News and notes from around Red Sox Nation as the postseason road gets bumpy.
The Red Sox could win each of the next two against the Astros, sweep the Twins at Fenway in a couple of weeks, and jump back into postseason position, making last night’s game a mere footnote on the season. That could happen, and I won’t entirely shut-out that possibility. But I have a bad feeling that last night’s game is going to be one we remember, and not fondly. I got a bad feeling we may look back on last night as the end of the 2024 season.
The Sox are now 4.5 games out of a playoff spot. That’s not an insurmountable lead, but it’s hard to see this pitching staff getting its act together enough to do some surmounting. Last night it was the bullpen, again, that tag-teamed with shaky defense to blow a very winnable game against a team that doesn’t give you many winnable games. Even if the starting rotation finds its form — and Tanner Houck was excellent last night — the Sox will need the bullpen to start closing the door in the late innings. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)
Can Greg Weissert turn things around and steady the pen? After a brief demotion to AAA, he’s back in the big leagues, with Zack Kelly heading to Worcester to make room. (Julian McWilliams, Boston Globe)
Was the Andrew Bailey magic a mirage all along? Or has the league just adjusted to the Red Sox pitching strategy? The 2024 Red Sox are on track to throw the fewest fastballs in MLB history, and the stats show that opposing teams have adjusted their game plans accordingly. (Eno Sarris and Jen McCaffrey, The Athletic)
Maybe Rich Hill will come in and provide a change of pace for opposing lineups. He’s excited to return to what he calls “a special place.” (Ian Browne, MLB.com)
Thankfully the lineup is still doing its job, with Masataka Yoshida in particular performing well. Unfortunately, the unit is significantly less potent against lefties. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)