Red Sox Win 7 Straight, Look Reinvigorated

 It is uncertain what has happened with this Red Sox team.  For a while there they looked in trouble, with many members of the media all but giving the Yankees the division.  But now, all of a sudden they can hit, their pitching has gelled, and they look vivacious and hungry.  Did Dave Dombrowski’s moves to acquire Eduardo Nunez and Addison Reed do it, has the new youth and talent of Rafael Devers done it, has newfound leadership in the clubhouse post the Price-Eckersley saga been responsible, or maybe shedding Pablo Sandoval has sparked them, but for whatever reason the Sox look good, and I mean real good.  They’re simply a more passionate team, top to bottom.  The lineup that a week ago was deplorably stagnant has suddenly caught fire. At first it was led by the production of just their new guns (Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez).  But during the win streak Andrew Benintendi has picked it up (.471 BA), Xander Bogaerts looks better, (batting .375), Mitch Moreland has chipped in (.294) , and even Chris Young (2 homers and a double Sunday) has been a beast.  An infusion of passion and belief circles this team, and I am liking where it’s headed. I realize they just played the Chicago White Sox for four games, but the two wins over the Indians still resonate, particularly a week ago Tuesday’s walk-off thriller. Then the manner of victory with which the Sox won even Sunday against the White Sox was remarkable.  With Doug Fister on the mound, it stands as an easy day to lose a win streak. After he surrendered 3 runs in the 2nd inning, that is where it looked like they were headed.  But Fister and the Sox banded together, and contributions from Fister himself and an unlikely performance from a role player in Chris Young and others propelled them to victory.

 So the question really is, “Are they just hot or is this success sustainable?” Tuesday the Sox headed on the road, and as Dave O’Brien put it, they had a simply “dominating performance” from Chris Sale (8 IP, 2 hits allowed, 13 K’s, 1 win) and then Craig Kimbrel (1 IP, 3 K’s, 1 save) in the ninth. They can really knock the Rays back (now 6.5 GB) with another win tonight. Sale dazzled, yet this represented nothing new. What is encouraging though, is that this win streak is with just getting  Pedroia back, with David Price out, and soon they will even add Carson Smith to an already great bullpen.   For the Sox to make a deep postseason run, two things need to happen.  Outside of Chris Sale, they need to maintain some rotational stability, and I believe David Price is the key.  Drew Pomeranz has been good and  with a 1,2,3 of Sale, a Price we saw before his most recent Angels start, Pomeranz, and then with the option to go with E Rod or Porcello as a 4th, I love this team’s chances.  Then there needs to be sustainable offense.  During the win streak, the Sox are second in baseball in average and 10th in runs scored.  Benintendi and Bogaerts need to build on this stretch, and Mookie and Hanley will need to swing a hotter bat.  Otherwise, we could be looking at this streak not lasting long.  Either way, I am encouraged with the style of play the Sox are showcasing, so as a fan, I am optimistic of their chances to make some noise in the American League going forward.  

Written by Will McGuinness