The Red Sox (17-23 overall; 5th in AL East) played more road games so far this season and lost almost all (10-11 away record). But if you think that is bad, their home numbers are way worse. A WEEI Red Sox insider believes that’s the core issue that needs to be solved.
Rob Bradford from Audacy pointed to the team’s performance at its home field, Fenway Park, where it has played half its games. “The Red Sox have the fewest home runs at home of any team in Major League Baseball,” he mentioned in his article.
That’s right, out of its 29 homers, the team has only hit nine at Fenway Park. Boston has the second-lowest OPS of .623 while playing at home. As of May 11, the team had three or fewer runs in 13 of 19 home games, which is alarming.
Moreover, the Red Sox have just seven wins from 19 games at Fenway Park. They won just two series at home, the last being against the Brewers in early April.
Without significant production from their own backyard, the Red Sox will probably carry forward the same disappointing outcomes to the end of the season. And that shows little to no hope for an October run.
Amid all these troubles, the Red Sox might have to navigate through one more regarding one of the steadiest bats.
Willson Contreras’ absence deepens the concerns for the Red Sox
Willson Contreras suffered an HBP during Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. A 94-mph sinker from Nick Martinez bruised his right hand, and he is currently day-to-day. The good news is that there is no fracture in his hand.
Contreras has been one of the most dependable batters for the Red Sox. He recorded 19 runs from 35 hits, managing 23 RBIs this season. And given his .846 OPS, fans had high hopes for him.
Bradford had already mentioned that the most non-negotiable part is the team offense. And now with Contreras out, the team needs to find some solid production with grave urgency.
For now, the only hopeful part about Boston’s subpar outing was Payton Tolle. The rookie started the game this Sunday and recorded a 2.78 ERA in 5.0 innings. He allowed 7 hits and 3 runs, but overall, with his 4 Ks, he was a bright spot in the otherwise disappointing outcome.
In fact, Tolle had the second-worst ERA compared to his three starts earlier this season. He secured a 2.04 ERA from 7.0 innings against the Tigers last week and a 1.50 ERA from 6.0 innings against the Yankees last month. Overall, he has recorded 27 strikeouts in 4 starts.
Boston has decent enough talent, but they need to step up. With Contreras hopefully returning soon, the Red Sox might encourage the lineup to improve its production. And Tolle’s emergence could complement that to help match the urgency of the playoff ambitions.
