From Candy Apple to Ivy Covered Walls, Sox Face an Important Road Trip

The Sox are now 6 games back from the 1^st place Rays, and 5 back from the second wildcard spot.  After being swept by the Nats in a series that they got outpitched, they now sit at two games under .500, having lost 6 of their last 7 games.

Since interleague play’s inception in 1997, the Sox’ .566 winning percentage is the 4^th best in baseball against the opposing league. This is usually a time where they can make up ground in the standings, but so far they are only 2-4 against the Senior Circuit.

The Sox flew down to Miami after Sunday’s loss to start a 6 game road trip against the Marlins that could prove to be very important. They will play in Miami’s new candy apple ballpark for three games, then travel to The Friendly Confines of Wrigley Field in Chicago; talk about juxtaposing ballparks.

The Marlins should not be terribly tough for the Red Sox, as they have lost 6 straight and have had a lot of trouble scoring runs. Giancarlo Stanton, Jose Reyes, and Hanley Ramirez are their most feared hitters, but they do not have much offensive depth. Their starting pitching is their strength as they are 10^th in baseball in ERA and lead baseball in quality starts (At least 6 IP, no more than 3 ER).

The Cubs have the 2^nd worst record in baseball with only 20 wins. They are 27^th in runs, 26^th in ERA, and are 2-8 over their last 10 games. The Red Sox should be able to take at least 2 of the 3 games against the Cubs and show Theo Epstein what he is missing.

It is important that the Sox can win at least 4 games on this road trip. The Yankees have a tough week as they play in Atlanta against a hot Braves team and in Washington. The Rays have an easier week as they play a struggling Mets team and the Marlins, which they just swept; both are at home. The Sox could at least gain ground on the Yankees this week, but if they fail to beat up on these easier teams, they really don’t deserve to be included at the top of the AL East.