Nathaniel Lowe talks joining the Red Sox
On the surface, it seemed like a nothing game. Just one of those nights, where another Monday night sellout crowd at Fenway Park gets the bad luck of the draw and gets a rare second straight home loss.
It had, after all, been since the first few days of June since the Sox had subjected their fans to back-to-back defeats at the home ballpark.
But this time of year, there is no such thing as nothing games. That's what should have been the takeaway from the Red Sox's 6-3 loss to the Orioles.
For starters, it was a reminder that everyone should avert their eyes when looking at the remaining strength of schedule. Previously bad teams could very well be hitting their strides, rejuvenated by call-ups and such. For example, meet the Baltimore baseball team.
The O's have won five of their last six games, and four of their most recent five road games. Their starting pitchers have posted a big league-best 3.06 ERA since July 19, this time being buoyed by the game's best starter over the past two months, Trevor Rogers.
This reality isn't going anywhere soon. The next team the Red Sox play, the Yankees, have won three games in a row, and if Alex Cora's club won that series at Yankee Stadiu,m it would be only the Sox's second road series win against a team over .500 all season.
After that, the Red Sox are back at it with the Orioles at Camden Yards and that aforementioned wave of starting pitching.
About that starting pitching ...
While the Red Sox have shown a propensity to take care of business against starters who might not necessarily be residing atop their respective rotations, it is the postseason-caliber starters - such as Rogers - who the Sox need to start finding solutions against. Not an easy task, but a necessary one.
Rogers presented a perfect example of the challenge that may potentially await. This pitcher has posted a 1.41 ERA this year, the lowest ERA through a player's first 12 starts of a season in Baltimore franchise history (since 1954). The Red Sox were just added to the list, with the lefty holding the hosts to one run and four hits over seven innings.
Sox starter Dustin May was good (6 IP, 2 R), but not good enough. It has been a familiar refrain. Hunter Brown. Dylan Cease. Michael Wacha. Christopher Sanchez. Shota Imanaga. Jose Berrios. They couldn't solve those guys either, resulting in losses.
Since turning their season around, the Red Sox's bats have had their moments, such as wins over Framber Valdez, Nick Pivetta and Clayton Kershaw. It's just that they need to start mixing in a few more of those moments.
Then there is the bullpen ...
The Red Sox are understandably on pins and needles when it comes to making sure Aroldis Chapman stays healthy heading into the season's most important stretch. Since Aug. 4, the lefty has pitched just 3 1/3 innings. They understand what is at stake, and the 37-year-old's recent history, which has seen two straight Septembers with significant downturns.
That's why the Red Sox need to uncover some late-inning reliability. There have been flashes of an ability to function in crunch time from the likes of Garrett Whitlock, Greg Weissert, Justin Wilson, and even newly-acquired Steven Matz.
But Plan A, when it comes to finding a backup plan for Chapman, Jordan Hicks, hasn't worked out, as was evidenced once again Monday night when the righty allowed two runs in a single inning for a second straight outing.
There are possible solutions. Justin Slaten's return is right around the corner, with his rehab slate starting this week. And the idea of integrating arms such as David Sandlin or Payton Tolle still isn't out of the question. (As Cora noted when asked about dropping minor leaguers in a pennant race without any big league experience, "If they're ready, they're ready.")
Monday night should have served as the Red Sox's warning shot. They are in a three-way tie in the wild card, are suddenly facing a potential fork-in-the-road week of baseball, and still have more than a few questions that need to be answered.
Welcome to meaningful, late-season baseball.