‘Proper now, they’re higher than us’: As Rays rock Pink Sox, stress mounts in Boston

BOSTON — The 2019 Boston Pink Sox made an admission this weekend: They’re inferior to the Tampa Bay Rays — a minimum of not proper now.

The Pink Sox squandered a chance to climb again up the American League East standings this previous weekend, when Tampa Bay took three of 4 video games, placing the Pink Sox seven video games behind the Rays and New York Yankees within the division race. The final time Boston gained a collection towards a staff with an above-.500 file was on the finish of April, when the Pink Sox swept the Rays at Tropicana Subject. On this previous collection, Tampa Bay routinely displayed its dominance, outscoring Boston 21-9.

“Proper now, they’re higher than us,” Pink Sox supervisor Alex Cora stated. “We have gotta maintain working. We have been saying all alongside, we have gotta be higher with males in scoring place, executing out of the bullpen. All the things.”

Seeing Boston squander alternatives to attain with males on base has develop into routine. In his postgame information convention Sunday, Cora highlighted one such occasion from the primary inning, when the Pink Sox had outfielder Mookie Betts on third base and Christian Vazquez on second with no outs following a single, a stroll and a wild pitch from Rays lefty Blake Snell.

2 Associated

Boston adopted with three straight strikeouts from Xander Bogaerts, Michael Chavis and Eduardo Nunez.

The Pink Sox have appeared overmatched towards Rays pitching earlier than. Tampa Bay starter Yonny Chirinos retired the primary 15 Pink Sox hitters so as Friday, permitting simply two hits in eight shutout innings. That wasn’t a fluke, both: The Rays rank first in baseball with a 2.96 staff ERA.

“S—, give them credit score,” Bogaerts advised ESPN. “Their pitching was actual good. S—, you have bought Blake Snell on the mound, and he labored out of it with large pitches at large instances. Final yr, we capitalized much more on these alternatives, and it hasn’t been there.”

Boston finds itself in a dramatically totally different place heading into this June 10 than final yr’s, when the staff was tied for first place with the Yankees with a 44-21 file, 14 video games forward of the Rays. Boston completed the season with 108 wins, a franchise file for wins in a season, earlier than successful the World Collection. On June 10 this yr, the Pink Sox discover themselves trying up within the division — manner up.

There are caveats right here. Slugger J.D. Martinez was out of the beginning lineup Sunday for the fourth straight sport attributable to again tightness, lacking all the Rays collection. Boston was additionally with out first baseman Mitch Moreland, who leads the staff with 13 dwelling runs. However Cora stated the offensive consistency issues which have plagued the staff all season proceed to persist.

Eduardo Rodriguez and the Pink Sox are actually in a seven-game AL East gap after dropping three of 4 to the Rays this previous weekend. Adam Glanzman/Getty Photographs

“We maintain addressing it and maintain speaking about it,” Cora stated. “It is sport planning. They made some good pitches too. It is sport planning. We now have to assault them as a gaggle. Like I stated earlier at this time, doing the little issues. A floor ball up the center, make contact, all of that stuff that helps you get to the large hit. We’ve not completed that shortly. We now have to begin doing it.”

With the commerce deadline a bit over a month and a half away, Boston sits in a definitive third place within the AL East. Boston entered the season anticipated to compete in the identical weight class because the Houston Astros and Yankees. As an alternative, the Pink Sox have struggled to maintain up with the most effective groups within the American League, posting a 7-13 file towards the Astros, Yankees and Rays to date.

President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski was assured about this staff. He introduced again a lot of final season’s World Collection-winning roster, with nearer Craig Kimbrel being the one main departure. Cora got here into the season assured too, telling reporters on the 2019 BBWAA Boston dinner, “When you thought final yr was particular, wait ’til this yr.”

ESPN’s award-winning documentary collection. Watch on ESPN+

The staff hasn’t performed as much as that expectation thus far, and with a fan base like Boston’s, choosing the established order can lasts solely so lengthy when issues aren’t going effectively. This, in spite of everything, is a metropolis that hung out speculating on native sports activities radio about whether or not its groups might realistically win titles in all 4 main American skilled sports activities leagues. Boston does not acknowledge postseason participation medals, and because the Bruins’ Stanley Cup run wraps up this week, the Pink Sox will face rising scrutiny if the self-feeding circle of inconsistency and mediocrity does not finish quickly. Public acceptance of the Pink Sox establishment might disappear if the staff’s efficiency doesn’t change shortly.

However issues aren’t all doom and gloom. David Worth, who has been Boston’s finest and most constant pitcher, continued his stellar season, throwing six innings towards the Rays on Saturday, permitting one run, placing out 10 and strolling two batters. Since Aug. 1, together with the postseason, Worth has 150 strikeouts in 133 2/three innings pitched with a 2.96 ERA and 1.09 WHIP.

In the meantime, Bogaerts continues to play like the most effective shortstop in baseball, hitting .291/.374/.516 with 12 homers, 19 doubles and 42 RBIs, and is on tempo for 29 homers and 103 RBIs. Boston will want them each when the Texas Rangers come to city Monday for a four-game collection. The Rangers at the moment sit one sport above the Pink Sox within the wild-card standings.

A poor efficiency towards Texas might cement Boston’s standing as a staff resigned to chasing the second wild-card slot alongside the likes of the Rangers, Oakland Athletics and Cleveland Indians. Bogaerts stated the staff is aware of it must be extra constant on the plate if it hopes to make something resembling a playoff run. When requested the rationale for the staff’s lack of consistency, the shortstop didn’t fake to have solutions.

“I do not know,” Bogaerts stated. “I do not know.”

He paused, gathering his ideas.

“It’s going to come,” he publicly hoped.