It can't be all doom and gloom for the forever .500 Red Sox, whose porous defense, inconsistent starting pitching, and peekaboo offense have dropped the team back into last place in the American League East.
Tuesday's 5-4 come-from-behind victory in Cleveland moved the Red Sox a game over .500, and highlighted some of the traits that have allowed them to tread water rather than fall hopelessly out of contention. The Red Sox overcame one of the best starters in the game in Shane Bieber, they exploited some wildness out of the Guardians bullpen, and then they nailed it down in the ninth.
So let's take this opportunity to salute three players who have delivered this season, even as the road out of the basement looks long and arduous.
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1. Masataka Yoshida
Talk about arriving as advertised. The Red Sox believed the undersized Japanese outfielder would control the strike zone, hit for average, and hit for power. Consider all three boxes checked.
With three more hits on Tuesday, Yoshida is now batting .319 with seven homers and 33 RBIs. Prorate those numbers over a full season, and we're looking at a stat line roughly akin to Jim Rice's in 1986, when the Hall of Famer hit .324 with 20 homers and 110 RBIs.
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The scouting staff nailed their assessment of Yoshida, who has hit to all fields, handled big-league velocity, and shown an ability to turn on the ball when the opportunity presents itself. He may never grade as more than an average defender in left field, but who cares? He rakes and that's why the Red Sox invested so heavily in him.
If the season heads south, Yoshida's run at the AL batting title (he's currently second to Toronto's Bo Bichette) might be a reason to keep tuning in.
2. Alex Verdugo
Finally, the player the Red Sox hoped they were getting in the Mookie Betts trade. Verdugo has been the team's best all-around player through the season's first third, and even if he'll never be Betts, he might actually be an All-Star.
For the Red Sox to remain in contention this season, they needed to hit on a number of best-case scenarios. Verdugo is one of them. He leads the team in WAR, is one of the few plus-defenders on the roster, and is controlling the strike zone. His four-pitch walk against Cleveland lefty Sam Hentges on Tuesday highlighted his command of each at-bat, as he barely flinched at four borderline pitches.
Verdugo is on pace to walk over 60 times for the first time in his career, and he has also demonstrated a flair for the dramatic with six go-ahead hits. Of all the areas where the Red Sox need more production, right field is not one of them.
3. Kenley Jansen
A recent hiccup highlighted just how valuable Jansen has been, and he returned to form on Tuesday with his first 1-2-3 save since late May.
The Red Sox won Jansen's first 12 appearances in a marked departure from last year, when the ninth inning played more like Dante's ninth circle. He blew consecutive saves against the Cardinals on May 12-13 and lost his command for a time, walking seven in the span of three innings.
But since then, he has recorded four saves while holding opponents to a .160 average, his lone blemish blowing the second game of a doubleheader vs. the Rays after saving the opener.
When Jansen is on, throwing buzzsaw cutters and high fastballs, he's automatic. The Red Sox haven't had that luxury since Craig Kimbrel in 2017, and it means manager Alex Cora must only navigate the sixth through eighth, because the ninth is all set.