The Boston Red Sox took on the New York Yankees in a two game series played in London. Unfortunately for the Red Sox, they came away losing both games in the series, 17-13 and 12-8 respectively. The end result is obviously not what we wanted as Red Sox fans. But, there were some interesting tidbits picked up along the way. Let’s look at a few takeaways from the Red Sox and Yankees London Series.
Rafael Devers Continues To Hit Well
Rafael Devers continues to prove to everyone that he is for real at the plate. Devers is hitting .322 at the plate with 12 homeruns and 50 RBI’s so far this season. His hot bat continued in the London series. In the first game, Devers went 2-4 with an RBI and a run scored. In the second game, he went 1-5. Granted, the second game isn’t what we are used to seeing this season. But, everyone has an off game. The overall point is that Devers continues to swing the bat well. In a season where the Red Sox have stayed inconsistent, Devers has been a very consistent lineup piece.
Xander Bogaerts Continues To Prove He Should Have Been An All-Star
What more does the MLB have to see to finally put Xander Bogaerts on the American League All-Star team? This is still baffling to me personally. Bogaerts went into the London series and continued to put together a strong first half of 2019. He went 2-6 in the two games with 2 RBI’s. On the season, Bogaerts is hitting .299 with 16 homeruns and 57 RBI’s. He has also played a great shortstop this year. So again, what more does this man have to do to get a bid in the All-Star game? He continues to prove that the contract extension in the off-season was well worth it.
J.D. Martinez Is Starting To Get Hot
One of the guys that gets the Red Sox offense going is J.D. Martinez. Martinez seemed to have found his consistent swing again in London as he was red hot in those two games. In game one, he went 3-5 with an RBI and a run scored. The next day in game two, he went 3-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Hopefully, this is a sign that J.D. Martinez will have a monster second half of the 2019 season.
The Red Sox Can Hit The Yankees Pitching
Keep in mind, it’s not like the Red Sox got creamed in both games. They lost 17-13 and 12-8 in the two games. For those keeping track at home, that’s 21 runs in 18 innings. If you have any pitching at all, you win that series. Everyone knows the Red Sox rotation on paper is a very strong one. The bullpen…that’s another story. But, if the Red Sox pitching can turn a corner, then they know they can keep up with the Yankees offensively.
In Conclusion
You can always take away a positive with losses and there are some good positives in these particular losses. The Red Sox seemed to have found their offense. Their pitching can be better, which is a good sign. Also, last time I checked; there is a whole second half of the season to play. Crazier things have happened, and this Red Sox team is very talented. Don’t be surprised if the Red Sox make a run in the second half of the season, with a few moves to help them along the way.