NFL
By: Steve A.
It’s no question the Boston Red Sox are hot right now. They have 68 wins and the best record in the league. It all starts with the manager Alex Cora. Who has really taken over the clubhouse with the same team as last year. Cora has connected with his players which is different from John Farrell. Farrell couldn’t really communicate that well with his players and it showed on the field. The Red Sox this year look more connected and they are having fun beating the bad teams.
The Boston had a few standouts in the first half of the season. Mookie Betts has 23 homeruns so far. Betts also has 51 RBI’s and a batting average of .359. Mitch Moreland is another player on the Red Sox that’s having a great year so far. Moreland has 11 homeruns 46 RBI’s and a .278 batting average. J.D. Martinez is really having himself a season too with 29 homeruns 80 RBI’s and a batting average of .328. On the pitching side, Chris Sale is pretty much the only one who was consistent in the first half. He didn’t get the run support in the beginning but he’s starting too now which is good going into the second half of the season. Sale has 10 wins on the season and a 2.23 ERA.
The Red Sox players that were a disappointment at the beginning were Jackie Bradely Jr. who just recently got his batting average over .200. David Price who hates pitching here and is having a terrible year. Price also has 10 wins but his ERA is 4.42 He couldn’t even pitch against the Kansas City Royals, and gave up a two run homerun in the first inning to the terrible Toronto Blue Jays the other night. Let’s see if the Red Sox add bullpen help at the trading deadline.
In the second half, the Red Sox play the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Houston Astros. It’s not as easy as the first half of the season. David Price really needs to grow up but is looking nearly impossible with all the complaining he’s doing. Adding an arm to help the bullpen in the second half could benefit them especially if Price collapses early against either the Indians, Yankees, or Astros. I give the Red Sox an overall B+ as a grade because they beat up the bad teams but are 4-5 against the Yankees this season. I give Alex Cora an A for having the attention of his players throughout the first half of the season. Let’s see how this team does in the second half.
