Red Sox Notes: Red Sox Gaining Momentum With Crucial AL East Wins

Wins don’t have to be pretty to count.

The Boston Red Sox won their third straight contest with a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night, but there’s still plenty to work on if they really want to make a statement heading into the All-Star break.

Sure, the Sox scored four runs and starter Eduardo Rodriguez only gave up one. But they also went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position, and Rodriguez struggled with his command at times and still was tipping his pitches.

So, with that in mind, let’s run down some notes from Tuesday night’s win.

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— The Red Sox have won four out of five games on their current road trip, but more importantly, they’ve won four of five games against American League East teams.

Headed into the road trip, Boston was an abysmal 11-23 against AL East teams. And although 15-24 isn’t too much better after Tuesday’s victory, every division win the Red Sox earn is crucial at this point. It’s helping them gain some momentum in the standings, too, as they’re now six games behind the three-way tie between the Baltimore Orioles, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays for first place.

Plus, the AL East is a mess.

— There’s definitely a case to bolster the bullpen, perhaps with Joe Kelly, after things got dicey in the seventh inning.

Tommy Layne has struggled against righties this season, but curiously enough, he took over for Rodriguez with a switch hitter and two right-handers due up. And lo and behold, Jose Reyes, another switch hitter, smacked a two-run homer from the right side of the plate to make it 4-3.

Manager John Farrell clearly didn’t trust set-up man Junichi Tazawa (rightfully so, as Toronto is hitting .333 against him in 10 appearances), and some of the Red Sox’s younger arms still are unreliable, so slotting Kelly into the ‘pen wouldn’t be a terrible idea.

— Per The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham, Farrell said left fielder Hanley Ramirez will be back in Boston’s lineup Wednesday. The Red Sox skipper thinks catcher Ryan Hanigan, who’s returning from the disabled list, will be, too.

— Speaking of guys on the DL, Shane Victorino is set to return this week. Farrell said that day could come Friday, per Abraham, and he “strongly suggested” that Victorino would be part of a platoon in right field with Alejandro De Aza.

Victorino went 1-for-3 in a rehab stint with the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs on Tuesday.

Thumbnail photo via Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports Images