It’s been nearly three weeks since the Boston Red Sox lost Roman Anthony to an oblique injury, and they’re still trying to regain their mojo.
The Red Sox were red-hot at the time, coming off a 10-3 stretch and virtual locks for the postseason. They’ve stumbled since then, however, going 7-9 with a minus-3 run differential without Anthony (including 2-5 at home) and slipping from the top AL Wild Card spot to the second one.
The last few weeks have been a grind for Boston, which has lost three of its last five series and four of its last six series finales. The offense has gone cold without Anthony, struggling with runners in scoring position and batting just .253/.317/.379 (89 wRC+) without him.
With the playoffs in sight, the depleted Red Sox have endured their worst month since May. Now, with only six games left to decide their fate, they must rise to the occasion against the Toronto Blue Jays and Detroit Tigers if they want to reach the postseason for the first time since 2021.
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Having Wilyer Abreu back in the lineup after a five-week absence should help, but it’s unclear how effective he’ll be after going 0-for-4 with four strikeouts on Sunday.
Boston showed signs of life during last weekend’s series win against the Tampa Bay Rays with 20 runs — its most in a three-game series since mid-August. The Red Sox will need those hot bats against the Tigers and Blue Jays, both of whom rank top 10 in MLB in runs per game.
With four teams vying for three playoff spots, someone’s going to get sent home. Boston’s been resilient all season — now it just needs to play good baseball and eke out a few wins against some tough competition this week.
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Featured image via Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images
