The Red Sox looked as promising as they'd been all season long after they won two of three on the road against the Rays and three of four over the Yankees.
The trade deadline was looming, and while the Sox had a need for pitchers, there was hope they'd swing a deal to bolster they rotation or bullpen and give the best offense in baseball the help it needed. But the Red Sox were silent at the deadline, with Dave Dombrowski leaving it up to the team as constructed to make a run at the division or a Wild Card spot.
Since the Red Sox won their third straight against the Yankees, they've lost four in a row, three of which coming against the Rays at home. Tampa finished 2019 with an 8-1 record in Boston, and Xander Bogaerts expressed the frustration around the team during their most recent skid, calling the last four games "the most disappointing of the season."
"It feels like getting one win is really hard to come by right now," Bogaerts said. "We’ve got to find a way to forget these last few games."
Bogaerts has been Boston's best player this season, posting a .317/.397/.585 slash line with 25 home runs and 84 RBI. It's been a career year for the shortstop after signing a six-year extension in April, but the Red Sox haven't shown the same level of consistency.
As of now, the Red Sox sit 10.5 games behind the Yankees in the AL East, five games behind the Indians for the top Wild Card spot and 3.5 games behind Tampa for the second spot.
Boston Red Sox
If the Red Sox' championship defense is going to extend into October, they'll have to figure this out themselves, without the help of the front office.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.