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Boston Red Sox World Series Championship Game 5 Recap

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The 2018 World Champion Boston Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 5 and cemented their status as the most dominant team in baseball.

Steve Pearce

This was a win that felt inevitable from the first pitch.  Thanks to World Series MVP Steve Pearce it pretty much was.

Over 3 at bats at the end of game 4 and the beginning of game 5 Pearce was unstoppable.  2 Home Runs, a Double, and 6 RBI.  He threw in another homer in the 8th to put the cherry on top of this Championship.

Turns out that kind of performance puts you shoulder to shoulder with MLB Legends.  Here’s a couple of facts that stand out.

  • Steve Pearce joins Babe Ruth in 1927 and Lou Gehrig in 1928 with at least one home run and three RBI in back to back World Series Games.
  • Pearce, Ruth, and Ted Kluszewski are the only players in history to have a multiple home run game at age 35 or older in the World Series

Pearce told Andrew Benintendi before the series started that he wanted to win World Series MVP so he could go to the owners’ box at a Patriots game and sit with Bob Kraft and Bon Jovi.  Mission accomplished my man.

I thought this World Series would invoke Legends, little did I know Steve Pearce would join them.

David Price

David Price dopped the mic on his postseason failures for all time.  In this game he went 7 plus innings, 1 run, 5 strikeouts.  Doing that on full rest would’ve been beyond outstanding.

But he didn’t just out-duel Clayton Kershaw, he did it on shortest of short rest.  He pitched in 4 out of the 5 World Series games.  In the game he didn’t pitch he warmed up.  On the biggest stage he had the best stretch of his career.

Alex Cora on David Price:  “David loves to be ready to compete on a daily basis.  He enjoys being available, and he was available the whole time.  (He texted) Count on me, use me, he just wanted to compete.”

Chris Sale: “I’m gonna tell my grand kids about (playing with) David Price.”

Here’s some pretty sweet play by play that shows David Price’s joy.

Chris Sale punches out Manny Machado.  More on this in a moment.

Christian Vazquez runs to Chris Sale and look who gets there next.

What a moment for David Price, just look at his face!

Live it up David, you earned it.

Chris Sale

This says it all when it comes to what Chris Sale means to this team.  Look at his teammates as he comes out of the bullpen to start the 9th inning last night.

I didn’t see Craig Kimbrel getting a standing ovation by his teammates coming into any games this post season.

And the way he had Manny Machado flailing on that immaculate slider.  Satisfaction of the highest order.

Alex Cora

All night in the post game it was a Song of Alex Cora from all the players and ownership.  Because he put the players in a position to succeed.  He communicated at an all time level.  He was outstanding at every little thing.

Alex Cora has been the Night’s King since Hardhome: All out aggressive and piling up wins.

He’s pulled all the right levers this postseason and he was on his game last night.

Steve Pearce batting third?  Check.  David Price batting in the top of the eighth?  Check.  Bring in Chris Sale who will probably need surgery next week to close?  Check mate.

He has won the World Series as a player, a bench coach, and now a manager.

Ownership

Take a bow guys.  4 Championships in 14 years.  They cleaned house after last year and chose the right guy in Alex Cora.  These guys are good.

Nathan Eovaldi

A quick word about iron man Nathan Eovaldi.  Take it away John Henry: “I mean he set us up, so that for the next two nights our bullpen was in good shape, and their wasn’t, that was the difference.”

It could be said no Eovaldi, no World Series Championship.

Now it truly is time to party.

Comparing the 2018 Red Sox to the 88 Teams Before Them

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The 2018 Red Sox are not only the team with the best record in baseball, they are the winningest team in franchise history. They have the chance to become the first team to reach 110+ wins since the 2001 Seattle Mariners. That is incredibly special, but many people want to ask: How special is it really?

Everyone can state that 106 wins is a rare feat, and they’re right. However, the numbers pertaining to how good this team is may shock you. Here, the 2018 Red Sox will be analyzed and compared to every single Red Sox team since 1930.

Offense

The 2018 Red Sox have two players who will likely eat up most of this season’s MVP votes in Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez. This team is an offensive catalyst that leads all of baseball in almost every single category. After a power absent offensive season in 2017, this team has transformed itself. One can almost call it mature or seasoned, at this point. Xander Bogaerts will more than likely reach the 100 RBI mark, Mookie will have a 30/30 year and Andrew Benintendi reached his career high in hits. They hit well against everyone, in any venue, and their record proves it.

Credit: Fangraphs (2018)

How Clutch Are They?

The Sox rank 25th in OPS (.787), 16th in wRC+ (109), 50th in batting average (.267), and 25th in runs scored (833). These are not mind-blowing numbers by any means. However, delving deeper into the numbers can show that the team is extremely clutch. In fact, they rank 3rd in a factor that Fangraphs literally calls “Clutch“. Granted, a Red Sox team without David Ortiz will never be as clutch as it could be. This 2018 team is different, and it can finally be said that they no longer need Big Papi in order to find success. On the season, the Red Sox rank first in RBIs which shows how efficient they have been. Not only do they get on base, but they also deliver when there is a chance to bring guys home.

The Red Sox currently have 199 home runs (12th) and will more than likely break the top 10 in franchise history. On the contrary, they walk at a rate of only 8.9, which lands them at the 59th spot. As far as strikeouts go, they rank 3rd highest at a 19.8% rate (which is still good for 5th lowest among teams in 2018). This trend can be attributed to a few things, such as the evolution of baseball or the aggressive hitting style Alex Cora has introduced. Another important asset of this team is the way they steal bases. They steal bases as efficiently as anyone has seen in recent years, even while lacking a true speedster. A 79.47 SB% ranks them first in all of baseball in 2018. The team has finally ditched the “Lead Sox” cliché.

(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Pitching

The 2018 Red Sox are known to have many public opinions about their pitching staff. It seems that one day, the pitchers can do no wrong and the next day, they are the worst pitching staff ever. Many pitchers have had moments of brilliance in this historic season. One could say that the Sox are having a decent season especially when compared to better pitching staffs like the Astros or the Dodgers. Comparing the 2018 Sox to those of season’s past show where this team’s true strength is.

Credit: Fangraphs (2018)

Dominant Outings

A simple comparison to those teams of the last 88 years will reveal that the 2018 Red Sox rank 12th in ERA (3.67), 2nd in strikeouts (1499), 1st in batting average against (.234), 3rd in WHIP (1.24), and 7th in saves (46). The average fan may think that the hitting has been the main reason for success this season, but the pitching is just as important. Having a good pitching staff that limits the opposition is very important. On the contrary, runs win games and having a great offense is key to making a deep playoff push. Having both on the same team in the same season is a deadly combination.

A more analytical viewpoint will show that the Slider has been the most effective pitch for the 2018 Red Sox. They posted a wSL figure of 27.1 and a wFB of 32.1 which is 4th best in the last two decades, for fastballs. They attained an xFIP of 3.92, which coincides with their team ERA and alludes to their defense being a good source of help for the year. Finally, when it comes to SIERA (my favorite pitching stat), the Red Sox have amounted to a figure of 3.73. This basically means that the pitching staff does an above average job at limiting hits and runs scored (they rank 5th out of all teams in 2018).

(Copyright ©2018 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.)

In The End

This team will be looked at as one of the best in Red Sox history. Regardless of if they win a World Series title or not, this shows how far they have come and how much more these kids have to give. Boston is stuck with this core for a while and that should be celebrated for the fact that many teams go decades without witnessing something like this.

@ELJGON

Red Sox Break Franchise Record For Wins In A Season

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Move over Tris Speaker and Smokey Joe Wood, there’s a new Sox sheriff in town.

Boston won its 106th game Monday night, defeating the hapless Orioles 6-2 at Fenway Park. With the win, the 2018 Sox have now won more regular season games than any other team in the franchise’s history. That’s a pretty incredible feat, considering the Red Sox have been around for 118 seasons.

As if breaking a century-plus old record wasn’t enough, the Red Sox also clinched the best record in baseball. Home field advantage: actually good.

Mookie Betts: Award Tour

As has been the case for nearly all of 2018, Boston’s victory was spearheaded by the AL MVP favorite. Betts was electrifying once again, going 2-5 with a 2-run homer and a stolen base.

The dinger was an absolute rocket, and capped off a four-run 2nd inning for the Sox. Orioles starter Dylan Bundy hung a 1-0 breaking ball over the dead-center of the plate, and Betts went windshield-hunting on the Mass Pike:

Getting taken deep is nothing new for Bundy; he’s allowed an MLB-worst 39 big flies this season. As for Betts, he’s certifiably on fire again. He has 10 hits in his last 20 ABs, with 3 HR and 8 doubles. He’s also only one steal away from a 30-30 season. Betts has all but locked up the MVP award with an absolutely stellar year. He leads the majors in batting average and bWAR, and has been the most consistently excellent all-around player in baseball. Betts’ 2018 season is also the best individual Red Sox season (per bWAR) since Pedro Martinez in 2000, and best by a position player since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967. In short, it’s been a historic year, on a historic team.

Eovaldi Makes His Case

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported on Saturday that Nathan Eovaldi had a chance to supplant Eduardo Rodriguez in the playoff rotation. Eovaldi certainly made his case for the 4th spot on Monday night. He allowed only 1 run (while striking out 10 Orioles) over 5 innings of work.

Rodriguez made his first appearance out of the bullpen, as well. He followed up Eovaldi’s start with two shutout innings of his own.

Manager Alex Cora has said who starts Game 4 of the ALDS will be matchup dependent. At this point it makes sense that Eovaldi has closed the gap on Rodriguez. E-Rod has been inconsistent in four starts this month after missing half of July and all of August on the disabled list. He’s posted a 5.79 ERA in his September starts, mixing a pair of solid outings against sub-.500 teams with a pair of poor efforts vs. playoff-bound Houston and New York.

Of course, who is actually slated to start that game could be a moot point. Should the Red Sox sweep (or get swept), or fall into a 2-1 series deficit, we might not see a 4th starter in the ALDS, anyway. Still, it’s a key theme to keep an eye on over the final week of the season.

The Red Sox have made history, and checked all of the boxes that they’ve needed to check this season. They can effectively plan for the postseason, having secured their place at the top of Major League Baseball and as the best regular season Red Sox team in franchise history.

Time will tell whether or not this has any bearing in October, when the records are reset to 0-0 and chaos reigns supreme.

W2W4: Red Sox vs. Astros

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The Red Sox take on the Houston Astros this weekend in a three game set that many believe is an ALCS preview. There will be plenty to take in at Fenway Park over the next few days. Here’s what I’ll be keeping my eye on:

Aces, Charles, You’re Aces

Aces are often the case when top flight teams face off, and there will be some big time pitching matchups worth tuning in for.

Friday night’s tilt features two of the AL’s best: Gerrit Cole and David Price. Cole was a CY Young favorite earlier this season. In his first 10 starts, he went 5-1 with a 1.86 ERA and a .169 batting average against. However, he’s cooled recently. Since the calendar flipped to August, he’s 3-2 with a 4.11 ERA. Conversely, Price is just hitting his stride. The 2012 AL CY Young award winner has been on fire since the All-Star break. He’s shut down opposing bats to the tune of a 1.62 second-half ERA, with an exquisite 6.14 K/BB ratio over his last 7 starts.

Saturday’s matchup is solid as well, with Houston’s Charlie Morton (13-3, 3.13 ERA) facing off against Eduardo Rodriguez (12-3, 3.34 ERA). Both guys are in the midst of career years, and overcoming recent DL stints. This will be Morton’s first start since August 28th, and Rodriguez’s second start since returning from the DL earlier this month. Of course, we all remember how that first start went:

As if that wasn’t enough, Sunday features the two of the last three AL CY Young winners. Rick Porcello is looking to rebound from an especially tough stretch; he’s allowed a HR in 10 of his last 13 starts, and has a 5.21 ERA since June 27th. Dallas Keuchel has been Houston’s 4th best starter, though he’d be a #2 or #3 guy on most clubs. He’s been effective all season long, and will be coming off of a 6 inning, 0 earned-run outing against the Twins on Monday.

Even without Chris Sale and Justin Verlander toeing the rubber, both teams have plenty of starting pitching to keep things interesting all weekend.

Mitchy No Bags

On May 25th, the Red Sox DFA’ed Hanley Ramirez. There were plenty of extenuating factors that went into that roster decision, including first-baseman Mitch Moreland‘s red hot start. It made sense at the time. Moreland was hitting .318/.393/.636 with 8 HR in 122 PA, along with his typically stellar defense. He’s since gone into a tailspin. In 75 games since May 26th, Moreland is only slashing .220/.294/.374 with 7 HR. He’s also 1 for his last 18 at bats.

Moreland is a career .252/.318/.440 hitter, and the totality of his 2018 has reflected that larger sample size. However, considering how hard he faltered in the second half of 2017, Sox fans have reason to worry that they won’t get enough out of a key cog come playoff time. If Moreland is going to get hot again, this weekend would be a good time to start.

Old Dogs, Old Tricks

Second base has been a struggle for the Sox this season. They rank 26th in the majors with a 83 wRC+ at that position. Dustin Pedroia‘s consistent offensive output and strong defense (*cough* Nunez *cough*) has been missed.

The good news? A couple of former All-Stars have made their presence felt at that spot recently. Ian Kinsler and Brandon Phillips may be long in the tooth, but they’re contributing in a big way down the stretch.

Kinsler got off to a slow start this season. But, he began to find a rhythm right before the Red Sox acquired him on July 30th. In 21 games for Boston, he’s hit .310/.355./408 with a 106 OPS+. His slick defense has been a major upgrade, too. Kinsler was 4-11 with 5 RBI in the Red Sox sweep of the Braves earlier this week, including a couple of rare (for him) opposite-field gappers.

Brandon Phillips signed a minor league contract in June, and made his Red Sox debut on Wednesday. His impact was, in a word, immediate:

There’s still about a month until the postseason roster shakes out. But these two former All-Stars have tons to offer the Sox in the here and now. We’ll see if they continue to make the most of their opportunities against the reigning world champs.

This weekend is must watch TV for Red Sox fans. The results may not be predicative of what will happen in October, but they will go a long way towards determining who has the upper hand should we see this matchup again.

 

How the Red Sox are Solving their Injury Problems

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With a fair amount of talent currently on the disabled list, how is this team filling the absences? How are these “role players” preforming under the pressure of expectations from Boston fans and media?

In recent weeks the Red Sox have placed numerous everyday players on the disabled list. The versatility of the bench was questioned, and put to the test. How have these players preformed? What will their roles look like once these players come back from injury at full strength?

The starting rotation

Image result for chris sale

It’s no secret that the starting rotation has taken a beating this season. Despite the pile of injuries it seems like they are pitching better than ever. With Cy Young candidate Chris Sale back on the 10 day disabled list with shoulder inflammation, one man has truly risen to the occasion. Haters rejoice to none other than David Price.

He has been chewed up, spit out, pummeled, and completely shammed by the Boston media and “fans” (bandwagoners we know who you are). In his last 7 starts, he sports a 5-0 record with an incredible 1.50 ERA with 7 walks and 48 strikeouts to mold a 0.88 whip. For a pitcher that everyone likes to use as their punching bag, he’s finally shutting them all up. Once Sale comes back expect him to be the number 2 starter in the rotation.

Another starting pitcher that seems to have been unnoticed is Eduardo Rodriguez. After being on the dl for a while due to an ankle injury. Rodriguez has finally made a few rehab starts. He made a rehab start against the New Hampshire Fisher cats on Monday. He threw 63 pitches (39 for strikes) in four shutout innings, including 8 strikeouts.

A huge contributor in his absence is Brian Johnson. Although his last start was a rocky one, over his last 7 he sports a 3-1 record, with a 4.01 ERA to go along with 11 walks, 33 strikeouts in 33.2 innings pitched. While his numbers don’t justify just how well he has performed in the rotation, expect to see him in a Hector Velazquez role once E-rod comes back.

Infield questions??

With Ian Kinsler being reactivated last Friday, the team had some backups in store. Brock Holt and Eduardo Nunez have stepped up big this season. Holt is hitting a modest .265 with 3 homers and 32 rbi’s in 86 games this season. in his  52 starts coming at second base, he has zero errors (1 all season). He is the definition of a true utility player. He has been one of the few shining stars in that position with Dustin Pedroia still fighting his nagging knee injury.

The other player who has made contributions at second is Eduardo Nunez. The 31-year-old has played 74 games at the position. With a .257 average, 7 homers, 38 rbi’s Nunez has been consistent this season. While he thrives more in the left side of the field, he has been a good player in the lineup. The team also has guys like Brandon Phillips and Tzu-Wei Lin in the minor leagues waiting for their shot.

Christian Vazquez has been working with Sox legend Jason Veritek while recovering from a pinky injury. In the meantime, Sandy Leon and Blake Swihart have played nicely. Leon gets the majority of reps behind the plate. While his offensive numbers are not worth mentioning, his defense stands out. He currently has a catchers ERA of 3.13 in 69 games behind the plate. Along the way he even received a personal endorsement from former CY Young winner Rick Porcello.

Blake Swihart hasn’t seen much time in the majors this season. Most appearances have come from pinch hitting. While he hasn’t been a huge factor this season, he still brings versatility if and when the team calls his name. Truly a team player.

How does this affect the team chemistry moving forward? Will this translate to a deep playoff run? Find out soon!

All stats referenced is from mlb.com.

Red Sox Predicted Playoff Roster

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With the MLB Playoff races still heating up, the Red Sox are guaranteed a spot in the hunt for October.  Who will be on the playoff roster?

While there are 40 games still to be played, the hunt for October glory has already crossed the minds of fans nationwide.  The postseason roster will look very similar to the active roster, but there will be some shake ups in my predictions.

Starting rotation:

1. Chris Sale: The Cy Young award candidate will be the ace of this team in the playoffs. While he has had more rest under new manager Alec Cora, fans hope to see a different Chris Sale than this time last season.

2. Rick Porcello: Probably one of the most underrated players on this team, the former Cy Young award winner has had a phenomenal year. He has had an excellent command of his sinker, and forced more groundball outs than last year.

3. David Price: Although Price has had zero success as a starter in the playoffs throughout his career, this year seems different. Price has been more efficient, and a overall better pitcher than in recent memory.

4.   Nathan Eovaldi: Although he has never been a prime time starting pitcher, he has proven to the Red Sox organization that he is ready to take on a big role throughout the duration of the playoffs. If he can even pitch as well as he has in his first 2 starts, don’t sleep on him.

Bullpen:

Although the bullpen has been under performing lately, they still have more depth than a lot of teams in the league.

Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree, Tyler Thornburg, Ryan Brasier, Joe Kelly, Hector Velasquez, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Craig Kimbrel ( closer).  

These guys have solidified their roles in the bullpen. It would be hard to imagine the team calling up someone from the minors to fill in, besides an injury or two, towards the end of the regular season.

Infield:

(Catchers) Christian Vasquez, Sandy Leon. ( First Base) Mitch Moreland, Steve Pearce. (Second base) Ian Kinsler, Brock Holt, Eduardo Nunez, Blake Swihart. ( Third Base) Rafael Devers, ( same utility guys from second and shortstop.) ( Shortstop) Xander Bogaerts. 

Designated Hitter:

J.d Martinez, ( Pearce and Moreland as rotates) 

Outfield:

Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr, ( Martinez.) 

As previously stated, my prediction looks similar to the current roster (besides a couple of minor tweaks.) What are your thoughts? Comment or simply tweet me @kyle_porch. Follow me and bostonsportsextra to stay in the news with the most up-to-date coverage.

Swihart

Blake Swihart’s Time Is Now

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This is Blake Swihart‘s moment. Granted, it’s a moment that has been 4+ seasons in the making, but it’s here nonetheless. As soon as starting catcher Christian Vazquez headed to the DL with a broken pinkie on July 8th, Red Sox nation turned their eyes to a former top prospect who had fallen on some difficult times.

If Swihart is able to deliver on his initial promise, he could be a difference maker both in the present and the future. If not, it will likely be an end to one of the more frustrating (and strange) Red Sox careers in recent memory.

A Long, Strange Trip

This crossroads has been a long time coming. Swihart was ranked #1 among all Red Sox farmhands by SoxProspects.com as late as April 9, 2015. He headed up a then-stacked minor league system that included names like Yoan Moncada, Henry Owens, Rafael Devers, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Michael Kopech. Swihart made his first start on May 2, and proceeded to slash .274/.319/.392 in 308 PA with below average defense behind the dish.

In 2016, Swihart appeared in only 16 games after defensive issues led to his relinquishing of the starting catcher position to Vazquez. Then-manager John Farrell gave him some run in left field, where he almost immediately suffered a broken ankle. That injury sidelined Swihart for the remainder of the ’16 campaign, and much of 2017 as well. In 71 games at the minor league level last season, Swihart only managed to muster a .210/.291/.306 slash.

This season, Swihart was tried out in the infield during spring training, due to lingering discomfort from that same ankle injury. While he made the 25 man roster in a utility role, he spent much of the early part of the season riding the pine. Things got bad enough that Swihart’s agent requested a trade. However, other teams weren’t exactly lining up for a failed catcher with a sub-.200 batting average.

Now Swihart is sharing catching duties with Sandy Leon, a roundabout way back to where his major league story began.

Red Sox Catching: Not Great!

Swihart’s return behind the plate comes at a time when the Sox are looking for answers there.  Since 2014, Red Sox catchers have slashed only .244/.300/.351. They are 28th in RC+, and 26th in fWAR. This season, Red Sox catchers have posted a 56 wRC+ and a -0.5 fWAR (both 29th in the bigs).

Vazquez and Leon have handled the bulk of the work at that spot for the Sox this year. Neither have an OPS over .650. Leon has also managed to post a 26.7 K%, which is only matched in it’s mediocrity by Vazquez’s .087 ISO.

Granted, catcher isn’t considered a premium offensive position. But for a team with World Series aspirations, those numbers qualify as a black hole.

Swihart Heating Up?

To be fair to Leon and Vazquez, Swihart hasn’t lit the world on fire either. He’s only mustered a .218/.288/.287 line in 111 PA this season. His ISO (.069) is even lower than Vazquez’s, and he’s striking out at almost the same rate as Leon.

However, there have been signs of life. In 23 PA since Vazquez’s injury, Swihart has reached base 10 times. If you extend that window out to June 26, he’s hitting .407/.484/.593. Over that same span, Leon is batting only .218/.283/.382. These are all tiny sample sizes, and drawing lasting conclusions from them can be dangerous. But, there’s evidence that we could be (finally) closing in on a Swihart breakthrough.

Swihart was 1-3 with a walk on Friday night vs. the Twins. His defense was unspectacular, but not detrimental.

At this point, “unspectacular but not detrimental” is all the Red Sox need from their catchers. It’ll be worth seeing whether their former top prospect can provide more than that.

W2W4: Post All-Star Break Edition (@greg_habeeb)

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We’ve officially entered the sports abyss. You know, that 48-hour black hole following the MLB All-Star Game where there are no sports to be found. The World Cup is over. There are no baseball games in sight. NFL training camp is still a ways off. Hell, even the NBA’s Summer League has concluded.

In these dire times, all we can do is lock ourselves in our rooms, and look ahead to what the second half of the Major League season might bring.

Red Sox fans are surely hoping for more of the same. Boston won an MLB record 68 games prior to the break, and hold a 4.5 game lead over the Yankees for first place in the AL East. There should be plenty of intrigue over the season’s final two and a half months. Here are a few key themes for Sox fans to keep an eye on for 2018’s stretch run:

Will Dave Dombrowski Make a Move?

The trade deadline is looming. The Red Sox may be on pace for 112 wins, but they have their share of holes. Three starting pitchers (Drew Pomeranz, Steven Wright, and Eduardo Rodriguez) are on the disabled list. The bullpen, beyond Craig Kimbrel, is “good enough to get by” at best and “heart-attack inducing” the rest of the time. 2nd and 3rd base have been well below average offensively, and a train-wreck defensively (at least when Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez have been in the lineup). The catcher position has been underwhelming as well, though the Sox aren’t alone there.

In short, there’s reason to believe that Boston may try to make an upgrade over the next couple of weeks. The Red Sox have been rumored to be interested in a high-caliber reliever. The Orioles’ Zach Britton could be on the table, and is one big name to watch. Boston has also shown interest in former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi. An augmentation to the pitching staff seems most likely, though whether it’s a major get like Britton or a stopgap solution like Eovaldi remains to be seen. However, don’t sleep on a boost to the lineup as well (The Royals’ Mike Moustakas or Whit Merrifield, anyone?). When you have a first half like the Red Sox did, a big swing is almost always in the works.

Dr. Chris vs. Mr. Sale

The splits are staggering. By almost every metric, Chris Sale is worse in the second half of the season than he is in the first half. For his career, Sale is 69-26 with a 2.66 ERA before the All-Star break, and 32-36 with a 3.28 ERA after it. Last year was no different; after a dominant first half, he showed signs of mortality down the stretch. Everything came to a head in the postseason, when he allowed 9 runs on 13 hits in 9.2 innings over two appearances versus Houston.

Sale will once again be coming off a stellar first half (10-4, 2.23 ERA, 13.1 K/9). We’ll see if he can keep it rolling for the full 162 plus postseason, assuming the Sox make it that far.

Will Jackie Bradley Jr. Get Hot?

JBJ has been nothing short of frustrating this season at the dish. His .210/.297/.345 slash line doesn’t inspire much confidence. Neither does his less-than-robust 73 OPS+. Fortunately for Bradley, his typically excellent defense has managed to keep him in the lineup more often than not.

There are signs that a patented Bradley Jr. hot streak could be around the corner. His .265 BAPIP is its lowest since 2013, despite a career best 38.8 hard-hit percentage (and a career low 9.7 soft-hit percentage). JBJ also showed signs of life towards the end of the first half. In 18 games since June 24th, Bradley is hitting .323//377/.548 with a couple of HR and 15 RBI to boot.

JBJ truly just needs to be mediocre at the plate in order to justify his prescence in the lineup with the way he mans centerfield. However, he’s also capable of going on extreme hot streaks that can buoy an entire offense for a month. Assuming he times that streak right, it could determine the AL East race.

Can Mookie Betts Stay Hot?

Mike Trout is already an all-time great, and the best player in baseball. But Betts has been the top dog this season from the jump. His monster first half (.359/.448/.691 with 23 HR, 18 SB, and a 200 OPS+) has made him the clear AL MVP favorite so far. It has also almost completely erased an underwhelming 2017 season. Check this out:

2016: 158 G, 730 PA, .318/.363/.534, 31 HR, 26 SB, 133 OPS+

2017-18: 231 G, 1067 PA, .295/.379/.534, 33 HR/162, 31 SB/162, 137 OPS+

It truly does feel as though this season is a correction for 2017, and combining both puts him right in line with 2016’s MVP runner-up campaign. The Sox need him to keep that pace, and stay locked in. While the top 5 of the lineup is as formidable of a group as any (Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts, JD Martinez, Mitch Moreland), the bottom part has been suspect to say the least. Boston can’t afford much of a drop-off from their stars, especially Betts.

There’s plenty more to keep an eye on as the Red Sox make their way through the dog days of summer into the fall, of course. But don’t be surprised if these key points loom large through September and October.

Red Sox Interested in Nathan Eovaldi

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It’s July, which means only one thing: Trade SZN. The Red Sox made their fair share of roster moves in June, including signing former All-Star 2B Brandon Phillips to a minor league contract and trading for Steve Pearce. However, Dave Dombrowski has never been shy about shuffling pieces around the board (and across the league), so it’s unlikely the Sox are done tweaking their roster for the summer.

The next shoe to drop could be a move for starting pitching help. The Red Sox were among several teams in attendance for current Rays’ starter Nathan Eovaldi‘s start on Monday, per MLB.com’s Bill Chastain.

Sox fans will remember Eovaldi best during his stint with the Yankees from 2015-16. During that two-year stretch, Eovaldi was 23-11 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.39 WHIP. He missed all of last season after undergoing his second Tommy John’s surgery in August 2016. Eovaldi could represent a low-risk/low-cost rental for teams in need of pitching depth down the stretch.

The Problem

Boston fits that mold perfectly. Chris Sale has been dominant and Rick Porcello has been both consistent and dependable. David Price has shown a tendency to mix strong stretches with complete meltdowns. He is also only a year removed from his own injury issues. Eduardo Rodriguez seems to have righted the ship with Wednesday’s virtuoso performance in Washington. He’s also notoriously inconsistent, and has gone deeper than the 6th inning only twice in his 17 starts this year. Drew Pomeranz and Steven Wright are currently on the disabled list.

Both Wright and Pomeranz are close to returning. Wright is expected back by the All-Star break, and Pomeranz made his first rehab start this week. However, Wright’s knee issues are becoming chronic, and Pomeranz allowed four HRs in Monday’s rehab start. Neither qualify as reliable back-of-the-rotation options.

The Solution

That’s where Eovaldi fits in. He’s posted a 3.92 ERA across seven starts so far this season, with career highs in K/9 (7.6) and K/BB (5.83) ratio. While he’s benefited from good batted ball luck, he’s also had poor home run luck. Opponents are only batting .211 on balls in play, and he’s stranded 79.6% of his runners. However, Eovaldi’s HR/FB rate (21.4%) is higher than ever. In other words, look for both of those numbers to even out a bit as the sample size grows.

Eovaldi’s stuff has remained consistent in his return as well. He still throws gas (avg. four-seam velocity of 97 mph). He’s also mixed in a cutter more frequently than ever. In 2016, only 7.3% of Eovaldi’s pitches were classified as such. That number has climbed all the way up to 25.3% this season. That could partially explain his luck on balls in play. An improved cut-fastball is limiting how much solid contact opposing batters are able to make.

Granted, none of these numbers are exactly eye-popping. But, they are representative of a solid fifth starter who provides depth at the end of the rotation. Eovaldi would come with his own question marks as well; he missed the start of this season with elbow and rib injuries. However, if the price is right, he could be a nice piece to help get the Sox through the dog days of summer.

W2W4: Sox-Yanks Weekend Showdown

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The Rivalry resumes tonight in the Bronx, when the 55-27 Red Sox take on the 52-26 Yankees in a battle for AL East supremacy. As is always the case when these two teams meet, there will be plenty to keep an eye on. Here are a few things to watch for this weekend’s three-game series:

Will Eduardo Rodriguez Rebound?

Rodriguez’s start on Friday night is arguably the most intriguing of the weekend. That’s no small statement, considering Chris Sale and David Price are set to toe the rubber on Saturday and Sunday. The Red Sox are 13-2 in Rodriguez’s 15 starts this season. That’s thanks in large part to run support; Boston is averaging 6.13 runs per E-Rod start.

However, Rodriguez has also been much more consistent than in seasons past. He’s only allowed more than three runs three times this year. One of those times was in his last outing, when the Mariners dealt him his first loss since mid-May (and snapped his six-game winning streak). The Sox will be hoping Rodriguez recovers and can replicate his five-shutout inning performance against the Yankees from May 10th. How he reacts to his last start will will go a long way towards telling us just how much he has matured this year.

Devers Heating Up

On June 5th, Rafael Devers went 0-3 with a strikeout and grounded into a double play. His average dropped to a paltry .223, a total nadir. JD Martinez helped sort out his swing that weekend, and Raffy has been mashing ever since. Devers entered last night hitting .291 with an .802 OPS in his last 20 games. He then proceeded to stay hot in the series finale against the Angels, mashing a solo shot to dead center:

Devers was a surprise spark last season as a rookie, though he’s struggled through a sophomore slump this year. Let’s see if he can keep the good vibes rolling in the House That Jeter Built this weekend.

Will David Price Ever Figure Out That Team in Pinstripes?

Price is on an absolute tear. Since allowing nine runs (seven earned) on May 3rd in Texas, he’s 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA. Part of the reason for his success? Price has been more effective at keeping batters off-balance. In his first seven starts, he used his changeup only 14% of the time vs. left-handed hitters, and 16% of the time vs. right-handed hitters. In his last nine starts, he’s thrown his changeup 27% of the time to lefties, and 20% of the time to righties. The opposition is having trouble making solid contact as a result. Opposing batters have only hit .160 against Price’s fastball and .138 against his sinker during this run.

Of course no matter how hot Price is, the Yankees are an ever-present thorn in his side. Price is 15-12 vs. New York in 38 career starts, but with a 4.67 ERA. Only the Mets, Rangers, and Rockies have given him more trouble, though he’s faced those three clubs a mere total of 19 times. That record includes an April 11th drubbing earlier this year. In that start, Price was shelled for four runs in one inning of work, before leaving due to numbness in his left hand.

Sunday night, under the lights, Price will get another shot at his arch-nemesis, with first place possibly hanging in the balance. Time will tell whether or not he’s up to the task.