In recent history, a series with the Baltimore Orioles has represented a bit of an oasis for the Red Sox.
No matter how bad things have been against the rest of the American League, or, in particular, the rest of the division, the Red Sox could always count on a visit with the Orioles to cure what ails them.
Last year, after the Orioles stunned the Red Sox with an opening series gut punch, the Red Sox went on to take 13-of-16 from the Orioles. In pro sports, nothing is guaranteed, but games with the lowly O's, who haven't been contenders since 2016, is as close as it gets.
So it reasonable to expect that after a brutal start to the current road trip, with five losses in the first seven games, the Red Sox arrived at Camden Yards represented a chance to pocket some easy wins. It took them only a while to discover otherwise.
By the second inning, the Red Sox led 3-0 thanks to a two-run homer from Christian Arroyo and an unearned run thanks to an error by Trey Mancini in right field. The Red Sox were off and running.
But a funny thing happened after the second. The Sox offense, which had produced five baserunners the first time through the batting order, suddenly shut down. Rookie starter Kyle Bradish, making his MLB debut, recovered from the three-run second and retired 12 of the next 13 hitters he faced. And even with Bradish left, the offensive slumber continued: from the third through the eighth inning, the Red Sox had exactly one hit -- a two-out double by Rafael Devers in the third -- and only two baserunners.
Red Sox pitching managed to blank the Orioles over the first eight, but in the ninth, a homer, a single, a balk and a walk brought the potential winning run to the plate. Matt Strahm, called upon to rescue an ineffective Hansel Robles, finally slammed the door with a strikeout of Chris Owings.
The Sox finally notched a 3-1 win, but it was far more difficult than it should have been, and served as a reminder, that, until further notice, the Red Sox can take little for granted.
That's how it's been all season. Even on nights when the Red Sox race out to an early lead, as they did Friday night, they somehow turn the offensive engine off and sputter until the finish line. Few times have the Sox successfully added on and put opponents away.
Those kind of games are necessary every once in a while, so that Alex Cora can call upon his low leverage relievers for some work, without having the final five or six outs feel like a tense playoff atmosphere. Through 21 games, the Red Sox have won nine times, and only twice has the winning margin exceeded three runs.
At times, the bullpen has been the culprit, allowing teams to come back in the middle and late innings, and make things tighter than they should be. But mostly, the team's propensity to have to sweat out so many close decisions -- 13 of the 21 games have been decided by either one or two runs -- is most closely linked to the underachieving offense.
Take Friday night. Though they had almost no baserunners, and thus, no opportunities to extend their lead for much of the night, they put the leadoff man on base in the ninth when Devers opened with a sharp single to center. But a flyout and groundout followed, and even after Arroyo joined Devers on the basepaths with a two-out walk, the Sox couldn't capitalize and provide themselves with some insurance.
That failure nearly cost them in the ninth when the potential tying run reached base with two outs. Even with the expanded dimensions of Camden Yards, one swing of the bat could have sent the night crashing down for the Sox.
Certainly, the starting rotation isn't to blame. Over the last 14 games, Red Sox starters have posted a collective 2.57 ERA. That kind of pitching should have positioned the Sox for another three or four wins at minimum in that span, but a multitude of other factors -- some leaky late-inning defense, suspect bullpen work, and of course, a punchless attack -- has resulted in just six wins in the 14-game stretch.
Having to work so hard, night after night, to beat even bad teams like the Orioles takes its toll after a while. It's mentally exhausting to have every game come down to the final inning or two, especially for a team that has such an unsettled bullpen, with most roles still undefined.
The silver lining, if such a thing exists, is that the Sox don't have to face the Yankees, Blue Jays or Rays again for almost two months. In theory, that should make it somewhat easier for them to crawl out of the early-season ditch they have dug for themselves.
But not if they continue to play down to the level of their opposition, or fail to take advantage when presented with the opportunity to put teams away early.
The good news? The Sox have two more games with Baltimore, owners of the worst record in the league and without their best pitcher for the rest of the season.
The reality? If the Red Sox don't get their offense in gear and earn themselves some more one-sided wins, even games against the O's can prove to be a challenge.