Wednesday, October 31st, 2013: The Boston Red Sox were on top of the baseball world. World Series Champions
Sunday, May 25th, 2014: The Boston Red Sox are riding a 10 game losing streak, with no end in sight.
A lot can change from October to May. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, the Red Sox could not find a way to win. With nothing to take away from any games, the Sox were in a free fall. One night the pitching was great, but there was no run support. Another night the pitching was a little shaky, and they could not score enough runs. It is only May and the Red Sox are already 8 games out of first place, failing to gain any sort of ground on anyone in front of them.
Injuries and inconsistent play has been the story of the 2014 season and if something does not change soon, the reigning champs will fail to make the playoffs. Besides the loss of Ellsbury, Boston has returned most of the core team that brought them a World Series title.
Moving forward, I think there should be multiple things that could be done to help change the course of this team. The confidence is low right now. After the comeback win on Monday against the Braves, this could help build some momentum moving forward. They are going to have to develop some sort of win streak. The first move should be with Clay Buchholz. His mechanics are off. His confidence is nowhere to be found. He is vital to the success of this team. I believe he needs to be sent down to the minors to work on his mechanics. It is clear cut that the mechanics are not the same as last year.
With moving down, Clay will get a start to work on his mechanics and the Red Sox can call up a young guy to give him a chance to put a spark into the Sox pitching. Between Allen Webster, Anthony Ranaudo, or Matt Barnes there is a lot of young talent that could provide a spark for the Sox. Sending Clay down and bringing one of these guys up could help for a one game stint and provide more momentum for the club. Rubby De La Rosa is another guy you could throw in the pen who could provide some depth for the thinning bullpen.
Pitching is the first thing that needs to be addressed. The offense will come. There have been flashes of offensive production in the lineup and when the injuries are all healed I think they will be able to get on track.
It has been a frustrating time for Red Sox fans, but with some minor changes and a potential trade at the deadline, I think the Sox can hit the ground running and start to gain ground on the AL East.
Freshly Pressed Sports 