BOSTON — Dustin Pedroia doesn’t want to hear about the Red Sox’s struggles with runners in scoring position. The All-Star second baseman simply wants to right the ship.
The Red Sox went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position Wednesday as Boston lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 at Fenway Park. The Sox have scored just 15 runs over their last five games — going 4-for-45 with runners in scoring position in that stretch — and they’ve left more men on base this season than any team in the American League.
“Yeah, it’s 28 games or 29 games. Over 162, that (expletive) will change,” Pedroia declared after Wednesday’s loss. “You guys look at one-game seasons. We look at 162. Guys that are horse(expletive) right now with runners in scoring position, that (expletive) will change. Fact.”
Boston, which stranded nine men on base Wednesday, had plenty of chances to down Tampa Bay in the teams’ series finale despite Justin Masterson’s erratic start. The Red Sox left the bases loaded in the eighth inning and stranded two men on base in the ninth en route to their fourth loss in five games.
“We’ve squared some balls up that don’t fall with men in scoring positon. Other times, we’ve put the ball on the ground, ground ball right at a defender,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “It’s been a mixed bag of the end result. But the bottom line is missed opportunities. I think we’re doing a very good job of creating the opportunities, but still, finishing through and cashing in hasn’t been there.”
The Red Sox, who are off Thursday, will begin a 10-game road trip Friday in Toronto. They’ll need to start producing more offensive, particularly in the clutch, as the team’s starting pitching remains inconsistent and Boston currently finds itself in last place in the AL East.
Perhaps Pedroia will lead the revival. He sure has the mindset.
Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
