Home Run Derby: Red Sox Edition

Photo Courtesy of the Boston Herald/Matt West

The Red Sox have been putting on some impressive displays of power in the past nine games, from the 17-5 thumping of Texas, from David Ortiz's walk-off against Texas to yesterday, when the Sox hit 4 out against the Angels. Hitting the ball out hasn't necessarily been the strong point on offense. They currently rank 6th in the AL with 70 home runs, according to the Boston Herald. Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit two home runs yesterday, bringing his total up to eight for the year, according to the Herald. He's been decent at the plate, but hopefully he can get a little momentum going forward.

But the fact that they are only sixth in home runs doesn't mean they haven't been scoring, though. They currently lead the league with 326 runs scored, according to the Herald. If they can keep the power surge up, that gives them an extra edge going forward.

The power surge came at exactly the right time, as they still have Tampa for three and Baltimore for four this week. They also have to play the Tigers, who are in contention in the AL Central and Tampa Bay pays a visit to Fenway in between trips. This is probably one of the toughest stretches we'll face, at least until Semptember. By Semptember, we'll be in the thick of the playoff hunt (barring any major collapse before then - that's doubtful, though) and getting through this stretch of games in 1st or 2nd will be a huge confidence booster. The SOx have been playing well for the most part so far, and the big bats have been a big part of that. And we'll need the bats to come through, and not just when Clay Bucholz or Jon Lester are on the mound. Ryan Demspter has been getting more run support (he was on the mound last night and for the 17-5 win over Texas), but John Lackey and Felix Doubront haven't always gotten the run support they needed, despit making some quality starts. But the important thing is that the bats continue to produce the way they have.

Twitter - @ConorJF1016
Conor Frederick
Contributing Writer