Boston Red Sox: 3 great takeaways from Chicago White Sox series
1. This Team is beginning to look eerily similar to the 2013 Boston Red Sox
Ever since Spring Training this team has drawn comparisons to how the 2013 Boston Red Sox team was built. While that doesn’t mean this team is World Series bound, there are definitely some similarities that are becoming more and more noticeable as the season progresses.
This comparison was eerily clear to those of us who watched the opening game of this series. The lineup wasn’t having much success hitting the ball against Dylan Cease, and with Pivetta struggling on the other end, things didn’t look to good for the Sox. Eventually, they were able to chase Cease from the game, and then pounced on Chicago’s bullpen to eventually pull away and win the game.
If that sounds familiar to you, well it should, because that was the blueprint of the 2013 Boston Red Sox team, particularly in their ALCS series against the Detroit Tigers.
That team would gradually wear down Detroit’s starters, such as Justin Verlander or Max Scherzer, and then pounce on Detroit’s bullpen to pull out victories. With the way the roster is constructed, and how many comparisons have been made so far, it was impossible to not get flashbacks to that 2013 team in the process.
It’s clear where the comparisons come from, as Kike Hernandez, Marwin Gonzalez, and Hunter Renfroe fit the same bill as Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes, and Shane Victorino did as veteran pieces who come in and help stabilize the Red Sox, leading them to victories in the process. Those veterans have been solid for the Red Sox so far, and they’ve seemingly helped the returning core of Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers figure out how win ballgames.
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While this isn’t to say this team will make the World Series, let alone the playoffs, it’s clear that expectations for this team need to be readjusted. They just forced a perennial Cy Young candidate out of today’s game after only one inning, which shows just how dangerous this lineup is.
Sure they will struggle to score at times throughout the season, such as yesterday’s doubleheader set, but this team has shown us so far that they have the potential to make some noise this season.