After scuffling for a few weeks, the Boston Red Sox’s offense appears to be back.
The Red Sox routed the Washington Nationals 11-2 on the Fourth of July, scoring seven runs in the fifth inning and finishing with 16 hits. They’ve now scored double-digit runs in three of their last six games, averaging 8.5 runs per game and going 4-2 in that span.
Boston’s hot streak comes on the heels of a prolonged slump that lasted for much of June, especially after the Rafael Devers trade. The Red Sox averaged just 2.9 runs per game during a 15-game stretch from June 10-27, including 2.8 runs per game in their first 10 contests without Devers.
Boston’s lineup has turned things around over the last week, however, as several players have caught fire, including Wilyer Abreu, Roman Anthony and Trevor Story. Story led the way on Friday, going 4-for-5 with a home run, a stolen base, three runs and four RBI.
After the game, Story explained how the Red Sox have gotten back on track at the plate.
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“Just guys being convicted in their plan and executing it,” Story said. “When that happens, you create a lot of momentum, a lot of traffic, and obviously that’s more to think about for the opposing team. The more traffic we get, the more pressure we put on them, I think that’s where those big innings happen.”
There was plenty of traffic on Friday as Boston reached base 22 times, leading to 19 at-bats with runners in scoring position. During their seven-run fifth inning, the Red Sox had their first six batters reach base, scored four times before recording an out and sent 12 men to the plate.
Story may have been speaking from experience, as he’s been locked in for a while now. Over his last 30 games, he’s batting .316/.350/.544 with six homers, 28 RBI and five steals, carrying Boston’s offense at times while bouncing back from his rough May (.432 OPS).
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With Story stepping up in Devers’ absence and the young players around him hitting their stride, the Red Sox’s lineup suddenly looks a lot more potent than it did a few weeks ago.
