It doesn't matter where you are with the schedule, or where you sit in the standings for that matter. Whether it's April, October or August, starting pitching is the name of the game.
It's what fueled the Red Sox run in June, when they went 20-6 and sat at the top of the American League wild-card race. And it was hardly a coincidence that the team's cliff-dive began in late June and early July when the team lost one starter after another. Forced to plug vacancies with young pitchers -- some of whom weren't quite ready -- the Sox plummeted to the bottom of the division.
In the last few weeks, one by one, the Red Sox have welcomed all of their injured starters back into the fold, though, of course, Chris Sale's return turned into a brief cameo, and he's gone again, this time for the remainder of the season.
But with Garrett Whitlock re-assigned to the bullpen and Rich Hill, Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Wacha all back healthy as part of the rotation, the Red Sox pitching staff is as good as it's going to get.
The short-term results on the homestand were encouraging. The Red Sox finished just 3-3, but in each of the final five games at Fenway, they got at least five innings from every starter and none allowed more than three runs.
On most nights, given the Red Sox' offensive capabilities, that would be more than enough for wins every time out. But at times, the lineup's Big Three -- Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez scuffled badly enough that the offense had a decided pop-gun nature to it.
Even with their series-clinching victory Sunday night, the Sox managed only three runs. But thanks to Wacha, that was plenty. Making his first start since June 28, Wacha was brilliant, delivering seven shutout innings during which he allowed just three baserunners -- none until the fourth inning. He finished with one walk and two hits allowed in a 3-0 shutout.
"You look up and you see his numbers,'' marveled Alex Cora, "he was pitching really well for us. For him to be back is big for us.''
Wacha brings more than a mid-90s fastball and an assortment of other offerings in his pitch mix. He also brings a veteran presence and know-how, which is something the Sox can't get from the likes of Kutter Crawford or Josh Winckowski -- capable but still green starting pitchers.
Wacha worked at his customary quick tempo and re-established a good rapport with catcher Kevin Plawecki. He barely broke a sweat as he carved up the New York lineup with precision. When he left in the seventh, he had pitched to just three batters over the minimum. He had at least one strikeout in every inning but the fifth, which is how long it took for the Yankees to put anyone on base against him.
And he seemed to particularly relish his confrontations with Aaron Judge, whom he retired on a groundout in the first before striking him out in both the fourth and sixth.
This didn't look like someone who had been on the IL for the last six weeks. This didn't look like someone who hadn't faced a major league lineup since the last days of June.
Wacha maintained that his dominance first game back wasn't a surprise to him, but he later conceded that he had never before felt this sharp in the immediate aftermath of an IL stint.
"I tried to prepare myself for this and be positive going into it,'' said Wacha. "(We thought) 'We're going to get ahead of these guys and then find ways to put them away with either a strikeout or some weak contact somewhere.' I felt like the two rehan outings went well, getting back into that five-day routine, I got myself prepared and I was ready for it.''
As for the team's uphill battle to climb back into contention, Wacha remains unabashedly optimistic.
"Most definitely we have a chance,'' he said. "Everyone in this clubhouse believes that we're still in this thing. And we really are. A lot can happen in these last 50 games. The mentality that we've got is come out, keep winning series, keep that momentum going and who knows? Make a run at this thing, get us in there and see what happens.''
More starts like Sunday, indeed, more starts like they got in the last five games, would make that quest significantly more viable.