Article: Episode 16: Red Hot Red Sox

[Alex Mayes]

Alex and Maddie jump into the ten-game winning streak to close the first half of the season and welcome back Masataka Yoshida and Alex Bregman. Then they discuss just how difficult the second half of the season will be before making some trade deadline predictions and figuring out which of the outfielders is the most likely to be moved.

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-talk-sox-podcast/id1783204104

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Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@talksox

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[TedYazPapiMookie]

Boston has 24 difficult games coming out of the All-Star break before they face a weak MIA club.

CHC, PHI, LAD, MIN, HOU, KC, SD and HOU again.  8 three game series that will be significantly more difficult to win than their last 10 games versus WAS, COL, TB.  The team has swept STL, NYY, WAS, COL and TB and been swept by DET, MIL and LAA.  Losing Devers appears to have had no impact on the team but losing Bregman did.  Going forward the team needs to stay healthy if they want to dream about a playoff spot.  They also have to surprise several teams that are in the next 8 series so that by the end of August they are still in the running for a playoff spot. 

The good news is after the 8 series they have 5 winnable series versus MIA, BAL, NYY, BAL and PIT.  Usually, the AL East eats BOS alive in AUG but if they can play like earlier in the season against NYY and BAL they have a chance to climb in the standings during the 5 series.  Sept isn't terribly stacked either so if they can handle the AL East teams and break even with ARI, DET, OAK and CLE they have a shot at a playoff spot.

[mvp 78]

You mentioned "since June 1st," but it obscures a two and a half week stretch where the offense was pretty rough. Also, hard to be completely sold on the current run as there is a certain stat that really stands out to me. 

6/1 - 6/9: 1st in R, 2nd wRC+, 11th highest K%, 3 games with 10+ runs scored

6/10 - 6/27: 29th in R, 29th in wRC+, 2nd highest K% 1 game with 10+ runs scored

6/28 - 7/13: 1st in R, 1st in wRC+, 30th in K%, 7 games with 10+ runs scored

I do agree about the parasocial relationship a few fans have developed with Duran. I think that word is overused, but seems to really fit what is  going on between him and a segment of the fanbase. I'm not sure he gets traded before this deadline though. 

Only other remark, I'm not sure the Sox see Cespedes as a SS since 90% of his time in the field has been at 2b this season. When he's been at SS, it's been pretty rough. 

 

[Kimmi]

8 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

I do agree about the parasocial relationship a few fans have developed with Duran. I think that word is overused, but seems to really fit what is  going on between him and a segment of the fanbase. I'm not sure he gets traded before this deadline though. 

 

"You talkin' to me?" she says in her best De Niro voice.

I am fully aware that the players are unaware of my existence.  I get attached anyway.

[Kimmi]

So far this season, and last season, the Sox have followed up a really good stretch by an equally (or worse) bad stretch.  We need to avoid that coming out of the break.

I don't expect them to continue playing .917 ball like they have in July so far, but let's not play .200 ball the rest of the month.  Win series at home, play .500 on the road.

I'm nervous about the upcoming stretch of games.