Not to say I told you so, but Minnesota and Seattle were tough on the Sox. Two things concern me about the last road trip. First, they’re not hitting as they should be. In the six games, the team’s highest run total was 6. Second, the team’s top two starters this year-Jon Lester and Josh Beckett-were both roughed up and beaten.
While I have written that the Sox are capable of putting teams away in the first or second inning, their attack is sometimes maddeningly inconsistent. For example, Adrian Gonzales, though still hitting the ball, is suffering through a homer drought, and Carl Crawford’s numbers are still subpar. In addition, if Lester and Beckett slump, the job of stopper has to go to John Lackey (doing better lately, but still questionable), Erik Bedard, and Tim Wakefield, who seems to be wearing down in his quest for 200 wins.
The series coming up against the Rays is a huge one. While they are out of the division race, Joe Maddon’s boys would like nothing better than to beat on the Red Sox and Yankees as they jockey for position. While (fingers crossed), the Townies seem likely to be either division champ or wild card, no fan would like to see the Sox fade late and just squeeze into the postseason. It’s time for Lester, Beckett, and the hitters to step up.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
