Memorial Day. The unofficial start of summer. These are the days we were dreaming about during the winter we thought would never end.
In baseball, Memorial Day weekend is when dreams start changing into realities. For some teams, it’s already the realization this won’t be the year. For others, it’s the understanding that you’re in the hunt and need to start looking for the additional players that can get you into October.
For the first quarter of the season, the Boston Red Sox have spent time dealing with both emotions. They started May losing eight of nine, sinking to the bottom of the American League East. Drastic moves were made to stop the free fall. Allen Craig was demoted to Triple-A Pawtucket despite some $25 million remaining on his contract. Justin Masterson was sent to the disabled list with an injury the pitcher wasn’t sure he had. Pitching coach Juan Nieves was relieved by Carl Willis.
The pitching has improved dramatically. Sox starters posted a 2.72 ERA in the 11 games heading into Monday’s game at Minnesota. The bullpen, no longer asked to pitch four or more innings a night, has fallen into place.
But as the pitching staff came around, the offense disappeared. The Red Sox were kept to two or fewer runs in nine of 13 games from May 8 to May 21.
Over the weekend that changed. The weather got warmer, the balls started flying. The Red Sox scored 19 runs in three games against the Los Angeles Angels, more than they had scored in the previous nine games. Mike Napoli was moved down a spot in the order, and regained his power stroke. Napoli arrived in Minneapolis having hit five homers in the previous six games. He hit .429 on the six-game homestand – and needed all of that production just to get above .200 for the season (.203).
As the Sox boarded their charter for the Twin Cities, it seemed like the first time all season we could take a deep breath. A quarter of the season is behind us, and the Sox are very much alive in the race for the division title. They are in the hunt because they’ve made some moves to spark the team, and because every other team in the AL East is flawed. The Toronto Blue Jays are pounding the ball but have the highest ERA in the league. The New York Yankees have survived despite multiple injuries to the pitching staff, but gave up 30 runs while being swept in a three-game series with the Texas Rangers over the weekend. The upstart Tampa Bay Rays began the weekend atop the division but have scored the fourth-fewest runs in the AL. The Baltimore Orioles suddenly can’t hit, being held to three or fewer runs in six of nine games last week.
In many ways, the race for the division begins now. Teams will look for help as we enter the trade season. The Sox will undoubtedly be looking for an arm to add to the rotation. With the recent improvement of Wade Miley and Clay Buchholz, that search is no longer desperate.
You don’t win a championship in April and May, but you can lose one. Ask the folks in Oakland how they’re feeling with a team that’s 131/2 games out of first, or in Milwaukee where they’re already thinking about who to trade off in July.
The Sox have survived the start of the season. We might get to enjoy a playoff race after all.
Tom Caron is the studio host for the Red Sox broadcast on NESN. His column appears in the Portland Press Herald on Tuesdays.
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