What Red Sox Proved In Productive Road Trip Against Quality AL Talent
The 4-3 record the Boston Red Sox just posted on their seven-game road trip may not seem impressive on the surface level.
It should be emphasized however with the context of the season.
Boston just went through a gauntlet-like stretch of its season against true playoff contenders that could have ended their own postseason aspirations. Even as of Monday, the Red Sox could have been on the ropes when they trailed the Kansas City Royals by 4 1/2 games for the final American League playoff spot.
On the road against the Baltimore Orioles and the Houston Astros, the Red Sox had to stay above water to stay in the hunt. That's no easy task given that Boston entered this stretch 1-8 against those teams in 2024.
The Red Sox split four games with the Orioles before responding to win their first series in Houston since 2022. They did not lose a series and kept pace with Kansas City at a time when they absolutely had to.
Boston's seven-game road trip certainly presented two central takeaways.
BOSTON CAN PLAY WITH TOP COMPETITION
The Red Sox totally turned their season around in June with back-to-back series victories at Fenway Park against the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Yankees. Those teams were the best in baseball at the time and Boston turned a corner from .500 purgatory.
There have certainly been struggles in the course of the season. Nonetheless, the Red Sox had to meet the moment this past week against Baltimore and Houston, who remain in competition for their respective divisions in the American League.
On the other end, the Red Sox now have to take care of business against lesser opponents. After a three-game set against the reigning National League champion Arizona Diamondbacks, Boston gets a stretch against the Detroit Tigers, the New York Mets and the Chicago White Sox. The run becomes that much more important when the Royals endure one of their tougher stretches on their schedule.
OFFENSE REMAINS THE ANSWER
The Red Sox have had their ups and downs on the mound in a year that was defined by pitching before the games even started.
Since the All-Star break, one thing has been clear, and maybe even more amplified after this road trip: the Red Sox will hit, hit and hit some more.
Boston scored just under five runs per game on the road trip and has scored six or more runs in an MLB-best 17 times since the All-Star break, going 10-7 in that stretch. The lineup can still even reach a new level with Triston Casas and Tyler O'Neill both back from injury.
This current group is as healthy as the Red Sox can get with the bats at this moment. They've done nothing but score since the All-Star break and will more than rely on the lineup if Boston truly is going to return to the postseason for the first time since 2021.