McAdam: For streaking Sox, road about to get tougher

What a difference a week can make.

Last Sunday, the Red Sox were crawling from the wreckage of a three-game sweep at the hands of the Orioles, trying -- without much success -- to explain what had hit them. In their wake: a comedy of errors, a punchless attack and one blowout loss.

If the sky wasn't falling, then certainly the Red Sox were ... right to the bottom of the division standings on the first weekend of the season.

And yet, they have successfully executed a rebound that almost defied description. A sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays got them back to sea level and a road sweep of the same Orioles who rubbed their noses in their own mess followed.

Crisis, what crisis?



Even as the Sox pounded the O's into submission Sunday at Camden Yards, launching six homers and spraying 17 hits around and out of the ballpark, for their sixth straight win, there was a distinctly measured tone in their postgame comments. Having been written off a week ago following a three-game stretch, the Red Sox knew better than to prematurely start fitting themselves for those souvenir "Division Champs'' hat that, once upon a time, got passed out in Champagne-soaked clubhouses.

"I told you guys, when we lost three and everyone was panicking, 'Relax guys, it's only three games, there's still a lot more games to go' '' said J.D. Martinez, who paced the attack Sunday with three homers and four RBI. "And I'll say it (again) right now: So what? We've won six in a row, but there's still a lot more to go. You don't get too high and you don't get too low. You kind of keep going and stay hungry.''

That's a prudent approach, because the truth of the matter is, things are about to get exponentially more challenging for the Sox. Give them credit, yes, for taking three in a row from the Rays at home. But the recent demolition of the Orioles shouldn't lull anyone into a false sense of security. Even if these Red Sox don't seem like a threat to take the division, they should be beating up the Orioles -- home or away.

Over the next 10 days, the Red Sox have four on the road with the Minnesota Twins, four at home with the resurgent Chicago White Sox and two more with the improved Toronto Blue Jays.

In other words, buckle up.



The Twins have won the AL Central each of the last two years and currently occupy first place in the division. The White Sox were among the most active teams the last two winters and are considered one of the handful of best teams in the league. And the Jays, while again dealing with forced relocation, are formidable.

None of which is to suggest that the Red Sox aren't firing on every proverbial cylinder. After an opening series in which it seemed like their bats hadn't made the trip with them from Fort Myers, the Sox' offense is operating at peak efficiency. In constructing their six-game winning streak, they've averaged nearly nine (8.83) runs per game and are batting .332 and slugging .574 with 12 homers in that span. At no point during the streak have they scored fewer than six runs.

When Nick Pivetta yielded a three-run homer in his final inning of work Sunday, it marked the first time in the streak that a Boston starting pitcher had been charged with allowing more than three earned runs. Finally, the defense which seemed so slipshod during the season's opening series is now virtually airtight.

Third baseman Rafael Devers, who usually manages to give off the impression that his glove doesn't thaw out until May, turned in spectacular plays at third in the last two games in Baltimore, both to his backhand. On Saturday, as the Orioles threatened with the bases loaded, he roamed behind the bag to handle a smash, set himself quickly and launched a laser to first to get the out and save at least two runs.

On Sunday, he extended himself fully to snare a high, hard liner before having the presence of mind to gun a throw to first to finish off a double play and quell a second-inning rally.

In fact, beyond the nice-problem-to-have issue of mop-up relievers being cuffed around while protecting enormous leads, are seemingly without fault for the time being.

But the next four will see the Red Sox facing J.A. Happ, Cy Young-runner up Kenta Maeda, fireballing Jose Berrios and Michael Pineda, which is far stretch from, say, Bruce Zimmermann and Jorge Lopez. The White Sox and Jays will up the ante, too, with quality starters of their own.

How well the Sox do over these next 10 games will not make-or-break their season anymore than their first three permanently derailed their season, or the most recent six have guaranteed them a return to the postseason. But a strong showing against markedly better teams will lend these Sox further legitimacy.

As Martinez himself wisely intoned: There's still a lot more to go.