Success is in the Offense for the Boston Red Sox
Major League Baseball truly hasn't had a normal season since 2019, including the 2022 season, where the league-imposed lockout drastically changed workout routines for players building up to the start of the regular season.
A shortened spring training and shortened spring camp before that made the rampant climb to game-readiness tough.
That was especially true for the Boston Red Sox, who were coming off of an ALCS appearance and looking to strike once again in the ever-competitive American League East.
However, things weren't that easy out of the gates as a combination of injuries and slow starts combined to give Boston a 9-13 record through April.
Manager Alex Cora wasn't phased by the slow start, having seen the Red Sox under his tenure make the postseason multiple times and win the World Series in 2018.
“There was a lot of stuff that was real in April,” manager Alex Cora told MLB.com. “One thing that we were positive about was the hard contact. And now it kind of evens out. But they did an amazing job of staying disciplined. We’re very proud.”
The this evening out that Cora is discussing is the return to a norm for the Red Sox offense and the team in general throughout the month of May.
Boston is 12-10 in May with a +26 run differential and are riding on the coat tails of a historic offensive tear from second baseman Trevor Story.
Story hit another home run on Thursday night in Boston's 16-7 win over the Chicago White Sox, increasing his month's homer total to nine.
Not only is story just 10 RBI away from setting a franchise record for the most in May, but he equaled a feat achieved by no Red Sox player since 1920: recording 21 RBI in the span of seven games.
Since his three-homer game against the Seattle Mariners on May 19, Story has raised his season OPS from roughly .610 to .780, a difference of 170 points.
“Controlling my zone has been huge and not missing my pitch when I get it,” Story told MLB.com. “That’s been the key. When I get my pitch and take my swing at it, I want the at-bat to end there. I’ve done a better job at that lately.”
It's not just Story who's contributing on the offensive end for the Red Sox in recent games.
Center fielder Kiké Hernandez hit two leadoff home runs in the White Sox series, Alex Verdugo and Jackie Bradley Jr. have seen better offensive performances recently and the trio of Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez are each batting over .315 thus far.
Things are clicking for Boston at the right time, which only spells trouble for the rest of the AL and more specifically, the AL East.
The Red Sox play a three-game weekend set against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards starting on Friday as Boston's Garrett Whitlock toes the rubber against Baltimore's Kyle Bradish.
