It was an historic night at Fenway Park on Friday night, as the Red Sox played their 18,000th game in team history, and it resulted in a 5-2 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays.
The record stands at 9,256 wins, 8,661 losses and 83 ties. That comes out to a winning percentage of .51655. That would be a record of 84-78 over an average season of 162 games.
The loss now means the Sox have dropped three straight, and are tied with the Baltimore Orioles for first place, as they won on Friday night.
Xander Bogaerts' 26-game hitting streak ended last night, as he struck out as the tying run in the ninth to end the game.
David Price went seven innings, allowed three runs and left with a 3-1 lead. Koji Uehara, who has been getting hit harder lately, gave up a two-run home run to Devon Travis in the eighth.
The offense could be an historic one this season, as the club has scored 326 runs (and no one is near them in MLB). But the pitching is shaky to say the least. The demotion of Joe Kelly means they currently have four starting pitchers. (Not counting Clay Buchholz, who has been banished to the pen.) They won't need to add one for two weeks, as there are upcoming off days which allow the team to go with just four.
The experts on social media are screaming for Dave Dombrowski to add another starter and help in the bullpen right now. The Sox have the prospects to trade, and have said they will add salary if they have to. But they have one thing against them right now, and something they can do nothing about: the calendar. Today is June 4th, and no team that is hopelessly out of it, and who maybe looking to move a quality arm, is in any rush to do it now. The prices are exhorbitantly high right now, as they would ask for only the A-list prospects. They will wait until the deadline of July 31st and see which team blinks and trades a prospect they wouldn't deal now. So don't expect any trades now.
The Red Sox will make some pitching moves, but it won't happen now. They will have to go the next two months with what they have in Boston and down on the farm.
The offense can cover some games that the pitching staff doesn't pitch well in, but they won't go all the way with what they have now on the mound. Keep the faith, help will arrive down the road.
