Daily Red Sox Links: Tanner Houck, Will Venable, Garrett Whitlock

It’s no secret that the American League East this season figures to be a season-long grind with four teams expecting to be in postseason contention. It’s going to be key to hold your own in those matchups, but the Red Sox are off to a rocky start on that front. (Sean McAdam; Boston Sports Journal)

BreakingT Red Sox Collection

Take a look at the entire shirt collection from our friends over at BreakingT, including the one pictured above.

Surprisingly, a big reason they’ve been unable to get going against divisional opponents and otherwise has been a listless offense. (Christopher Smith; Masslive)

As Boston continues this road trip heading to Toronto, they need to figure out some way to kickstart the lineup and just the team as a whole. (Peter Abraham; Boston Globe)

On Sunday, Will Venable, managing in place of Alex Cora, made the curious decision not to piggyback Tanner Houck directly after Rich Hill. It wasn’t the sole reason they lost, as the aforementioned offense sure did their part as well, but it was a weird choice that he explained after the game. (Christopher Smith; Masslive)

The bullpen has been one of the team’s bright spots, and Garrett Whitlock is a big part of that. Even so, John Tomase writes that he should be put in the rotation. (John Tomase; NBC Sports Boston)

As the team heads to take on the Blue Jays, they’ll be without Houck, and at least a couple others who have yet to be announced. (Chris Cotillo; Masslive)