Red Sox Must Improve Against AL East Opponents -- Fast
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox have not been short on story lines through the first three months of the season. Some have lasted longer than others, but one that's yet to disappear has been the team's inability to climb all the way out of .500-ville, a place at which they've spent most of the season.
After Monday's loss to the Blue Jays, they're now 38-35 overall. That knocked them off their best record of the season, when they were four games above .500 for the first time all season after taking two of three from the Braves over the weekend. Now, they are once again in last place of the American League East.
It's an appropriate place for the Sox to be, considering how much trouble they've had with AL East opponents this year. In fact, those struggles more than anything are the reason the Red Sox are where they are in the standings.
Monday's loss dropped their record against the Blue Jays on the season to 3-4. Against the Baltimore Orioles, the Sox are 3-6. Against the first-place Yankees, they're 0-2. Against the Rays, they're 5-4.
Put it all together, and you have an 11-16 record against divisional opponents, all of which sit above you in the standings. Against teams from other divisions, the Red Sox are 27-19, which gives them a (.587) winning percentage. Had they been able to play like that against all teams, they'd be 43-30 and in second place in the division. Instead, they're not even close.
Had the Red Sox been able to mix in a few more wins against Baltimore, a team with just a plus-four run differential, and against the Blue Jays, who are basically a .500 team against the rest of the majors, they'd be holding one of the wild-card spots at the moment.
But if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, then it'd be Christmas every day. And the Red Sox would be in first place. But the reality is they haven't been able to win those games, and if they can't put together wins against AL East opponents soon (they have 14 games against the Blue Jays, Yankees and Rays between now and July 29), they'll never climb out of the basement.
The good news, in the short term at least, is that Daisuke Matsuzaka will take his 7-1 career record and 3.46 ERA against Toronto to the hill Tuesday night at Fenway. If the Red Sox are going to turn this season around, it's going to have to start now.
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