to keep up the momentum. That momentum is crucial heading into 14 games against their biggest rivals for the division: the Rays and Yankees.

7/19 David Price vs. John Means (L) 7:05 pm NESN

7/20 Rick Porcello vs. Tom Eshelman (R) 7:05 pm NESN

7/21 Andrew Cashner vs. Asher Wojciechowski (R) 1:05 pm ESPN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

PITCHERS

Cashner will return to the place where he has had plenty of success this season. The right-handed pitcher has a 3.49 ERA in six starts and 36 1/3 innings. In addition, he is 4-0 in those six starts at Camden Yards, and will be looking to add to that for his new team in this series.

John Means has been absolutely incredible this season, with a 2.94 ERA. His performances at home have been slightly better than on the road. In Camden Yards he has a 2.50 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP and 44 strikeouts in 50 1/3 innings. He had a rough time last time out against the Rays, allowing six earned runs, with three home runs. That was as many home runs in one start as he had allowed in the 44 1/3 innings he had pitched at home. Getting a win against Means is not going to be easy.

Both Eshelman and Wojciechowski come into their starts with a relative lack of major league experience this season. Eshelman will be making just his third start, having allowed six earned runs across 10 2/3 innings in two starts against the Rays. After succeeding at Triple-A for the Phillies (2.77 ERA) he has struggled at the same level with the Orioles (4.44 ERA). Wojciechowski will be making the 14th start of his career, with those spread across three major league seasons stretching back to 2015. His 6.49 ERA suggests the Red Sox should be able to have success.

HITTERS

The Orioles have not been great with the bat this season, but their numbers have been slightly better at home. They have scored 12 more runs, have a .009 better batting average, a .031 better ISO, and a wRC+ that is 12 points higher at home than on the road. The numbers are still not incredible, but they are better, and the Red Sox need to be wary that this team can be frisky at home.

We have mentioned the struggles of Andrew Benintendi at times this season, but he has been incredible in one area with the bat. With runners in scoring position, Benintendi has a .342 batting average, with 32 RBI. If we look at clutch situations, such as bases loaded and RISP with two outs, things get even better. In bases-loaded situations he is hitting .625 with 12 RBI in nine PA. With RISP and two outs, he has a .395 batting average and 22 RBI. For a player who is not firing on all cylinders, it is fantastic to see that in clutch situations he is coming up big.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Pitching: So Cashner’s first start as a Red Sox did not go to plan, allowing five earned runs in five innings against the Blue Jays. The Red Sox will be hoping that a return to his old stomping ground can get him firing on all cylinders. They will also be hoping to get Rick Porcello‘s form turned around, as they will need their two right-handed starters firing in the second half.

Hitting: The game with Means on the mound will be tough, but the Red Sox will be hoping to cash in in games two and three. I have highlighted their numbers against right-handed pitchers numerous times this season, and they will need to perform to full expectations against them, as what they might get out of Porcello and Cashner is an unknown at this point.

EXPECTATIONS

The Blue Jays series victory has ensured the Red Sox remain within 10 games of the Yankees, but with no slowing up in New York, they need to keep the pedal to the floor. With 14 games coming up against their biggest rivals in the AL East they need a big series to ensure momentum is behind them.

If the Orioles cause major problems for the Red Sox then they probably do not deserve to be remaining in contention. The Red Sox will be hoping to give Means more headaches in the first game of the series, before going hard after the two righties in the last two games. Hopefully, this can be a series sweep for the Red Sox.

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RED SOX – DODGERS SERIES PREVIEW

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The Red Sox could not have gone into the All-Star break any better. Five wins outs of six against the Blue Jays and Tigers, including a sweep of the Tigers in Detroit. Now the MLB leading Dodgers are coming to town for a three-game series. Can the Red Sox get the second half off to the best possible start?

7/5Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Kenta Maeda (R) 7:10 pm NESN

7/6 David Price vs. Ross Stripling (R) 7:15 pm NESN

7/7 Chris Sale vs. Hyun-Jin Ryu (R) 7:00 pm ESPN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

PITCHERS

Things had been looking up for Sale, but they’ve gone a little awry in the last couple of weeks. His last two starts have seen 10 earned runs allowed in 11 2/3 innings. The worse news is that those starts were against the hardly fearsome offenses of the Blue Jays and White Sox. Now against the very good Los Angeles Dodgers he is going to need to be at his very best.

Hyun-Jin Ryu has been simply incredible this year. He has a 1.73 ERA on the season, with just 21 earned runs allowed. Even more impressive is that seven of those earned runs came in one start in Colorado, leaving just 14 earned runs in 105 innings. Outside of that one start in Colorado, he has a 1.20 ERA this season.

While both Maeda and Stripling have had solid seasons, they have had their issues on the road. 27 of the 40 earned runs allowed by Maeda have come away from Los Angeles, giving him a 5.52 ERA. As for Stripling, he has been marginally better with a 4.28 ERA on the road. Those numbers present a real opportunity for the Red Sox.

HITTERS

I have mentioned numerous times in this article about the Red Sox record against right-handed pitchers, but it bears repeating here. They rank first in the majors in batting average and OBP, second in BB% and OPS, and 10th in ISO. When you have three quality right-handed pitchers on the mound, these impressive numbers become even more important than ever.

It has worked out well for the Red Sox that they have three left-handed starters lined up for this one. The Dodgers rank among the top-five in most hitting categories. However, when left-handed pitchers are on the mound their numbers take a little dip. They rank 11th in batting average, 10th in slugging, and 12th is ISO when lefties are on the mound. Still good, but not as good as when righties are facing them.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Pitching: All eyes will be on the Sale and Ryu game. However for the Red Sox, their focus needs to be on the first two games more than ever. No matter how good Sale is they have to assume that Ryu will win that game. That could pile the pressure on Rodriguez and Sale. It could also relieve the pressure on Sale and we may see his best outing of the season. Either way, this is going to be a fascinating series.

Hitting: After facing a relatively weak pitching group in both the Blue Jays and Tigers, things are about to get very different. All three of the pitchers they face in this series have an ERA under four. The Red Sox hitters are going to have to be at their World Series-winning best to come away from this series with a couple of wins.

EXPECTATIONS

The Red Sox did exactly what they needed to do before the All-Star break, giving them a launchpad for the second half of the season. They are not in the box seat, but they are also not completely out of the picture either.

This series against the Dodgers presents a real opportunity for the Red Sox to lay down a marker. Take two or three of these games off the Dodgers and the Yankees and Rays might just sit up and take notice. It may sound easy on paper, but this will be a tough series for the Red Sox, and they will need to be at their very best to get anything from it.

Why To Be Optimistic About The Red Sox In The Second Half

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The Boston Red Sox are about to embark on the second half of their 2019 season. They currently sit at 49-41, two and a half games back of the Rays, and nine back of the Yankees. A lot of people, including myself, were not overly enthusiastic about the first half of the season. But the second half kicks off officially on Friday when the Red Sox host the Dodgers. Keep in mind, this is a rematch of last year’s World Series match-up. Here are some reasons to be optimistic about the second half of the season.

Rafael Devers

First things first, can we acknowledge what a season Rafael Devers has had? Now, can we all agree that he should have been in the All-Star Game? We all can agree? Okay good, moving on!

Rafael Devers had one of the best first halves on the Red Sox by far. He is currently hitting for a .324 average ,along with 16 home runs and 62 RBI’s. If that doesn’t impress you, he also has 69 runs scored, along with a .923 OPS. Devers has been a man on a mission in the first half of the season. Now he just needs to keep up his hot hitting in the second half to give the Red Sox a chance of contending.

David Price

David. Price. Is. GOOD. Let’s end any debate of that now. While other Red Sox arms such as Chris Sale and Rick Porcello struggled in the first half, Price excelled. He was the Red Sox most consistent starter, and continuously pitched deep into his starts when they needed him. The numbers don’t exactly wow you, but they make you nod your head in approval. Price is currently 7-2 with a 3.24 ERA. In 83 and 1/3 innings he has 95 strikeouts, so just above one an inning. A lot of people were skeptical of Price in his first few seasons in Boston. But last year from the All-Star break until now he has now put the past behind him. If Price can continue his consistency in the second half, and the other starters improve, the rest of the MLB needs to look out.

Christian Vazquez

Nobody has really talked about Christian Vazquez in the first half. The Red Sox catcher has swung the bat very well so far this season. He is hitting .299 with 14 home runs and 41 RBIs (both career highs). We all knew Vazquez was an above average defensive catcher. But the hitting side of things was always Vazquez’s biggest question mark. He has certainly proved a lot of people wrong this season. If he keeps this pace up, maybe the demands for Sandy Leon will decrease.

In Conclusion

The Red Sox are in a better spot than we all think. They have had it all in the first half of the season. There’s been the rising star (Devers), the veteran making a statement (Price), and the surprise of the year (Vazquez), with the second half of the season yet to start. Are the Red Sox perfect? Not even close! No MLB team is perfect in all aspects of the game. But, do they have the pieces that can help them make a second half run? Definitely! 72 games remain, let’s see what this Red Sox team has in store for us.

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RED SOX – TIGERS SERIES PREVIEW

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The Red Sox just about snuck out of Toronto with two wins from their three-game series. Now they turn their attentions to their visit to Detroit, in their final series before the All-Star break.

7/5 Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Gregory Soto (L) 7:10 pm NESN

7/6 Rick Porcello vs. Jordan Zimmermann (R) 4:10 pm NESN

7/7 David Price vs. TBD 1:10 pm NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

PITCHERS

In order to try and make a positive out of what happened with Rick Porcello in London; at least he is well-rested. Porcello allowed six runs in the first innings on Saturday and did not make it out of the first inning. However, he only threw 33 pitches, so will come into this game in a slightly different situation to what the Red Sox will have expected. However, in his career he has been better in the second half of the season, starting with July. In June he has a career 5.06 ERA, but in July that drops by over a run to 3.97 in July. Let’s hope that trend continues in this series.

Jordan Zimmermann’s season has been a weird one. In his first two starts of the season, he allowed just two earned runs in 13 2/3 innings, with the Tigers picking up wins in both. Since then he has allowed 26 earned runs in 31 2/3 innings, and the Tigers have not won a single one of those games.

Gregory Soto has not had a great season, with an 8.83 ERA. He has allowed less than three earned runs in just two of his six outings this season. That comes despite having never gone more than four innings in any single outing. The Tigers have won just two games that Soto has featured in, but he has only figured in the result twice, taking two losses in his first two appearances.

HITTERS

The Red Sox offense has been slowly heating up in the last month. Over the last 28 days, they are hitting .294 with a .502 slugging percentage and a .857 OPS. In the last 14 days that rises to .315/.538/.905, and in the last seven days it has risen to .332/.596/.971. Now they can look to finish the first half on a high.

Detroit has really struggled at home this season, with a league-worst 68 wRC+, 3rd worst .229 batting average and .130 ISO, as well as a 4th worst 25.2 K%. They have hit just a paltry 26 home runs this season, and scored just 134 runs in Detroit. Both of those numbers are the worst in the league, below even the Marlins and Giants.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Pitching: This combination is likely to be the three that make up the middle of any playoff series if the Red Sox get to that point. If they are going to have any chance in a playoff series they need to dominate teams like the Tigers.

Hitting: Since the 14th of June the Red Sox have scored five or more runs in a game in 10 of their 14 games. The problem has been that they have only won six of those 10 games. This offense needs to continue to hit through their pitching woes, and this series offers the perfect opportunity to pile up the runs again.

EXPECTATIONS

The Red Sox won two games in their last series and gained precisely zero ground on the Yankees, who also took two of their three games. The Red Sox need to be perfect against these bottom-dwelling teams if they are to stay in touch with the Yankees. Ultimately, any shot they have at the division will come down to beating the Yankees in future series. However, winning these series convincingly will help take the pressure off those series.

The first two games should be games where the Red Sox hitters can cash in big-time against pitchers who are not having a great time of it. If they go into Sunday’s game having won the first two they will have their best pitcher of the three on the mound to close out the series. Win all three of these and things will look a lot rosier with the Red Sox potentially inside double-digit games behind the Yankees.

Red Sox-White Sox Series Recap

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Another series has come and gone for the Boston Red Sox. The Red Sox played the Chicago White Sox in a three game series at Fenway Park before taking off to London to play the Yankees. Boston came away with a two out of three series win over the A.L. Central White Sox. Here is a recap of the whole series.

Monday Night: Red Sox 6 White Sox 5

The Red Sox found a way to win on Monday night. They survived game one of the series with a 6-5 win over the White Sox. Marco Hernandez was the hero as he hit an infield single to shortstop to drive home the game winning run. Eduardo Nunez and Andrew Benintendi led the way offensively for the Red Sox as they had two hits a piece.

On the pitching side, Eduardo Rodriguez got the start and pitched adequately. He finished the night throwing 6 and 1/3 innings while giving up six hits, five earned runs, two walks, and four strikeouts. The impressive part of this game was the bullpen. The bullpen combined to give up 0 earned runs while giving up two hits, two walks, and had six strikeouts in 2 and 2/3 innings. Credit to the Red Sox bullpen for getting the Red Sox the opening win of the series!

Tuesday Night: Red Sox 6 White Sox 3

In the second game of the three game series, the Red Sox found themselves as winners once again. They came away with a 6-3 over the White Sox in what was a convincing win. Offensively in this one, it was the Rafael Devers show. Devers finished the game going 4-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Xander Bogaerts had a two run homerun in this game as well.

David Price got the start in this one and he continued to dominate as he has the whole season. Price went 6 innings. He gave up two earned runs on eight hits while also compiling nine strikeouts on the night. The bullpen once again did a fantastic job closing this game out. The combination of Matt Barnes, Ryan Brasier, and Brandon Workman gave up no runs, with two hits, one walk, and six strikeouts to their credit. This was another complete effort for the Red Sox to win game two of the series and ultimately win the series as well.

Wednesday Afternoon: White Sox 8 Red Sox 7

The Red Sox tried to finish off the sweep of the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately, they fell just a little bit short. The Red Sox ended up losing the series finale by a score of 8-7. The White Sox were able to pull through, thanks to a Jose Abreu two run homerun off of Matt Barnes in the top of the ninth inning.

Offensively, the lineup was pretty balanced in this one. Rafael Devers had three more hits. Xander Bogaerts had two hits of his own, including a go ahead single in the bottom of the eighth inning to put the Red Sox up 7-6. J.D. Martinez, Michael Chavis, and Jackie Bradley Jr. also had two hits a piece during the game.

For the pitching staff, Chris Sale had the start in this one. He gave up five runs on six hits, while striking out 10. Steven Wright made his 2019 debut and had a strikeout in one inning of work. Matt Barnes was the losing pitcher in this one as he gave up two runs on three hits.

In Conclusion

The Red Sox should have realistically swept this series. But, two out of three is always successful. Now, the Red Sox get to play in London for an upcoming two game series against the Yankees. Salvage a split or even sweep of the brief series and come back to the states ready to close out the first half of the season on a positive note!

This Upcoming White Sox Series Is Huge For The Red Sox

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The Boston Red Sox are coming off of a rather disappointing series with the Toronto Blue Jays. They lost two out of three at home and continue to underachieve so far this 2019 season. But fear not Red Sox fans, there is still plenty of time left to get back into the divisional race! The Red Sox welcome the Chicago White Sox to Fenway Park for a three game series, starting today. But, what people do not realize is that this series is huge for the Red Sox for multiple reasons.

They Are Under .500 At Home Right Now

You read that correctly. The Red Sox currently sit under .500 at home, with an 18-19 record at Fenway Park. The obvious reason for this series being crucial is to get the Red Sox back to .500 or better at home. Red Sox fans know with this team that they play much better at home, historically. With the green monster at their disposal, they can use it for more extra base hits which will lead to more runs, which then leads to more wins. What a concept! But on a serious note, the Red Sox could use a sweep of the White Sox to get themselves back on track when they play at home.

They Have Most Of Their Top Starters For This Series

The Red Sox starters favor the White Sox starters throughout the whole series, with the exception of Lucas Giolito. The Red Sox get to see Giolito tonight while they counter with Eduardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez has done well lately as he has averaged seven innings in his past two starts. He is also 3-1 with a 4.00 ERA in six starts at Fenway this season. This season, Giolito has a 10-2 record with a 2.74 ERA. In other words, he’s a stud. It looks tough on paper for tonight, but it’s baseball; anything can happen in this game. The rest of the series, you have David Price and Chris Sale to close out the series. Price has been consistent throughout the season so far. Sale has found his form lately. However, he has not won a start at Fenway this season. Their better pitchers are throwing in this series. Therefore, the Red Sox should win at least two out of three.

The Red Sox Go To London Right After

After the White Sox series, the Red Sox hop on a plane to go to London to take on the Yankees for a two game set. Between the flight, time differences, and everything else in between, the Red Sox might not play their best games. That’s another reason why they need to play so well at Fenway these next three days. Win the series, get some momentum back, and do your best to split or even sweep the series against the Yankees. We know the Red Sox can do it, now they just have to execute.

In Conclusion

The Red Sox need a spark and this could be it. By beating the White Sox handily at Fenway, it can hopefully get them some momentum as the first half of the season winds down. The White Sox are not like the Yankees, Astros, or Indians. They are a team that the Red Sox should beat with relative ease. Don’t mess around and go get this series win!

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RED SOX – TWINS SERIES PREVIEW

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As we expected the Red Sox enjoyed their trip to Baltimore. The results in Baltimore ensured that whatever happens in this series, they will still be above .500 when they return home. Now they head into Minnesota to face the team with the second best record in the American League.

6/10 Rick Porcello vs. Jose Berrios (R) 8:10 pm NESN

6/11 David Price vs. Michael Pineda (R) 8:10 pm NESN

6/12 Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Kyle Gibson (L) 8:10 pm NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

PITCHERS

I raved about the home ERAs of some of the Red Sox pitchers in a previous preview. Well, the counter to that is some pretty ugly road ERAs, especially for Porcello and Rodriguez. Porcello is the worst of the group, with a 6.37 road ERA, but Rodriguez is close behind with 5.23 road ERA. That is just a small problem when you are heading to face the highest scoring team in the major leagues.

Things have come together for Berrios and Gibson this season. Both have ERA’s below four, and below their career averages. Their numbers have largely been driven by their performances in Minnesota. Berrios has a 2.53 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP at home. As for Gibson, he is even better at home, with 2.70 ERA and an impressive 0.79 WHIP.

The 2019 season has not been as rosy for Pineda, who had an up and down start but has had a relatively consistent spell recently. His season-long ERA is 5.04, and at home, it is up to 5.20. However, the consistency he has shown recently has been impressive. Six of his last seven starts have seen him allow three earned runs. The one exception was last time out against Seattle, when he allowed just one earned run. He will be hoping to take that good run into this start against Boston.

HITTERS

The Twins have some things to shout about offensively this season. They lead the majors in runs, home runs, ISO, batting average and slugging. That is a pretty amazing combination and helps to explain just why they are in control of the AL Central. However, their home form is not that great in comparison. They rank seventh in home runs, 11th in runs and 13th in batting average. If there is a place to face them, then actually, in Minnesota is not a bad option.

The Red Sox started the season with an 11-game road trip. They went 3-8 in that nightmare season opening. Since then things have improved somewhat. The Red Sox are now 22-17 on the road. That is a remarkable turnaround, with a 19-9 record in their last 28 road games. Their offense has been a big part of that, as they rank fifth in runs and home runs, and sixth in batting average away from Fenway. Right now the Red Sox are a team of road warriors

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Pitching: The Baltimore series may have given the Red Sox an option for their fifth starter. However, now they need to sort out starters three and four. As things stand, the Red Sox are looking at a Wildcard berth. And with that, they will need to win on the road to go deep in the playoffs. They cannot afford for two of their starters to be a liability on the road. What better time to prove they have it worked out than in the home of one of the best teams in the American League.

Hitting: After struggling to hit home runs again the Rangers the Red Sox put it right in the first game of the series. In that game alone they hit six home runs. Unfortunately, they followed that up with just one home run in the next two games combined. However, scoring seven runs in one of those games is just as promising as a game full of power. Being able to move men over and drive them in is going to be huge through the rest of the season, and the Sox cannot just rely on the long ball.

EXPECTATIONS

Before the season you would have said it would be disappointing if the Red Sox did not come out of Minnesota with two wins from this series. Now? Frankly, you would be happy just to get away from the Twins with a single win, and your dignity left intact. The sweep in Baltimore has bought the Red Sox some grace, by ensuring that no matter what they will be above .500 when they take on Toronto.

The Twins are a very good baseball team, but their slight Achilles heel has been their home form. Unfortunately, two of the Red Sox pitchers also have a serious issue on the road this season. Right now getting out of here with a single win will be more than good enough. Then they can hope to put the pedal down against the Blue Jays and White Sox in the following week. However, if Price can get the best of Pineda, then just one of Porcello and Rodriguez need a good start to make this a successful series. It will be tough, but imagine the confidence if they do win two or more in this series!

Red Sox

RED SOX – RANGERS SERIES PREVIEW

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The weekend series against the Rays was a progress stopper. After sweeping the Royals last week, the Red Sox lost 3-of-4 in Fenway to drop seven games behind the Yankees and Rays in the division. The upcoming week presents another chance to string together some wins, and that starts with the Rangers in Fenway Park.

6/10 Chris Sale vs. Mike Minor (L) 7:10 pm NESN

6/11 TBD vs. Ariel Jurado (R) 7:10 pm NESN

6/12 Rick Porcello vs. Lance Lynn (R) 7:10 pm NESN

6/13 David Price vs. Adrian Sampson (R) 7:10 pm NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

PITCHERS

Chris Sale threw a three-hit, 12 strikeout shut out in his last start in Kansas City. However, Sale has actually had most of his struggles at home this season. The left-handed pitcher has a 4.45 ERA in 28 1/3 innings at Fenway, compared to just a 3.49 ERA on the road. In contrast, both Rick Porcello and David Price has far superior numbers at home than on the road. If there was any pitcher of the three to bank on to turn their home form around it would be Sale.

Mike Minor is demonstrating the talent that we all knew he had this season. The veteran left-hander has his career derailed by injuries but has fought hard to get himself back on track. This season he has a career-best 2.55 ERA as a starter, striking out 87 in 81 1/3 innings. He has been slightly been more vulnerable on the road, with a 3.00 ERA, and a .310 wOBA.

The Rangers will be using two pitchers in this series who have served time both out of the rotation and the bullpen. Ariel Jurado has also been extremely good this season, both as a starter and a reliever. As a starter, he has a 3.57 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 22 2/3 innings. Adrian Sampson has been less impressive as a starter, with a 4.93 ERA, but has struck out 34 in 38 1/3 innings.

HITTERS

On the road, this season the Rangers have generally hit well. They rank in the top-10/15 of most road statistics. They have not had it all their own way, in fact, they rank second last in the majors in strikeouts on the road, with a 27.5 K%. Their road record is also pretty poor when it comes to results, as they sit just 10-18. This series should present plenty of opportunities for the Red Sox pitchers to rack up the K’s.

The Red Sox are coming off a series in which they averaged just 2.25 runs per game. It is going to be extremely hard to win games scoring that few runs, especially when they did not have to face one of the Rays best pitchers in Charlie Morton. However, the Rays do rank best in the majors when it comes to ERA. The Rangers? They rank seventh, allowing nearly two runs more per nine innings pitched.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

Pitching: The Red Sox will be hoping Sale can continue his good form from last time out. They will also be looking for Porcello and Price to continue their good home form this season. However, question marks remain around the other starter in this series and their bullpen. Depth in starting pitching will likely be important later in the season, and they need their bullpen to hold its own if they are to close the gap and push for this division.

Hitting: You know you have had a bad series at the plate when Jackie Bradley Jr. is the only hitter to clear the fences. The positive is that the Red Sox really need something from JBJ’s bat, but there are more issues in that stat than positives, The Rangers rotation can be got at, and that is just the type of staff the Red Sox need to face right now.

EXPECTATIONS

The Red Sox season just rolls from frustration to frustration. Every time it looks as though they are building some momentum, it gets ripped away with a poor series. That is the case once again after this Rays series. The Red Sox are 34-32 and hovering seven games off the division lead.

There is still a lot of time to go. We have only just clicked through the 62-game mark, leaving over 100 games. In the grand scheme of things a seven game deficit when you consider that is nothing. However, the Rangers are a middle of the pack team. If the Red Sox want to be viewed as more than a middle of a pack team they need to send the Rangers packing with a series defeat.