The Boston Red Sox’s chances of reaching the postseason may hinge on a miracle after enduring a challenging 3-7 run over their last 10 games.
On Wednesday night, they fell further behind in the AL Wild Card race with an 8-3 loss to the New York Mets, marking their fifth straight defeat and bringing their record to 70-70. The last time they had a .500 record or worse was on June 14.
Despite the bleak situation, the Red Sox must avoid self-pity. With 22 games remaining and a 5.5-game deficit, a comeback is still possible, though improbable. Acknowledging reality is crucial for improvement, and manager Alex Cora was blunt about the team’s performance after the latest Mets loss.
“Right now, we’re just an average team. Huge homestand coming up and we gotta be better,” Cora said, via Boston Strong on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Cora is focusing on controllable aspects. Despite the goal of catching the Minnesota Twins and Kansas City Royals in the wild card standings, he continues to emphasize a harsh reality check for his team.
“We’re playing .500 baseball. Talking about the Royals and Twins doesn’t matter,” Cora added, per Christopher Smith of Mass Live.
Since the All-Star break, the Red Sox have underperformed, going 17-27 with a -46 run differential since resuming play on July 19. This is unacceptable for a team with playoff hopes.
However, the upcoming games present an opportunity for the struggling Red Sox. Returning home from a tough 1-5 road trip, they will face the historically poor Chicago White Sox, who, after an 8-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday, are expected to face a few losses.
These games are crucial for the Red Sox. A failure to perform against the White Sox might signal the end of their 2024 season.
Before embarking on their six-game road trip through Detroit and New York on August 30, the Red Sox boasted a 38-27 away record, one of the best in the MLB. This likely boosted their confidence as they aimed to rebound from a slow post-All-Star break start.
However, the road trip quickly unraveled. After a 7-5 win against the Tigers, the Red Sox’s offense faltered, scoring just one run in each of the next three games and only two and three runs, respectively, in the final two games against the Mets. During their five-game losing streak, their average runs per game dropped to a dismal 1.6.
“It sucked, man. It was tough. I think we went to Detroit 2.5 games back or 3.5 games back and now we’re 5.5 (games back). We’re playing .500. Like I said, right now we’re just an average team. So you’ve gotta show up on Friday and try to be better,” Cora said.
