As the 2021 season approaches the one-quarter mark, there's a lot to like about the Red Sox.
Their offense, though quieted each of the last two nights, leads the majors in virtually every significant offensive category, including the most important one -- run scored. All of this has been accomplished with very little help from the bottom third of the order, which suggests that if the Sox getting more from their lower half, the offense stands to be even more fearsome.
The starting rotation has outstripped expectations and proven to be durable so far. And at the back end, Matt Barnes has been nearly perfect in save situations, allowing just two baserunners all season in such instances.
Alas, these Red Sox are not perfect because, really, what fun would that be?
And on Tuesday night, a glaring weakness was on display for all to see. After Nathan Eovaldi limited the Oakland A's to a single run on two hits over six innings, the game was turned over to the team's high-leverage set-up men, who promptly fumbled it away. It's this area -- the bridge between, say, the fifth and ninth innings, that could use the most improvement.
"We need to get the job done in those innings,'' said Alex Cora flatly.
A few weeks back, Cora identified his ride-or-die relievers: Darwinzon Hernandez, Adam Ottavino and Barnes. Of that trio, however, only Barnes has regularly delivered. A lot of games can slip away from a team when the set-up relievers can't get the lead to Barnes -- as Tuesday's 3-2 loss to the A's so clearly demonstrated.
Hernandez was summoned in the seventh in a 1-1 game and promptly issued a leadoff walk -- never good for business. He followed that with two more singles, and after getting old friend Mitch Moreland on a groundout, was pulled.
"He was wild today,'' said Cora of the lefty. "He couldn't command the fastball and he put himself in a tough spot.,''
Ottavino induced a slow chopped to third, resulting in a forceout at the plate. With the Sox an out away from escaping being down only a run, Elvis Andrus dropped a bloop single in front of Hunter Renfroe in right and the visitors led by two.
Part of the problem has been a lack of control on the part of the team's set-up relievers. Hernandez is averaging nearly a walk an inning (11 in 11.2 innings pitched) and Ottavino has been only slightly better (11 in 14.2 innings, with another two hit-batsman).
"We hate traffic, right?'' said Cora. "It's tough. You have to be perfect at the end. You don't need to hit rockets or hit home runs when there's traffic around. Good things happen and that's what they did today.''
The Red Sox knew this was going to be an area with some experimentation in the early part of the season. With Ryan Brasier sidelined with a calf strain, they needed to identify other trustworthy arms to serve as the link between the starter and Barnes. But Ottavino and Hernandez have been far from dependable. Hernandez has been dominant on the road -- no runs in seven appearances and a 10-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio, but oddly wild at home. Meanwhile, Ottavino has had 17 appearances and only three have been completely clean (no baserunners allowed).
In the seventh and eighth innings, there's little margin for error. You either protect a lead or you invite trouble.
"We're searching,'' said Cora. "You've seen in. We still have to get these guys going. They're very important. Stuff-wise, we know what they can do. We've seen it before. But we need them to do more consistently. When that happens, the structure is going to be a lot easier.''
The internal options are few. Perhaps Hirokazu Sawamura, who was effective in two scoreless innings (four strikeouts), seems to be gaining in confidence. Brasier is weeks away. Brandon Workman, the prodigal one, has some things to work out at Triple-A before he earns his way back to Fenway.
Until then, the Sox can either hope for longer outings from their starters or stretches in which the offense scores enough so that there's more of a cushion in the late innings.