Red Sox welcome Yankess to Fenway Park as team falls into abyss

(080211, Boston, MA) fans take cover under anything handy, like pizza boxes and trash bags as the Red Sox take on the Guardians at Fenway Park. Tuesday, August 02, 2011. (Staff photo by Stuart Cahill) (Photo by Stuart Cahill/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty

What is the story about?

Sunday July 9th, 2006 was last day before the All-Star Break. The Red Sox were 53-32 entering that game. First place in the AL East. They won the first two games against the Chicago White Sox 7-2 and 9-6. Up 3-2 in the 9th, closer Jonathan Papelbon came in for the save. He blew it, allowing Chicago to tie the game. The Sox then scored 2 in the 11th inning. Mike Timlin came in and blew the save, allowing 2 runs to tie the game. In the bottom of the 19th, Rudy Seánez, in his third inning of work, allowed

a walkoff run. Boston was still in first place but the season had, more or less, ended. The Red Sox would go 33-43 over the remainder of the season and suffer injuries to Trot Nixon, Jason Varitek, Jon Lester, and Jonathan Papelbon. They would finish in third place. 2007 would, of course, still be exciting.

Similarly crushing losses in Colorado are the departing memories as the Sox fly back to Boston to face the first place Yankees. At home. Where they have struggled mightily.

Cam Schlittler once again takes on the Red Sox. In April, Schlittler went 8 innings and allowed 2 runs (1 earned). In June the Sox got him out of the game in 5.2 innings but he still only allowed 1 earned run. Last time out he struck out 13. Vaunted “draft guy” Chaim Bloom selected Caleb Bolden with the pick right before the Yankees in the seventh round of the 2022 draft. Bolden currently has s 4.50 ERA for the Portland SeaDogs. He is not in their top 60 prospects according to SoxProspects. He wasn’t that great in college so that’s more on Bloom than on the pitching development program. Connelly Early bounced back from his worst start of the season to hold the Mariners to 1 run in 6.0 innings. In April he allowed 3 runs in 5.1 to the Yankees.

Will Warren hasn’t been bad but hasn’t been great either. This is probably the Sox best chance to prevent a four-game sweep if we want to consider that possibility. He has six starts of fewer than 5.0 innings on the season including two of the last three. He hasn’t faced the Red Sox this season but last year allowed 15 runs in 14.1 innings against Boston. Payton Tolle had a low-strikeout (2) 6.0 inning start where he allowed 3 runs to the Mariners but the Sox only scored one time. He faced NY in his first start of the season when he struck out 11 over 6.0 innings only to have Danny Columbe and Greg Weissert lose the game.

Gerritt Cole is back after missing a season. Will Garrett Crochet return to face him someday? Who can say. Sadly, Cole looks healthy and possibly good. Though the Tigers hit him for 5 runs in 4.1 last time out. He returned in May in two 6.0 inning shutouts. Jake Bennett was the hard luck loser (he didn’t get an L but was denied a W) in the Aroldis Chapman Collapse game. Six shutout innings and 9Ks while not issuing a single walk? More of that, please. A steal by Craig Breslow here.

Not to be confused with Rodan, a foe of Godzilla, Rodón has recovered from his 6 ERA introduction to the Yankees. He missed the start of the season and hasn’t faced the Red Sox thus year. He hasn’t gone more than 6.0 innings and has allowed 3 runs exactly in five of his eight starts. Sonny Gray is coming off a dominant start against the Colorado Rockies going 7.0 innings, allowing 1 run, and striking out 11. Boston won his game in Yankee Stadium on June 5th where he allowd 3 runs in 6.1 innings. The Sox won 7-1 but are missing Ryan Weathers this time around.

Aaron Judge is still out but it hasn’t slowed them down, sadly.

Spencer Jones has come up and hit .220/.324/.356 with 2 home runs and 29 strikeouts in 23 games. Totally irrelevant but Nick Sogard and Spencer Jones are each worth 0.2 bWAR this year and Sogard needed only 12 games.

Cody Bellinger is the most valuable bat by WAR for New York at 3.8. He’s slashing .271/.370/.464 with 11 homers and 10 steals.

In the last 14 days Ben Rice is at just .220/.304/.460 for a .764 OPS. Maybe they catch him in a slump and the lineup becomes a bit less scary. The Red Sox took pitcher Chris Troye (7.20 ERA in Portland this season) in the same round that the Yankees took Rice. Prospects are random. Tanking won’t improve the team any time soon. Better luck will.