The Boston Red Sox (59-55) lost eight games in a row including a dreadful four-game sweep by the first-place NY Yankees in the Bronx.
With the latest losing streak, the 2019 Red Sox now have more losses (55) than last year’s World Series squad that went 108-54.
According to Fangraphs, the Red Sox only have a 1 percent chance to win the 2019 World Series. The Sox are less than 16 percent chance to even make the playoffs with a Wild Card spot.
AL EAST POSTSEASON PROJECTIONS (VIA FANGRAPHS)
NY Yankees (72-39) 99.8 percent
Tampa Bay Rays (65-48) 69.5 percent
Boston Red Sox (59-55) 15.9 percent
Toronto Blue Jays (45-69) 0 percent
Baltimore Orioles (38-73) 0 percent
The Red Sox and Yankees squared off in a pair of four game series spread out over two weekends. The Yanks came out ahead. The Sox fell 14.5 games behind the Yankees and trail the second-place Tampa Bay Rays by 6.5 games. The Tampa Rays are holding their own at 17 games above .500. The Rays are almost a 70 percent chance to lock up one of the two Wild Card spots.
The Wild Card is slipping away from the Red Sox. Right now, the AL Wild Card race is shaping up to be a three-team race between the Oakland A’s (64-48), Cleveland Indians (66-45), and Tampa Bay Rays. The Indians upgraded their outfield at the expense of trading Trevor Bauer to the Cincy Reds.
According to William Hill, the Boston Red Sox are 40/1 odds to win the World Series despite their losing streak.
Standing Pat the Culprit?
Boston Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski did not make any big-time moves at the trade deadline. Apparently, the act of standing pat sucked the confidence out of the locker room. If management thinks we’re a long shot and punting on the season, then what’s the point?
Lack of enthusiasm is infectious. The Red Sox looked like the opposite team that destroyed the Yankees at Fenway the weekend before. What a difference a week makes between teams. The Sox looked like they had fire in their bellies last weekend.
However, after the trade deadline passed without upgrading their starting pitching or closing situation, the Sox just didn’t have any fight in them.
The Sox lost eight games in the row and worst losing streak since July 2015.
“Overall, a horrible week. There’s no doubt in my mind these guys can turn it around,” said manager Alex Cora.
Cora remains optimistic despite the numbers stacked against them.
On Deck: KC Slump Buster
On the plus side, the Red Sox losing streak might quickly end. The Sox return to Boston for a seven-game homestand at Fenway.
The team desperately needs a slump buster and host the Kansas City Royals (40-73). The Royals are in the middle of their own horrid 6-game losing streak. The last-place Royals are also 1-9 in their previous 10 games.
The Sox swept the Royals in KC earlier this season.
