Red Sox Rollercoaster
The Red Sox have already been on a rollercoaster for a few weeks into the season. Dropping a few series and winning a couple has landed them towards the bottom of the league currently. However, things are starting to come together after the horrible first three series. The Celtics have entered the playoffs as the two seed with a strong 56-26 record. They face the 76ers in their first series, a team they know well in their division.
The Red Sox lost their first 3 series, and after that, they were looking at a 2-8 record. That landed them at the bottom of the league and made them the laughing stock of it, too. Nothing could go right for them, nothing could come together. In baseball, you need pitching, fielding, and hitting to go well to win, and you can sometimes sneak a win with only two of them. The Red Sox had been lucky to even get two to go well, let alone all 3.
But now a few more series in things have started to click. It still is not close to great, but it’s been better than 2-8. They now sit at a 7-11 record tied for last in the A.L East, after winning two series in a row, going 2-1 in both respective three-game sets. They just recently lost a series 1-2 to the Twins and now start a home stand beginning today against the Tigers and then welcome their arch rival, the New York Yankees.
In his most recent start, the Red Sox’s best pitcher and arguably their best player, Garrett Crochet, threw fans off. He had one of the worst performances of his career, giving up 10 earned runs, three walks, and no strikeouts in just one and two-thirds innings pitched. This start could be painted off as just a complete outlier, but one thing is frightening fans. Crochet’s fastball was down 6-8 MPH what it usually is, which is obviously not a good sign. Fans are assuming the worst and are starting to believe the possibility that he’s hurt. Just not what anyone wants to see at the start of the season.
For the rest of the rotation, there have been bright spots and some dull ones. The young lefty Connelly Early has been awesome. Through 4 games pitched, he has a 2.29 ERA and a record of 1-0. However, the Red Sox’s older lefty Ranger Suarez, who was picked up in free agency this offseason, has been pretty disappointing. Having pitched 3 games so far, he has a lackluster 5.02 ERA. The Red Sox signed him to be the next guy up after Crochet, and he just hasn’t
The Red Sox also picked up Sonny Gray in the offseason, who has shown mixed signs. A couple of good starts and a few bad ones have landed him at a current 4.43 ERA, which is keeping people guessing. Gray has bounced from team to team in the last 6 or so years. A reason for that is that he’s never been number one in a rotation, but no one is surprised seeing him at the two or three. This makes teams not want to offer him again once his contract is up because it’s not worth the money, but he can always find himself another opportunity. Hopefully, he can find his home in Boston.
The Red Sox lineup also has its flaws, a very recurring theme with the team right now. The team as a total is hitting .239, but the main problem is the top of the lineup. Roman Anthony had a great first half to the season, but he is only hitting .246. Jarren Duran is hitting .167, which is awful overall and for the team because he’s one of the best hitters. New Red Sock Caleb Durbin would have trouble hitting water if he fell out of a boat as his average is .127.
But the lineup also has some strong points with another new addition, Wilson Contreras, who is hitting a very respectable .298. However, the best hitter on the team, Wilyer Abreu, is hitting .333, which is near the top of the league. Both have been carrying the lineup so far, while others have been stuck in a slump. The Red Sox hope to keep the momentum going into Fenway starting tonight. There is plenty of season left.
Red-Hot Celtics
The Celtics are entering the Playoffs red hot, being 8-2 in their last 10. They prepare for Game 1 this Sunday at the Garden against the 76ers. Even though they’re a 7 seed, the 76’ers are no team to be slept on as they are loaded with talent. Celtics fans aren’t worried though with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the charge.
With 6 players averaging above 10 points per game, the Celtics look to light up the scoreboard like they have all year. After Tatum’s injury in the playoffs last year, which led to an elimination from the playoffs, the Celtics are looking for revenge. With loads of experience in the playoffs, eyes are all on that Finals trophy.
They have all the talent they need to pull it off; all they have to do is not trip. Head Coach Joe Mazzulla is ready for the playoffs and is making sure his team is too. He can’t have what happened last year happen again. The city of Boston eagerly awaits Sunday night and is hoping for a great postseason showing from its Celtics.
