The first half brought several pleasant surprises. Adrian Gonzalez proved he was a sleeping giant in San Diego all these years. The starting rotation, when healthy, is as good as any in the American League. Josh Reddick looks more like the second coming of Fred Lynn every day. And the team continues to be defined by the scrappy Kevin Youkilis and Dustin Pedroia.
Intertwined with those have been some setbacks. Carl Crawford's injury trouble has kept Sox fans from seeing more than a glimpse of what he can do. Clay Buchholz has been on the disabled list since June 19. Josh Beckett and Jon Lester left their most recent starts early.
Taking all this into account, how do you grade the Red Sox' performance from April 1 to now? Vote in the poll and explain your reasoning in the comments section.
What Grade Do You Give the Red Sox' First Half?online survey
