The Boston Red Sox have been one of the best teams in baseball dating all the way back to April.
Christian Vázquez believes the club needs to start carrying itself like that.
For the first time this season, the Red Sox are going through a legitimate skid. With Sunday's eight-run loss to the Yankees in New York, Boston now has lost three consecutive series. In fact, Alex Cora's team hasn't won consecutive games since the start of the month.
Speaking with the media after the series finale in the Bronx, Vázquez explained how he believes the Red Sox can help themselves in getting back into a groove.
"I think we need to continue to play hard, like we are in first place," Vázquez told reporters, per MLB.com. "We need to act more like we're in first place. I think that's the key for us. We need to be more cocky, like 'We're in a good place.' And we're not acting like that. That's what I see right now."
The Red Sox will look to get back in the win column Monday when they open a three-game series with the Blue Jays. Boston should heed Vázquez's advice to play with confidence, as Toronto, a winner of four straight, undoubtedly will enter the divisional matchup riding high. It's a huge series for both clubs, too, with the Jays six games back in the division but just four in the loss column.
