Red Sox: First Half in Review
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With the second half of the baseball season officially kicking off this evening, let's review the first half of the team with the best record in baseball: the Boston Red Sox.
Their 10-game lead in the East represents all that is right in the world of baseball. Despite getting swept out of MoTown to end the first half, the Sox still hold the Major's best record, a half-game better than both the Angels and Tigers.
With the onset of the All-Star Break, I figured I might as well follow protocol (Check here and here, too!) and deliver my own first-half synopsis.
I'll start by presenting some interesting numbers from the Red Sox as a whole over the first half. I'll follow that up with some fun facts and numbers from some of our favorite Sox who have contributed (either positively or negatively) over the first half. So, be prepared (and you may want to grab a calculator) because I'm about to throw more numbers at you than Beckett has strikes.
If my research serves me correctly, this is the first time in franchise history that the Red Sox have had this large a division lead (10.0 G) this late in the season. Prior to this season, the largest lead the Sox held in the division as of July 10 was in 1978 when Boston held a 9.0 game lead over Milwaukee. That Sox team went on to eventually lose a one-game playoff to the New York Yankees. Reggie Jackson hit what was ultimately a game-winning home run off of Bob Stanley in the 8th inning. In the 9th, after the Sox had cut the lead to one run, Yaz popped out with the tying run on third to end it.
The last time a first place Red Sox team had this large a lead over the Yankees at this point in the season was in 1990 when they held a 15.0 game lead over the Evil Empire. That team went on to win the AL East and finished 21.0 games ahead of the Yankees. Sadly, the fate of that Sox team ended at the hands of the Oakland A's as the Sox were swept in four games in the ALCS. Boston scored only four runs all series, one in each game. (That Sox team was managed by Joe Morgan - fortunately, not this Joe Morgan.)
The Sox have stormed out to the best record in baseball on the strength of their pitching. Red Sox pitching has surrendered only 346 runs (324 earned), second best in baseball behind the Padres (298). Similarly, the Sox have posted a 3.76 ERA, third best in baseball. Sox starters alone have combined for a Major League best 44 wins. Out of the pen, Sox relievers have recorded a 2.82 ERA in 239 innings. Only the Padres bullpen has posted a better ERA (2.38), and only the White Sox (214.1) and Giants (234.2) have used their bullpens less.
Here are some other random, yet interesting stats regarding the Sox pitching staff:
Opponents have just a .169 average against Red Sox pitching in two strike counts. Almost more amazing is the fact that opponents are hitting only .219 in THREE BALL counts. Only the Dodgers are better in that regard. In three ball counts, the Sox have allowed a Major League best .897 OPS against. No one else is below .900, and 18 teams are over 1.000.
By inning, Sox pitchers have the most strikeouts in the first inning than in any other and the best BAA in the ninth than in any other. Only in the sixth inning are opponents hitting .300 or better. From the seventh to ninth innings, Boston pitching has surrended a miniscule .604 opponent's OPS, best in baseball. That speaks volumes to the effectiveness of our bullpen.
In no baserunning situation (i.e., RISP, men on, nobody on, etc.) have Sox pitchers surrendered a .300 batting average.
Amazingly, for Sox starters, they've been most effective across the board (BAA, OPS against, etc.) after 100 pitches.
Offensively, the Sox have scored 435 runs over their first 87 games - good for eighth in all of baseball. However, this figure is only good for seventh in the AL and second, behind the Yankees, in the AL East. In those 87 games, they've amassed 2978 at-bats - 26th in baseball! But, that is due to a Major League leading 375 walks (the A's are a distant second with 337) and .358 OBP.
Boston has been mediocre in the power department. Normally riddled with home runs, Boston ranks 15th in the Majors and ninth in the AL in home runs with 88. They've been outhomered by teams like the A's, Marlins, Devil Rays, Blue Jays, and Brewers.
Again, here are some other random, yet interesting stats - this time, for the offensive side.
Check out these crazy splits. The Red Sox are hitting .293 at home with an .831 OPS (120 OPS+); that's the best home OPS of any team. On the road, Boston is hitting .255 with a .763 OPS (107 OPS+). Here are the batting averages and OPSs (BA, OPS) per month: April (.262, .779); May (.289, .830); June (.264, .761); July (.282, .839). August doesn't look too promising. Against power pitchers (28% of batters faced result in a K or BB), Sox hitters are hitting .242. Against finesse pitchers (24% or less of batter faced result in a K or BB), the Sox are hitting .295. Bring on Barry Zito!!
The #8 hole in the lineup has been more like a black hole. This lineup spot has produced team lows in hits, doubles, RBIs, walks, average, OBP, slugging, and OPS as well as a team high in strikeouts. Only Toronto has a lower average in the AL out of the eight hole. And only Cincinnati has more strikeouts. Perhaps worse is that pinch hitters are 5 for 35 (.143) with only 5 RBIs. That is the lowest average in the Majors, and Boston is one of six teams to not have a pinch-hit home run yet this season.
The Sox have scored one run in five extra inning games. The Cubs are the only team less fortunate, scoring one run in seven extra inning games.
The Red Sox have stolen as many bases (46) AS A TEAM as Jose Reyes has all season.
One final fact: The Sox had six players (Ramirez, Ortiz, Lowell, Papelbon, Beckett, Okajima) represent the AL in Tuesday night's All-Star Game. The last time the Sox sent that many was in 2002 when they sent seven. The names included Johnny Damon, Nomar Garciaparra, Shea Hillenbrand, Derek Lowe, Pedro Martinez, Manny Ramirez, and, yes, Ugueth Urbina!
Now that we've tackled the team stuff, let's talk about individuals. After all, there is a "me" in team. Here are some baffling statistics you can only find here (I think) for ten of our favorite Sox, both futile (Julio Lugo) and fantastic (Josh Beckett).
Julio Lugo: Well, it's amazing to believe that, even after a 3 for 3 performance (in his 1000th career game nonetheless), Lugo is still stuck below the Mendoza Line (.197). Congratulations to him for accumulating the worst batting average in the Majors among qualified individuals over the first half. Even Andruw Jones has a higher average. Not only that, but Lugo ranks a whopping 175 out of 176 in OPS among qualified hitters. Jason Kendall is the only player lower.
Jacoby Ellsbury: I only throw Ellsbury in here as a continuation of Lugo. Ellsbury, mind you, had six hits in his six game stint with the BoSox, good for a .375 average. So what does this have to do with Lugo? That's the same number of hits Lugo had over a 22 game stretch from June 10 to July 7 when he went 6 for 62 (.097)! And, by the way, Ellsbury's been clocked at a 4.2 40.
Mike Lowell and David Ortiz: Lowell and Ortiz are tied for the team lead in home runs at the break with 14 a piece. The leader at the break last year? Ortiz. His total at the break? 31!! Ortiz also leads the Sox in OPS and SportsCenter commercials. (By the way, I highly recommend sending any or all of your friends a Big Papi personalized phone call. Humor of the highest degree.)
Doug Mirabelli: Mirabelli has scored a total of three runs to this point. Each has been scored as a result of his own home run.
Josh Beckett: Sure, he rattled off nine straight wins, but Beckett owes much of his success to the offense and the bullpen. He has the best run support in baseball (7.06) and has the 16th best bullpen support (-0.645). And how's this for a split? In his 12 wins, Beckett has posted a 2.42 ERA. In his two losses, his ERA is a disastrous 9.90.
Daisuke Matsuzaka: Dice-K's biggest asset has not been his mythical gyroball, but his endurance. That is evident by his microscopic .570 OPS against beyond 100 pitches. He's averaging the most pitches per start in the AL (109.83), and he's tied AJ Burnett for most pitches thrown (130) in any one start so far this season. He's faced exactly 500 hitters through the first half of the season, the most among rookies. Although it seems a bit unreachable at this point, the rookie record for batters faced in a season since integration is held by Roger Erickson (1120) in 1978.
Tim Wakefield: All 17 of Wakefield's starts this season have resulted in a decision (9-8).
Jonathan Papelbon: Papelbon has made only two appearances of more than one inning this season compared to 11 at this point last year. Similarly, he has yet to appear in a game where the Red Sox have been trailing. He appeared in five such games last season.
Hideki Okajima: The surprise is that Oki is the best Japanese import brought in by the Sox this season. Another surprise is that he's the front-runner for the AL Rookie of the Year. And perhaps the biggest surprise is that he leads all Major League relievers in ERA (0.83).
As for a quick look into the second half...
With the Sox up a touchdown and a field goal in the division at recess, their magic number to clinch is 66. Cool Standings gives the Sox a 93.9% chance to win the division. Baseball Prospectus gives the Sox a 95.6% chance to do the same.
Of Boston's remaining 75 games, only 18 are against teams who currently have records above .500. Those 75 remaining games include 38 against Toronto, Baltimore, and Tampa. So far this season, the Sox are a combined 12-4 against those three teams. Last season, Boston went 15-3 against Baltimore, but only a combined 17-21 against the other two divisional foes, however.
Since 2000, the Red Sox are 41 games over .500 in the second half.
Wouldn't it be great if Boston clinches the division on September 16? What's significant about that date? Well, that will be the date when my fiance and I spend the last day of our honeymoon in Boston...at Fenway...to watch the Sox potentially clinch the division...by beating the Yankees.
This post has been cross-published from Sugar Shane's Sports Blog.
