Before the first game of the much-anticipated Red Sox’ three-game series against the Yankees, the perceived target of many Sox fans' ire, Cam Schlittler, addressed the idea that this rivalry between his hometown team and his current club might not be what it used to be.
“I think it’s trending in the right direction,” Schlittler said.
Three games later … Nope.
Take your pick regarding why the scene and vibes at Fenway this week were light years away from the chaos of the recent height of rivalry revelry. Too many emboldened Yankees fans. The distraction of other New England sports teams' activities. And, most notably, the reality of a beaten-down Red Sox fan base.
It was evident before Schlittler shut down the Red Sox for eight innings on the way to the Yankees' 4-2 win. The social media vitriol that many were suggesting would carry over to the visitors' bullpen wasn't a thing, and neither was any sort of fan-induced discomfort once the Walpole native took the mound.
"You underestimate how many good people show up to the ballpark," Schlittler said. “It was great. For the most part, they were really respectful, and it seemed like there were a lot of Yankees fans here."
Apathy is the most dangerous word in the Red Sox universe, especially when it comes to meetings involving the Yankees. But thanks to the Sox's current existence, it was absolutely what won out over the last three games.
Perhaps the most notable element of the entire equation is not so much when something uninspiring happens. It's the surprise when an impactful moment surfaces.
Payton Tolle strikes out the first five batters he faces on the way to going toe-to-toe with Schlittler. That was something.
Marcelo Mayer rifled an RBI double off the left field wall to give the Red Sox an actual lead. A lead? It is a dynamic that certainly has felt foreign.
And then there was Carlo Narvaez's home run. A home run! The feeling of surprise when a Red Sox hitter clears the fences has been rooted in the fan base through this 9-16 start. The reason? The 14 games without a home run this season are second only to the punchless Giants.
It all felt like such an aberration.
But before the Red Sox fans could start mustering up the confidence to shout down those Yankees fans, the optimism was quickly pushed aside thanks to a three-run seventh inning that gave the visitors the lead for good. And, as has been the norm, once the Red Sox fall behind, they have usually remained in that position.
Take your pick when it comes to numbers supporting the fan base's depression:
- The Red Sox have scored two or fewer runs in six of their last seven games.
- The Yankees' starters allowed just two runs over 22 1/3 innings.
- The Sox have recorded six or fewer hits in six of their last seven games.- They are seven games out of first place in the American League.
The litany of blame and suggested solutions was flying fast and furious as the Yankees strutted out of town. But perhaps the first step came with Narvarez's simple admission after the game, finally surfacing the idea that there should be a sense of urgency, no matter what the calendar reads.
"We've been saying it's early, but we cannot have that mentality," the catcher said. "We work every single game, every single day, and it’s just about time [to snap out of this]. At the same time, we’re grinding. The most important thing is the next three games, and then the next three games. That's got to be the focus right now."
Maybe this will be the ultimate wake-up call for the Red Sox. It better be. Otherwise, you're going to have the kind of sleepy fan base that makes for a very, very long and uninteresting summer.
