The weather in Boston has been dreadful this week. This entire homestand for the Red Sox has been played through a hazy fog with sporadic showers. Well, at least when they get to play anyway, as Tuesday's game was postponed due to rain. This of course was the game I was supposed to go to, with tickets atop the famed Green Monster at Fenway Park, but Mother Nature had other plans that night. While the weather washed out my chance to see a game that night, it's done nothing to halt the momentum of a suddenly surging Sox team.
After Boston fell to a league worst 2-10 record to start the season there were many who figured the season was over already. Yet here we are a month later and the team finds itself right back in the race in a highly competitive AL East. With wins in 8 of their last 10 games, including a current 5 game win streak, the Red Sox have climbed up from the cellar to a respectable 3rd place in a tight division. Sitting only 2 games behind Tampa for the division lead and 1 game behind the Yankees, it's clear that this race is far from over despite how poorly it started.
The first signs of a turnaround came in mid-April when the team went on a streak of winning 8 of 9 games where their starting pitchers surrendered two runs or less in each game. The streak appeared to get the Sox back on track, especially their pitching staff, which had raised a few red flags early on. They hit another small speed bump to close out the month, but have come back strong in May, with a record of 11-5 so far this month.
The offense, which was supposed to be the strength of the team, struggled with inconsistency to start the season. Things are starting to look up for this line-up lately, and it all starts at the top of the order with Jacoby Ellsbury. The speedy outfield struggled to stay above the Mendoza line for much of April, but a blistering May has him flirting with the .300 mark. After his early season struggles dropped him to the bottom of the order, he's now back in his rightful spot at the top.
The prized trade acquisition of the off-season, Adrian Gonzalez, has been every bit as advertised so far. He's hit well all year, but his power took some time to come around. Once the calender flipped to May, his power switch flipped on too. He currently is tied for the league lead in Extra Base Hits and RBIs, making him one of the league's most feared hitters. Once Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis shake off the rust from last year's injury shortened seasons and hit like they are capable of, it will only make Gonzalez that much better and this line-up even more dangerous.
Meanwhile, while a strong month has helped the Sox climb back towards the top of the division, they've also been aided by the recent funk of the Yankees. Boston's recent win streak began over the weekend with a 3 game sweep on the road against the Yankees. The sweep may have been just what this team needed to give them a spark, while it also helped contribute to their biggest rival spiraling further into turmoil. While the Sox had plenty to complain about early in the season, it's the Yankees who now are littered with issues to worry about. Derek Jeter isn't hitting, and the shadow of the inevitable conversation of moving him down in the order looms over their clubhouse like a dark storm cloud. A-Rod's hip is hurting, halting his torrid start. Now they are dealing with the drama caused by Jorge Posada's ill-timed decision to refuse to play during the Boston series because he was upset about being dropped to 9th in the order (Jorge, have you looked at that miserable batting average lately? You should be begging to hit lower in the order!). There were rumors of the long time Yankee being suspended, or even released, stirring a huge controversy in New York. There is still too much talent on their team to discount them already, but these issues may be a foreshadowing of more pressing issues that lay ahead for a team that is getting too old, too fast.
Let's not forget about those Tampa Bay Rays, who currently lead the division. Like the Sox, they got off to a terrible start, but have since rebounded. The loss of their star third baseman contributed to their slow start, but since Evan Longoria has returned from injury the team has been playing great. They have a deep pitching staff, led by David Price and James Shields, that should keep them in contention all season. Yet you get the feeling that some of what they are doing is with smoke and mirrors. They lost a lot of talent to free agency this off-season and have replaced them mostly with young players and cast offs. They are still a very good team, but with the talent level leaning heavily in Boston's direction, the Sox should be able to overtake them over the course of a long season.
As I stare out the window at grey skies and falling rain, I'm reminded that all teams go through stretches where they struggle and the outlook appears gloomy. For Boston, that stretch just happened to start the season. The season is a marathon, not a sprint. While it's not often that you can trip and fall at the start of the race but recover to be the first to cross the finish line, this Red Sox team has the talent to make up for their slow start. After all, they've already done the hard part just by getting back into the race. Hopefully there will be less storm clouds and more sunny skies ahead.
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