McAdam: Middle of Red Sox order has yet to click

The rotation, they suspected, would be an issue. The bullpen, too, could have some at least occasional problems.

But never did the Red Sox expect their offense would be the weak link.

And yet, one week into the season, here we are.

In getting smothered by the New York Yankees 5-1 Friday night, the Red Sox managed just five hits. Only one -- a solo homer from Christian Vazquez -- was for extra bases. After the fourth inning, the Red Sox didn't get a man into scoring position, and in five of the nine innings, they were retired 1-2-3.

Keep in mind that they weren't facing Gerrit Cole, whom they mercifully miss in this series. Or, for that matter, Masahiro Tanaka and James Paxton, though they're lined up for the next two nights.

No, this silencing came at the hands of Jordan Montgomery, who earned his first major league win in more than two years after missing most of that time recovering from Tommy John surgery.

That the Sox scuffled offensively is hardly a new development. Although they came in tied for second in runs scored, their total is skewed. Yes, they've managed 37 runs in eight games, but 13 of those came on Opening Night. Since then, they've scored 24 in the other seven games, or a little more than three per game.

And as has been clearly demonstrated, except on rare occasions, they haven't pitched nearly well enough to win when they're scoring three or so runs.

Other than the otherworldly Vazquez, the Red Sox are not getting much production from their regulars. J.D. Martinez is hitting .219 with a .637 OPS and has yet to hit a homer. Rafael Devers is at .172. And Xander Bogaerts, who had singles to "lift" his average to .240, has an OPS of just .656.

They represent the 2-3-4 spots in the Red Sox order, but they're not producing as expected. Devers doesn't have a single RBI. Bogaerts has exactly one extra-base hit. Martinez is 2-for-23 since the first two games.

"It's been tough,'' conceded Martinez. "We've been grinding. It would be nice for one of us to get going a little bit. But yeah, it's been a little bit of a tough stretch. It's one of those things -- it kind of is what it is. Obviously, when your heart of your order and your big sluggers aren't going there and driving in runs, the doubt kind of creeps in.''

That doesn't begin to take into account that Andrew Benintendi, who was appointed leadoff hitter at the start of the season, has just two hits to date -- one of them, a bunt single.

In some way, Martinez is the linchpin for the lineup. He's been one of the most consistent run producers in his first two seasons in Boston, but hasn't supplied much at all after the first two games. He was installed in the second spot in the order, on the theory that that's where your most dangerous hitter belongs.

But that's been a moot point a week into the season.

"No doubt J.D.'s a huge part of that lineup,'' said Ron Roenicke. "When you go 2-3, you've got him and then Devers. When those two are swinging like we know they can, we're going to score runs. I know that they feel that, they know that. J.D. was swinging the bat really well when we first started the season and then he got cold. For whatever reason, guys get a little out of whack. He's there right now.''

Martinez described his own swing as "awful'' currently.

"I'm just trying to find it, really,'' he said. "Grinding away, trying to figure it out.''

It hasn't helped that Martinez seldom has anybody on base when his turn arrives. Before Friday night, the Red Sox had a .179 batting average for their leadoff spot and an on-base percentage of .280.

Not table-setting numbers for Martinez and the hitter who follow him in the lineup.

In a normal season, Martinez would be poring over video in between at-bats and working on his swing in the cage. But in-game video has been banned this season, and time in the batting cage is metered out carefully due to the need for social distancing.

"It's definitely been an adjustment for me,'' Martinez said. "It's a big part of my routine and it's a big part of who I am - the studying and everything. I kind of have to find a new routine.''

The track record suggests this is temporary. There's too much talent in the lineup for this to continue much longer.

But for now, their lack of production is just one more problem the Red Sox don't need.

"You look at those three and if I'm an opposing team,'' said Roenicke, "I really don't want to go through those three. But right now, the three aren't clicking.''

And neither are the Red Sox.