The Red Sox are on pace for their 10th World Series Win
Holy shit this team, AmmI right?
The Sox have now won 10 of their last 11 since sweeping the Yankees for the second time this season. Their only loss came in a 12th inning abnormality against the A’s, one of the best playing teams in the AL who they went on to take 2 of 3 from.
Baseball and more specifically the MLB has been dead to me since they started a labor war in the middle of a pandemic and perfect opportunity to put baseball back in the lime light of Professional American sports. But, just when I thought I was out they keep pulling me back in.
This Red Sox team is not only winning at a pace that has not been seen since their 2018 and 2007 seasons. They are playing with the sense of urgency and comradery as the 2013 team of misfits. What do all these seasons have in common? Yup, World Series wins.
We are freaking suckers for underdog over achieving teams in this part of the country. The 2021 Red Sox have it in spades. Their top 4 bats in the lineup can rival anyone in baseball, but even they have an underdog story in Alex Verdugo who was the key piece in the Mookie Betts trade. Those are some big shoes to fill and so far the shoe fits.
The glaring hole on this team dating back to last season was the starting pitching. Even watching these games and checking the box score you would have to say this is still a concern. However, a key piece to the mostly underwhelming stat lines for the starters is the health. The Red Sox starters have made 84 of their 86 starts with those 2 going to Tanner Houck who should be back in the mix post All-Star break. Oh, and so should Chris Sale. Ever heard of him? Nathan Eovaldi is an All-Star and has had what I consider 2021 MLB gems. Nick Pivetta has probably been their most consistent pitcher. Eduardo Rodriguez had a big bounce back performance against the Yankees. Martin Perez day is a thing and don’t get me started on Garrett “No Jacket” Richards. The staff has a 4.33 ERA. All this is to say they staff has performed just slightly over their head and allowed the line up and bullpen to win them games.
Speaking of the bullpen, Matt Barnes is an All-Star and one of the best closers in baseball. They had a staff of 19 contributors with a collective sub 3.00 ERA. This is the major difference in Red Sox teams from the past couple seasons. And make no mistake, this has Heim Bloom’s finger prints all over it. We saw how he developed the approach to pitching in Tampa. That blueprint is fairly evident in Boston.
Lets not kid ourselves though. This team lives and dies with the heart of their order. Verdugo, J.D., Bogaerts, and Devers have been unstoppable. Bogaerts and Devers will start on the left side of the diamond for the AL All-Star game for the 1st time in Red Sox history. The power 4 have provided 362 hits, 222 Runs, 88 Doubles, 60 HRs, 208 RBI’s. That’s better than the entire 2010 Seattle Mariners team. If it wasn’t for the Japanese Babe Ruth, Shohei Ohtani Devers would have a legit shot at MVP. As it is he’s hitting .290 on pace for 180 hits, 42 HRs, 142 RBI’s.
When it comes to the Red Sox and baseball, this season has sparked some life into the fans around New England. The local 9 never gives up. There are dirt dogs like Kike and Hunter and wet blankets like Garret Richards. We’ve got young guys making their way and future perennial All-Stars. It’s just more fun when there is a buzz around the Red Sox in July.
And, for me personally a good baseball scandal always gets the heart rate up so Sticky Icky Ohh Wee - Gate has been fantastically entertaining. The likes of Garret Richards, Tyler Glasnow, Gerrit Cole, Max Scherzer literally piling up a mound of tears because baseball took their implements of mass ERA destruction away is laugh out loud funny. When you think about it baseball is like a Shakespearian tragedy. The drama is interrupted with bits of comic relief, but in the end everyone is just waiting for impending doom.
Luckily for us we have this very likable character in the 2021 Boston Red Sox to follow along with until Baseball offs itself because life with out Spider Tack is not worth living.
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