BOSTON — A winning formula is elusive right now, yet the collective mindset remains consistent.
The Red Sox will go as far as their on-field execution dictates this season. Such is sports, and such is what separates contenders from pretenders, and all that jazz.
But there were no tantrums, was no negativity and was no upheaval in the home clubhouse after the New York Yankees completed a three-game sweep of Boston with an 8-5 win Sunday night at Fenway Park. The panic button instead resides elsewhere, where the Red Sox simply aren’t ready to wander.
“Of course,” Red Sox starter Joe Kelly said when asked whether there’s light at the end of the tunnel. “It’s been a month and we’re one game under .500, but there’s nobody giving up in this clubhouse.
“We’ve got a good team and we’re all looking forward to coming here (Monday) and playing a big series against the (Tampa Bay) Rays.”
Kelly had an opportunity to play the role of stopper Sunday but failed to produce a quality outing. The right-hander allowed five runs on nine hits over 4 2/3 innings. His fastball command wasn’t sharp and his secondary stuff was almost nonexistent, enabling the Yankees to tee off in the first and third innings.
“Once he got his curveball into the mix, there were some seemingly easier innings for him and (he) slowed them down quite a bit,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “But through the first three innings, he had a hard time getting any secondary pitches over for strikes to get their timing a little disrupted.”
Kelly’s outing was disappointing, as he failed a big test with Boston in the midst of a losing streak and a division rival putting the Sox up against the ropes in their own barn. But the bigger issue has been the Red Sox’s inability to couple good pitching with good hitting, as simple as that might sound.
“Playing from behind is difficult. We had the lead once, I think, in this series. They shut us down for two-plus games until we were able to mount somewhat of a big inning,” Farrell said. “But for us to right our course, we still need to point to that rotation to continue to give us quality innings, keep the game under control until our offense gets on track.”
It’s quite simple, really. When the Red Sox have produced runs, their pitching has been lackluster. When they’ve pitched up to their capability, their offense has gone AWOL.
This, of course, is a classic recipe for losing games, but a glass-half-full philosophy suggests better days could lie ahead if/when everything falls into place — just as long as it all happens simultaneously from time to time.
“We’ve got to get back to start playing better,” said David Ortiz, who lined out to Jacoby Ellsbury in center field with the bases loaded to end Sunday’s game. “That’s the only way you can bounce back and go back to the old days, just like the beginning of the season.”
The Red Sox looked like a force to be reckoned with to open the season, outslugging opponents and doing enough on the mound to earn victories. But Boston enters Monday on a three-game losing streak, under .500 for the first time all year and 6-10 in its current 22-game stretch against American League East opponents. Even Fenway Park hasn’t been so friendly, as the Red Sox are 6-7 at home this season.
Just don’t expect any eyeballs to start searching for that panic button. Boston showed fight Sunday while slicing down an eight-run deficit, and the Red Sox’s hope is it will generate momentum, in all facets.
“We kept battling back all the way through, we didn’t give any at-bats away,” Farrell said. “There’s still a strong competitive spirit in that room.”
Execution is paramount, and the Red Sox aren’t executing. But pessimism can be lethal, and there’s absolutely none of that going around Boston’s clubhouse despite an obviously disappointing sweep.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
