April 20, 2022

Big Innings Have Eluded The Red Sox So Far

The Red Sox have scored 47 runs this season, good for 6th in the AL, a bit better than the league average (43). Their runs per game also ranks 6th (4.27).

There have not been many big innings, however. In 98 innings in 11 games, Boston has scored more two runs in an inning only five times. They scored six runs twice (April 13 and 17) and three runs thrice (April 8, 12, and 15; and they lost two of those games). The Red Sox have not scored in more than three innings of a single game.

Part of the problem is not getting guys on base. The Red Sox's .283 OBP is 13th in the AL. Alex Verdugo, far and away the team's best hitter so far, has an OBP of .395. Everyone else is at .333 (Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts) or below. That includes leadoff hitter Kiké Hernández (a woeful .269).

Another problem: The bottom third of the lineup is quite possibly the worst of all 30 teams. In last night's victory, the 7-8-9 hitters went 0-for-8 and left nine runners on base. 

Last night's 2-1 win over the Blue Jays was the first time the team had won when scoring three runs or fewer. [0-3 runs: 1-3 / 4+ runs: 5-2]

The Red Sox are also the only major league team without a stolen base. They are 0-for-1.

AL East

            W   L   GB   RS  RA  DIFF   AVG   OBP   SLG   OPS    ERA
Red Sox     6   5  ---   47  44   + 3  .228  .283  .379  .662   3.86
Blue Jays   6   5  ---   34  31   + 3  .250  .312  .424  .736   4.22
Yankees     6   5  ---   43  47   - 4  .224  .313  .349  .662   2.48
Rays        6   6  0.5   52  53   - 1  .249  .318  .378  .696   3.74
Orioles     3   8  3.0   23  37   -14  .209  .306  .289  .595   2.81

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