The Red Sox took another series on Tuesday with 5-4 win over the Tigers at Fenway. The win clinched Boston’s sixth straight series win. The team that started the season so terribly, now find themselves at 11-8-3 in series play for 2022, including a remarkable 10-1-2 in their last 13 series.
History in sight…
Since this article first posted, the Red Sox have continued to add wins. After sweeping the Guardians in Cleveland, Boston enters the final series of the month at 19-4 (.826). If they win two of the remaining three June games they’ll set a franchise record for the best June win percentage in club history (.800 in 1901). With three more June wins, Boston will finish the month at .846; with two wins they’ll finish at .808.
June has been sweet for the Red Sox. They’re 15-4 with seven games left in the month. As things stand, their .789 win percentage is their 2nd-highest for this month in franchise history. Only the very first Red Sox team, the 1901 crew, finished better at 20-5 (.800). To best that monthly club record, the Red Sox can’t lose more than one of their next seven. That’s a tall order, as after one more at home against Detroit, the Sox will head out to meet the Guardians and Blue Jays. They’ll need at least five more June wins to secure the club’s 2nd-best June.
Regardless how the month ends, it’s been good. Team offense has been solid, but it’s the pitching that’s really outperformed. Despite injuries that have sidelined Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Whitlock, Red Sox starters have a 2.41 ERA so far in June, the best mark in the Major Leagues. They’re allowed the 2nd-fewest runs and home runs in the big leagues.
Unfortunately, despite good work, the Red Sox can’t seem to advance on the Yankees, you have continued a strong pace set right out of the gate. Though Boston is 15-4 in June, New York has bested them by going an MLB-best 16-3 (.842). Catching New York, while possible, will be difficult.
No surprise that Manager Alex Cora remains focused on what he can control. “Yeah, [the Yankees] are doing an outstanding job. They’re playing good baseball,” he said Tuesday, “We have to take care of business.”
That means focusing his team on the opportunity afforded by the revised 2022 playoff rules, which includes three wild card spots, each played over three games, not one as in past years. Wild card slots are awarded to the non-division winners in each league with the best win-loss record, giving added value to banking these June wins.