Turner clutch again versus the Giants in San Francisco
(Photo Courtesy: Bostonglobe.com)
On perhaps what could be the biggest stretch of the Red Sox season, Boston gets set to close out their final West Coast swing of 2023 as they head to Seattle for a three-game series. After an exceptional 15-7 July, the Sox look to finish the month off strong before returning home Friday this week to host the red-hot Blue Jays. With the trade deadline looming in the back of everybody’s mind, the Red Sox look to take it one game at a time and keep winning games.
With San Francisco having been their first stop on the road, the Red Sox look to turn the page after dropping a frustrating series to the Giants this past weekend. Hopes were high entering the series for the team, as Triston Casas and his team had been hot for a long span. In a series surrounded by elite pitching and minimal offense shown by both clubs, late scoring by the Giants seemed to be the difference. Following the Red Sox's 3-2 win in game one, the Giants were able to get to Boston’s bullpen late, walking off the Sox in back-to-back nights despite Justin Turner’s late-inning magic at the plate. Coming off this disappointing series, the Sox look to rebound against the fighting Mariners.
With the potential that certain Red Sox players such as Alex Verdugo, Adam Duvall, James Paxton, and a few others could hit the market, the team has elected not to make this their primary focus.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora shared with reporters on Sunday, “They have questions and people get anxious and all that. But at the end you have to perform, right? You have a job to do. It sounds very businesslike but you're getting paid to play baseball. Just go out there and do your best”.
With 16 of their 28 games scheduled for August against playoff contenders, the Red Sox must prove they have what it takes to play in October. After enjoying an abundance of days off this past month, the mid-season festivities are now over, and there will be fewer off-days down the homestretch. The Red Sox will be playing more often in their crucial games that are set to come.