The Boston Red Sox still have a very talented lineup, albeit one with a 6-foot-3, 230-pound hole.
Boston has struggled to score in the first month of the 2017 season, plating just 12 runs in its last seven games while going 2-5, including three shutouts in that span. And while most of the 2016 team, which had the most prolific offense in baseball, still is with the Red Sox, shortstop Xander Bogaerts admitted there’s one rather large difference.
“What’s the difference?” Bogaerts told reporters after Thursday’s 3-0 loss to the New York Yankees, per CBS Boston. “I mean, David (Ortiz) is not here. He was definitely a huge part of our team for the years I was here. We definitely miss him.”
But baseball must go on without David Ortiz, and Bogaerts and the rest of the Red Sox know that. In fact, Bogaerts thinks all Boston needs is one big game to get back on track.
“We’ve got to do it without him,” Bogaerts said. “We’re trying. We’re trying to put up good at-bats and get guys on base. Having that 34 (Ortiz) in the lineup was something opposing pitchers were definitely afraid of. We miss him, but we’re going to get runs. We’re going to score. We’re not going to get shut out or get one run every game. Our offense probably needs one game — 12 runs, 15 runs — like the Washington Nationals. Hopefully, we can do the same as that. We’ll break loose.”
Although the Red Sox are currently only one game above .500 at 11-10, they’re still just 3 1/2 games out of first place in the American League East.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
