This team’s doing ‘fine’
But that’s just not good enough
NEW YORK — These past 10 days, there was nothing Dustin Pedroia could do but watch. He took some swings in batting practice, fielded some ground balls, then sat on the dugout bench and watched the Red Sox do what they’ve been doing for two months now.
Come to life for a while, fall apart for a while and ultimately settle somewhere in the disappointing middle.
“Obviously, consistency is the key,” Pedroia said. “If you’re consistent in all parts of the game, you’ll win, you know what I mean? You’ve got to do it. You’ve got to do all the parts together at the same time. That’s it. We all know that. It’s only a matter of time to when that happens.”
It hasn’t happened yet. Not over an extended period of time. Not beyond that homestand that brought them back from the brink.
Pedroia sprained his left wrist in a first base tumble in Chicago in a loss that opened a road trip that ended last night, and the injury left him on the bench the rest of the time while the Red Sox won their last two against the White Sox, then lost two in Baltimore before beating the Orioles twice, then dropped 2-of-3 to the Yankees, including last night’s 9-1 rout.
Manager John Farrell admitted disappointment.
“You come off the road even,” Farrell said. “We felt like it could have been better, certainly.”
Pedroia only shrugged. The second baseman had seen it before.
“I thought we played well at times and then didn’t,” Pedroia said. “That’s baseball. I think overall, tough trip, but I thought we did fine. We’re going to go home now and try to get on a roll. I know we’re only home for five days, we’re kind of in a weird stretch where it’s kind of long trips, but we’re getting into the grind now. So, I thought we did fine.”
This wasn’t the point Pedroia was trying to make, but “fine” seems to be the right word. It’s the Red Sox’ own four-letter word.
Five games above .500. Three games out of first place in the AL East. Thirdmost wins in the AL. They’re currently in a playoff spot, so things are . . . fine.
Pedroia’s coming back tonight for a game at Fenway Park against the Detroit Tigers. Starter Eduardo Rodriguez’ knee might be healing faster than expected. Reliever Carson Smith is finally facing hitters. It’s . . . fine.
But, man, these past 48 hours were an opportunity to be so much more. With Rick Porcello and David Price starting against New York, with a chance to take first place in the division, the Red Sox had an opportunity to make their first real statement of the season.
That late-May homestand, with its six-game winning streak and surge into second place, was more of a necessity than a statement. It was a good week of baseball that pulled the Red Sox back from a .500 record. That one good week made them relevant again.
They’re still relevant. They’re . . . fine.
But these past three days were an opportunity for the Red Sox to reassert themselves as the team to beat in the AL East. Time to show that hot-shot Aaron Judge and the rejuvenated CC Sabathia that the Yankees might be better than anyone expected, but they’re still not the best.
Well, right now, the Yankees still are the best.
Sabathia shut out the Red Sox for eight innings Wednesday night while Porcello became the first pitcher to reach eight losses this season. Price flipped out at a reporter, then pitched an absolute dud last night. The only run the Red Sox have scored in the past 22 innings came on a passed ball.
What was that Pedroia said about all the parts coming together at the same time? The Red Sox were starting to build something, and for 48 hours it fell apart again. “It’s tough,” Pedroia said. Did he evaluate it any differently from his sideline seat?
“No, because I understand how hard the game is,” he said. “It’s not Playstation where you can say, ‘How come you didn’t swing at that?’ or, ‘How come you made that pitch there?’ I understand how difficult the game is. You just have to go play, and it’s tough. We’ll find a way.”
It’s not going to get much easier. The Red Sox are home for only five days before going on yet another three-city road trip. The saving grace might be the bookend series in Philadelphia and Kansas City, but right in the middle is Houston, where the best team in baseball is currently playing.
The Red Sox are supposed to be the type of team that can compete with a team like the Astros. And maybe they will be.
For right now, though, the past 48 hours have revealed the Red Sox to be exactly the team they’ve been for much of this season. They’re fine, for better and for worse.