The Boston Red Sox certainly didn’t begin the year on the high note, but they have seemed to find their groove of late.
Boston began the season 11-17 and many of its struggles came from the starting rotation. But something has changed over the course of the Red Sox’s last 14 games. Chris Sale looks more like, well, Chris Sale, and David Price, though on the injured list, was one of his team’s best pitchers. Rick Porcello and Eduardo Rodriguez also bounced back from rough starts.
And once Nathan Eovaldi comes back from the IL, Boston will have its full pitching staff healthy, spelling bad news for opponents if they all continue doing what they’ve been doing.
But fans shouldn’t have much to worry about anymore. At least, that’s what MLB.com thinks. Here’s why:
The Red Sox told us they were going to take a go-slow approach to this season after pushing their pitchers hard in the postseason. Only they never imagined it would take 39 games to clear .500. Along the way, doubts crept in as Chris Sale, Mookie Betts and others struggled. If there was ever any real worry, that has vanished.
Boston certainly has been playing like it did en route to its 2018 World Series run. Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez seem to be back to their dominant hitting ways and the “go-slow approach” looks as if it worked for everyone.
There’s still plenty of baseball to be played, sure. But Red Sox fans probably are relieved to see their team above .500.
