The Red Sox spent much of June and July looking untouchable, ripping off a 30-5 stretch that put them in a class of their own. But the last week has been a hard reminder that the season can turn fast.
Since Aug. 8, Boston has dropped series to the Athletics, Blue Jays and Pirates, and a team that had not lost three straight series since the start of the year suddenly looks vulnerable.
That skid hasn’t knocked the Red Sox out of the American League race. Boston still owns the second Wild Card spot, and FanGraphs gives the club a 92.4 percent shot at making the postseason.
Even so, the margin for error is shrinking. The Red Sox left 19 men on base and went 6-for-27 with runners in scoring position against the Pirates, the kind of wasted opportunity that can snowball if it keeps happening.
The pressure is only increasing because Baltimore has entered the conversation. The Orioles beat the first-place Rays in three games and have won four of their last five, enough to push themselves into the Wild Card picture alongside Tampa Bay, New York and Boston. It may not sound like a massive surge to Red Sox fans who just watched their team win 15 straight and then nine in a row, but the standings are crowded and every slip matters.
Six teams are within 2.5 games of the third Wild Card spot, so Baltimore doesn’t have a clear runway to Boston. That’s exactly why the Red Sox can’t afford to keep stumbling. If they do, one of those teams could leap past them in a hurry.
Boston’s schedule doesn’t get any softer right away. The Diamondbacks, who have slipped into third place in the National League West, come to Fenway Park for three games, followed by the Giants and Marlins. If the Red Sox can’t clean up the offense and play sharper baseball, that stretch could get uncomfortable in a hurry.
Injuries are part of the problem, too. Masataka Yoshida hurt his leg against the Pirates, while Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten are out. Trevor Story and Roman Anthony are expected back in the coming weeks, and Boston will need that help if it’s going to steady itself and stay ahead in a playoff race that is suddenly getting crowded again.
In Other News...
Red Sox Bullpen Stress Just Forced Another Tough Roster Move
Bostons bullpen has been taxed enough that the Red Sox had to reach back to Triple-A for another arm, turning to Wyatt Olds as the pitching staff continues to absorb the wear of recent exhaustion and injuries. Olds, a Red Sox draft pick from 2021, has earned a quick path to the majors and joins the roster with a chance to help stabilize a relief corps that has been asked to cover plenty of ground.
Olds is lined up to make his major league debut against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a notable moment for a pitcher still taking his first step into MLB. To clear the roster spot, Raymond Burgos was sent back to Triple-A, another sign of how fluid Bostons bullpen picture has become while the team tries to manage bodies and innings at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Face A Jahmai Jones Concern They Didnt Expect
Jahmai Jones had quickly become one of the more intriguing additions to Bostons mix, so his name appearing in the lineup against the Arizona Diamondbacks only to be removed later in the day was a jarring turn. The Red Sox had Jones penciled in before shifting Nick Sogard into the leadoff spot, an unexpected change for a player who had been giving the club something useful since joining the roster.
What makes the situation more notable is the silence around it. Boston has not offered an official explanation for Jones absence, leaving open the possibility of an injury issue or some other roster-related adjustment, and that uncertainty is the part worth watching as the Red Sox move forward. For a team trying to settle its lineup and keep momentum going, losing a productive piece without clarity is never ideal. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Suddenly Have One Huge Adley Rutschman Concern
Adley Rutschman arrived in Boston with the kind of rsum that usually gives a lineup credibility from the start, and the Red Sox knew they were getting much more than a warm body behind the plate. A three-time All-Star with above-league-average offensive numbers in his past, Rutschman has long been viewed as a catcher whose value comes from both his bat and his steadiness, which is why the early season has felt so jarring while he works back from injury.
The offensive results have not come close to matching that track record, and the concern in Boston is less about one bad week than whether the slow start lingers long enough to matter. Rutschman has said he is focused on sticking with his process and not making drastic changes, which is the right approach on paper, but it also leaves the Red Sox waiting for the version of him they expected to get in the first place. [Read more 🡒]