BOSTON — Get used to seeing the Red Sox in their road grays a whole lot more going forward.
The Sox’s nine-game homestand ended Wednesday with a 4-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park. From Boston, they’ll jet straight to the West Coast to begin an 11-game road trip that includes stops in Anaheim, Seattle and Los Angeles.
Boston’s West Coast swing is just the beginning of what will be a road-dominated slate from here on out, as the Red Sox will play just 22 of their remaining 63 games at home.
On paper, this brutal stretch couldn’t come at a worse time for Boston, which lost three consecutive heartbreakers to the Detroit Tigers and has dropped five of its last six games. But after their latest tough defeat Wednesday in what seems like a potential turning point in the season, the Red Sox didn’t seem too concerned. In fact, Dustin Pedroia insists he didn’t even know this road trip was coming.
“I’ve got to be honest: I haven’t looked at the schedule,” Pedroia said. “I know there’s 162 on there. That’s about all I know.”
The Red Sox second baseman, who hit his 11th homer of the season in the first inning and now has reached base in 30 consecutive games, politely was informed of the situation — 41 of his next 63 games would be on the road. The news didn’t do much to change his mindset.
“Oh, really? That’s good, man,” Pedroia said. “You get a lot of rest when you’re away from your kids and stuff. We can play just as well on the road as we do at home, so that stuff’s irrelevant.”
Pedroia’s teammate found another silver lining to getting out of town for a bit.
“I mean, we don’t have to clean our rooms,” right fielder Mookie Betts joked.
The Red Sox clearly aren’t letting their recent scuffles and a tough upcoming schedule weigh them down, and that’s a good thing. But the fact remains that Boston is just 21-19 on the road this season, and given the current standings — the team is in third place in the American League East as of Wednesday afternoon — the Sox will need to exceed expectations on the road if they want to reach the postseason.
Not that a veteran like Pedroia needs a reminder, of course.
“We understand what it takes to play here,” Pedroia said. “It is what it is. We know if we play well, everyone loves you. When you don’t, everyone hates you. So, that’s why you’ve got to stay right in the middle the whole year.”
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
