There is a very real danger in defining teams' existences when it comes to digesting a Major League Baseball season. Even this late in the season. Even with these roller coaster Red Sox.
But with 38 games remaining and the Red Sox now sitting five games back of a Wild Card spot after a 7-3 loss to the Astros Tuesday night, the true picture seems to start coming into focus. (For a complete recap, click here.)
The fact of the matter is that it's more difficult than ever to see how these pieces will into the puzzle that seemed very manageable as recent as a few days ago.
Maybe the Red Sox beat Houston Wednesday. And then again Thursday. Sweep the Dodgers on the way to taking care of these Astros back at Fenway Park. That would certainly be on brand for this team.
It's just that some aspects of this equation are becomingly very difficult to ignore.
As pointed out Tuesday, the Red Sox aren't chasing the Mariners - who currently own the third Wild Card spot. Seattle, who have now won eight straight, is undoubtedly going to make the postseason. Not only are they good, with great pitching and the vibes of a club who now feels they are destined for big things, but there is also the reality that the next four teams on their schedule are a combined 137 games under .500.
Catching the Mariners simply isn't happening. You need to take care of business against the team you are chasing, the Astros. That hasn't happened.
There is also the matter of how this Red Sox roster feels compared to the likes of the these other contenders. While Houston is able to roll out the likes of newly-acquired Justin Verlander to go a long with a roster that was also supplemented by reliever Kendall Graveman, the Red Sox have been left hoping for best-case scenario from players who hadn't played in the big leagues in months.
Chris Sale. Garrett Whitlock. Trevor Story. Tanner Houck. This was the group that would be allowing for the Red Sox to keep pace when the schedule's rubber met the road in late August. There has been some good. There has been some bad. But the combination of additional injuries (Jarren Duran, Justin Turner) and recent downturns, the Sox haven't landed with the image portrayed by the postseason contenders.
Masa Yoshida's OPS in August is .604, while Story sits with a .517 OPS. And Rob Refnsyder - so much a bigger part of the solution than any problem for most of the season - has only two hits in 22 plate appearances this month.
The one step forward, one and a half steps back dynamic has also been spurred on with the issues Rafael Devers has recently faced in the field at third base, tempering the positive that has been the improved defense from shortstop.
Perhaps fittingly, it just seems the Red Sox once again find themselves trying to figure out who they are. They are 10-10 this month. Seems about right. The Yankees? They have defined themselves as a bad team, one which a contending club should sweep. Teams like Astros and Mariners? That's another story.
There is still time for the Red Sox to flip the script one more time. But it sure seems like those pages are becoming tougher to turn than ever before.
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