Anyone who watched the Red Sox' 7-3 loss to the Royals Sunday afternoon might come away thinking that this team is so far from pulling away from anyone in the American League East.
Starting pitching. Nope. Defense. Certainly not. Across-the-board hitting. Not really. Sorry, those were the impressions left at least for one day against less-than-impressive Royals team.
But if there is anything we've learned from this edition from the Red Sox team it is that every time we start to get the kind of uneasy vibes the series finale left behind, some sort of positive punctuation was on the way.
It's the reason on June 21 the Red Sox sit in first-place in the American League East, 1/2 game ahead of second-place Tampa Bay, 4 1/2 up on the Yankees and a full seven games on top of Toronto.
Alex Cora's team is a 1/2-game away from owning the best record in the American League with a respectable plus-34 run-differential, the seventh-best mark in the majors.
Now comes the Red Sox' best opportunity to date -- three games against the Rays leading into three more with the Yankees.
To give an idea of how this time of year can present very real crossroads, just think back to June 21, 2018. On that day the Red Sox and Yankees were deadlocked atop the A.L. East standings. Over the next month the Red Sox went 21-5, allowing for a 4 1/2-game lead over the Yankees.
So, how can the Sox repeat history? Here are some thoughts ...
FIND A SEMBLANCE OF AN ACE
Nathan Eovaldi's outing against the Royals was yet another reminder of the bind the Red Sox find themselves. They simply don't have that starter you absolutely know will give you six solid innings. He was trending toward becoming that, but then ... the sad trombone that was four innings on 87 pitches.
It has been a theme with this team. Starters offer glimpses of hope only to be mired into a collection of starts resulting in fewer than five innings.
The really good teams -- which the Red Sox want to classify themselves as -- have at least one starter who you know will offer innings while others are trying to figure it out. During that run in 2018, for instance, the Sox got starts of six or more innings 12 times, going 11-1 with that sort of output.
It's why Tyler Glasnow's injury was such a hit to the Rays. He was that guy. Just like Kevin Gausman (Giants), Trevor Bauer (Dodgers), Walker Buehler (Dodgers), Chris Bassitt (A's), Zack Wheeler (Phillies), Zack Greinke (Astros), and Gerrit Cole (Yankees) are for their respective teams.
While the Red Sox are middle-of-the-pack in starters innings this month, their starters' collective record is just 3-8 with a 5.79 ERA. Also, for June they have the third-worst WHIP in baseball.
Somebody needs to step up.
THEY NEED A LEADOFF HITTER
This isn't anything new, and the Red Sox certainly have gotten by without consistent production at the top spot.
But the importance of having a capable hitter in the No. 1 spot was highlighted once again Sunday, with the light-hitting Marwin Gonzalez (who had filled in for an injured Christian Arroyo) coming up as the potential game-tying run in the eighth inning. The result was an inning-ending double play.
This team doesn't have a logical fit for the leadoff spot. That is understood. But if that is the case the priority should be giving a hot/capable hitter an opportunity for another at-bat. Just because Danny Santana can run a little doesn't mean you want him to have one more at-bat than any really anyone else in the batting order.
Maybe you give Enrique Hernandez another whirl considering he has managed an .810 OPS over the last 10 days. Or you think outside-the-box with Hunter Renfroe. Then there is the notion of sliding up Alex Verdugo and figuring the rest.
Worst leadoff OPS in baseball. Second-fewest walks. Third-worst batting average. It has to be better.
Thought: Boy, the Royals' Whit Merrifield would sure look good on this team, wouldn't he?
ONE MORE BRIDGE GUY
The Red Sox aren't as desperate in this area as they were heading into June. Then the path to Matt Barnes was consistently inconsistent.
But some solutions have been uncovered thanks to Adam Ottavino and Josh Taylor, with neither pitcher allowing an inherited runner to score in June while giving up a combined two runs in 12 2/3 innings.
The next tier, hasn't been bad either. Hirokazu Sawamura (.156 batting average against in June), Darwinzon Hernandez (.200 BAA) and Garrett Whitlock (0.90 ERA in 10 innings) have become more of the solution than the problem.
But if the Red Sox' starters are going to keep jumping ship after four or five innings, every one of these guys are going to be stretched.
Perhaps Tanner Houck will be part of this equation, either morphing into the multi-inning reliever the likes of Matt Andriese and Whitlock lived life as, or pushing a current starter into that role.
Down the road, Chris Sale's presence might have the same impact, allowing the Red Sox identify one of their starters as a legitimate weapon out of the bullpen.
Thought: Boy, the Pirates' Richard Rodriguez would sure look good on this team, wouldn't he?
NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME FOR A JUMPSTART
It was no coincidence that part of the aforementioned late June run by the Red Sox in 2018 coincided with Dave Dombrowski trading for Steve Pearce.
Sometimes it pays to not wait around until the end of July for a difference-maker.
It's a dynamic the Rays are banking on with the promotion of baseball's top prospect, Wander Franco. And it might be a good time for the Red Sox to start entertaining their own set of jumper cables in the form of Jarren Duran.
Duran is clearly feeling pretty good about himself after his well-received stint with Team USA and some momentous moments with Triple-A Worcester since his return. (Duran hit a three-run, walk-off homer for the WooSox Sunday.) It's the kind of confidence that can go a long way when finding the right time to make such a move.
The Red Sox waited until late July to make such a commitment with Rafael Devers, with the addition paying off big-time for that 2017 team. But with Arroyo most likely down for a bit with his knee ailment, it would seem to be a good time to slide Hernandez to second base while integrating Duran.
Probably not going to happen, but it certainly should be something to think about.
IT'S TIME FOR A FEW GUYS TO GET HOTTER THAN HOT
We know that a huge part of the foundation for this team is the middle of the order -- Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez and Alex Verdugo. They represent the fail-safe.
But you know what really put the Red Sox over the top in that 21-5 run? Mookie Betts (hitting .389 with a 1.140 OPS), Martinez (.364, 1.112), Andrew Benintendi (.341, .911), Bogaerts (.287, .946) and Pearce (.394, 1.111) all were awesome.
The Red Sox need some guys to be awesome.
It's not complicated. Winning baseball rarely is.