The Red Sox were riding on cloud nine after Cody Ross bashed his miraculous three-run home run for the walk-off win last Thursday night. But that euphoria has since subsided and a sense of misery has instead taken its place.
Boston fell victim to yet another brutal defeat on Monday night as their trip to Texas did not start off on the right foot. The loss dropped the Sox to a game under .500 for the first time since June 16 and now has them 4 1/2 games back in the race for the second wild card spot.
It’s an ugly truth, but reality is what you make it. And while the adage explains that “pitching wins championships,” the current reality for the Red Sox is that their staff can’t even win a regular season game, never mind the World Series. If there’s any hope at all left within this group for a title run, the pitching staff will be burdened with reigniting the flame.
After suffering their fourth straight defeat, the Sox seem desperate for a couple quality starts — and hopefully wins — as they head into a weekend series against the AL East-leading Yankees. But at a putrid 47-48 on the season, Bobby Valentine and his players will need a swift switch in momentum over the coming days in order to even have a chance against New York’s reloaded roster, which now includes former AL MVP Ichiro Suzuki.
Josh Beckett and Jon Lester have combined for a dismal 13-23 record in their starts this season, a horrifying statistic for the supposed No. 1 and 2 starters on an expected AL contender. Meanwhile, a 23-year-old rookie in Felix Doubront has shouldered the load for much of the season — leading the rotation with 10 wins — and the same Clay Buchholz, who had an 8.69 ERA at the end of April, has suddenly overtaken the role of ace.
While the fifth spot has been in flux, even the consistent work of Aaron Cook was tested in a 7-3 loss to the Blue Jays on Saturday and the short-term rotation questions only continue to build.
The offense has been strong so far in the second half with the returns of Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia helping to strengthen the attack. But while the bats put better than four runs on the board each night, and five or more on five different occasions, the pitching just refuses to cooperate.
Beckett, Lester and Doubront all sound accountable for their horrid outings in recent weeks, but — as cliche as it may be — talk is cheap. This team is holding onto their playoff dreams by the slimmest of margins, and it’s the pitching rotation’s duty to solve the problem at hand. And if that solution doesn’t arrive soon, then this team may be best served turning their attention to next season.
