:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/64988560/usa_today_10337616.0.jpg)
In what turned in to something of a nail-bitter, the Red Sox topped the Kansas City Royals 7-5 to snap an 8-game losing streak on Monday. The streak, completely unheard of in the 108-win 2018 season, was the team’s longest string of losses since losing 8 straight in 2015 and 2014 (which also included a 10 game losing streak). While these aren’t the worst losing streaks in team history - the honor remains with the 1926 Sox’ 17(!) game streak - the games sure weren’t fun to watch.
Recent Losing Streaks
| Streak Start | Losses | Runs Scored | Runs Allowed | Run Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Streak Start | Losses | Runs Scored | Runs Allowed | Run Differential |
| 7/28/2019 | 8 | 32 | 58 | 26 |
| 7/12/2015 | 8 | 13 | 47 | 34 |
| 5/15/2014 | 10 | 21 | 54 | 33 |
| 8/17/2014 | 8 | 21 | 46 | 25 |
| 9/25/2012 | 8 | 18 | 56 | 38 |
It’s almost hard to believe that the team that was so dominant last season, and is still in the playoff hunt, just played as a stretch of baseball as bad teams that finished in last place. This is with an offense that has some of the top players in baseball!
Entering play on Friday, Mookie Betts led the majors is runs scored and is followed (in the AL) by Rafael Devers (92) and Xander Bogaerts (89). Devers and Bogaerts were behind only Mike Trout for the RBI lead.
The Red Sox have the most hits (1127) in the AL, the most doubles (247), RBI (627), and batting average (.274). They are second in OBP and walks behind the Astros.
The 2014 team finished in the bottom half in runs scored, hits, homers, RBI, stolen bases...it was a bad team. This was a team that lost 91 games. The 2019 Sox, for all their faults, would need to lose 35 of their remaining 46 games games to end the season with that record. A mere .240 winning percentage for the rest of the season. As bad as they played during the past week, no one thinks this is a team playing for long stretches below that of the Detroit Tigers who are sitting on a .297 winning percentage this year at 33-78.
2019 may not be the Red Sox year. And it definitely isn’t 2018. But last week looks dreadful and compares well with some of the recent terrible Boston teams.
A full season of that week would be a an offense that scored 648 runs and a pitching staff that allowed 1175 runs! Over eight games the Red Sox lost by 3,1,3,5,2,7,2, and 3 runs. Seven runs, sure. Five runs, that’s a loss. But 2 or 3 runs? That’s losing, sure, but not totally out of it.