The Red Sox lost the series finale against the White Sox 4-1. The Red Sox will now head back to Fenway Park after a losing road trip. After the Red Sox won the first two games on the trip, they proceeded to lose four out of five of the remaining games. After a couple of rough days for the Sox and great days for their opponents in the division, the Red Sox find themselves three games back of the Jays for fourth place in the AL East and three games back of the third wild card spot.
The Red Sox offense did not have a good series in the slightest. Today, the Red Sox offense struck out ten more times. Those strikeouts brought their series total to 38. On the season, the Red Sox strike out an average of eight times per game, which ranks seventh in the MLB. In this series, the Red Sox struck out an average of almost 13 times per game. The Red Sox only scored 11 runs in the series, which is an average of 3.66 runs per game. On the season, the Red Sox average five runs per game, which is seventh in the MLB. So, in this series, the Red Sox struck out much more than usual, which led to them scoring less than usual. While there is a correlation between strikeout numbers and run production for every team in baseball, the Red Sox especially experience this because they don’t rely on the long ball. The Red Sox are 20th in the league in homers, meaning that they manufacture runs by putting the ball in play. In this series, they did not do that, leading to their low run totals.
While the Red Sox offense struggled to put the ball in play, they still had their chances in today’s game. In the second inning, they loaded the bases with two outs. Caleb Hamilton, the Sox’s new backup catcher, struck out looking to end the threat. Then, in the third inning, after Adam Duvall’s RBI double, the Red Sox still had runners at second and third with only one out. However, the next two batters, Masataka Yoshida and Triston Cases, both flew out to end the inning. The Red Sox once again struggled to cash in with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox went 2-for-8 today with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. In the series, the Sox went 3-for-18 with runners in scoring position and left 24 men stranded. As I have mentioned before, the Red Sox offense comes and goes with their ability to hit with runners in scoring position, and this series was no exception.
The only good news that the Red Sox got today was from James Paxton. The Red Sox starter spoke today, and said that he just had some soreness in his knee and that he thinks he will be good for his next start. Barring disaster, and James Paxton’s words are true, this would cause a lot of relief in the organization. The Red Sox simply cannot afford to go down another starter. The Sox are without Chris Sale and Tanner Houck for at least the next couple of months, so Paxton going down would be an absolute disaster. Since the lefty made his season debut on May 12th against the Cardinals, he has been the Sox’s best starter. Since his debut, Paxton leads the team in strikeouts and is tied for first in innings pitched and pitcher wins. It’s also great to see Paxton return to what he used to be before his string of injuries. This season, he has the second-lowest ERA of his career and the third-lowest WHIP and opponents’ batting average of his career. So, the fact that the Red Sox will continue to have James Paxton in their rotation is a massive relief.
The Red Sox have the day off on Monday, and then they will begin a three-game set with the Marlins at Fenway. After the Sox’s subpar road trip, they will be in desperate need of a series win. This won’t come easy, as they are facing a Marlins team with a record of 45-34. The Marlins will come into Fenway holding the MLB’s seventh-highest batting average and the 12th-lowest team ERA. The Red Sox will look to get back on track and extend their four-game win streak at Fenway Park.
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