I am a Red Sox fan and have been so excited about the pitching staff and the success this year. Unfortunately, everything seems to be melting down simultaneously and the pitching staff is imploding. This is a major issue.
Many of the local sports stations suggest that the Sox should be happy with a simple playoff birth and should not be concerned with winning the division. Furthermore, they suggest that the Red Sox should actually rest players now in preparation for the playoffs.
I disagree with the above logic. Resting is always a good idea, but the problem is that they risk entering the playoffs on the downswing. That is, I believe that momentum is important and if the team just gives up and rests players then they will likely end the season with a losing streak. My issue is that this does not position the team for success in the playoffs.
Truthfully, as it stands, I am very concerned about the Red Sox. This is the time of the year where they should be excelling and not collapsing. My feeling is that unless there is a major turnaround by the end of September, that the Red Sox do not have a bright future in the playoffs. In fact, I would not surprise if they didn’t make it past the first round. Don’t get me wrong, I would love them to, but I do not believe that they are playing well enough to move on. Only time will tell, but there is very little time left and they need to get things back on track, fast.