The Boston Red Sox spent July looking unstoppable, then hit a rough patch that had plenty of fans sounding the alarm. A 21-4 month, capped by a franchise-tying 15-game winning streak, gave way to five straight losses from Aug. 8-12 against the Athletics and Toronto Blue Jays, plus a series loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
That slide came with some obvious explanations. Injuries, especially in the bullpen, piled up.
The workload started to show. And like every team, Boston had to live through the normal peaks and valleys of a long season.
Still, the panic that followed felt a little over the top.
Now the Red Sox are offering a reminder that the story is not over. They have won five of their last seven games and have taken their last two at home against the Arizona Diamondbacks by a combined score of 20-5.
That doesn’t mean the Red Sox have fully settled in again, but it does mean the recent downturn may have been just that - a downturn. With a little over a month left in the regular season, Boston is 68-58 and still very much in the mix. The club trails the New York Yankees by 2.5 games for the first AL Wild Card spot, sits 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the division race, and leads the Texas Rangers by six games for the third spot.
There are still issues to watch, and most of them center on pitching injuries and workload. Even so, the overall picture looks encouraging, especially with help potentially on the way. Roman Anthony, Garrett Crochet - likely in a reduced role - and Trevor Story could all provide reinforcements soon.
The bigger point is simple: this team is still built to matter in October. Boston has put together something real, and a bad week or two shouldn’t erase that. The Red Sox have the pitching, hitting, and fielding to separate themselves from the pack in the American League, and they’ll be trying to finish strong as they chase their first World Series appearance in eight years.
In Other News...
Rafael Devers Returns To Fenway With Red Sox Fans Still Divided
Rafael Devers is headed back to Fenway Park for the first time since the Red Sox shipped him to San Francisco, and the reaction around Boston is shaping up to be every bit as layered as the breakup itself. The move still hangs over the organization because of the way it unfolded, with reports that some inside the Red Sox viewed Devers as immature and selfish adding another charge to a trade that already split opinion.
Boston has played better since parting ways with its longtime slugger, which only sharpens the debate over what the trade said about the clubhouse, the front office and the clubs long-term direction. A recent look at Giants president Bosey Poseys legacy even took aim at the deal from San Franciscos side, and now Devers Fenway return brings all of those questions back into the same building, with fans likely to greet him in more than one way. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Are Already Waiting On The Deadline Bat They Needed
Several contenders tried to buy a late-summer boost at the trade deadline, but the first wave of returns has been uneven at best. The Yankees and Mariners were hoping their new additions would settle in quickly, while Boston was looking for the same kind of immediate lift from its own deadline bat, a move made with the postseason in mind and a clear need to deepen the lineup.
Instead, the Red Sox are still waiting for that payoff, and the early trouble has only sharpened the risk of the deal. Boston sent left-hander Connelly Early to Washington to get Mead, but the bat the club targeted was slowed almost immediately after arriving, leaving the front office and dugout to keep looking for the impact they expected when they made the move. [Read more 🡒]
Trevor Storys Return Could Force A Big Red Sox Decision
Trevor Story is closing in on a return for the Red Sox, and the timing has started to matter as much as the comeback itself. The shortstop is expected back soon, with Boston still waiting for confirmation on exactly when hell be ready to go after working through his next few days on the schedule.
Story said he will be in Syracuse on Tuesday and Wednesday, then plans to gauge how he feels after Thursdays off day. That leaves the Red Sox in the familiar spot of preparing for a key players return while also weighing what it means for the rest of the roster, with the possibility of a weekend comeback now squarely in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]