Before we get into another edition of Red Sox Review I would like to briefly address the contents of last week's column. In an effort to feel better about what has been a rather frustrating and depressing Red Sox season, I elected to turn my attention to the Baltimore Orioles and poke fun at their hilariously terrible imitation of a Major League team difficult season. I chose to highlight some particularly ugly points of the Orioles' season and self-prescribe some schadenfreude.

However, as a simple but humble sportswriter who is always open to feedback, I have received and read your correspondence. Let's address this piece of fan mail:

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Putting aside the fact that the Chris somehow thinks I'm a CBS writer who writes articles on Bleacher Report, he raises a good point. I have crunched the numbers and it turns out the Orioles, in fact, do have a much different payroll than the Red Sox. An incredible revelation and an unforgivable oversight on my part. I can't believe I allowed myself to be owned like this. It turns out the Orioles are now good.

I can only say this: Chris may have gotten the last laugh, but I promise to use this experience as a teaching moment and I will strive to be better every day. Maybe one day I will be as good as the Orioles.

OK, back to our regularly scheduled Red Sox sadness.

Then: August 20, 2018: 88-38, 1st in AL East, 9.0 game lead | Now: August 20, 2019: 67-59, 3rd in AL East, 16.0 games back

Five and fighting

Have I pronounced the Red Sox dead in each of the past two weeks? Yes. Are the Red Sox still all but dead? Yes, but at least they're back to putting up a fight. This 2019 team have been wildly inconsistent and it's been infuriating at times, but this past week was one of the good ones. 

Since last Tuesday, Boston has won each of their last five ballgames and most have come in pretty convincing fashion. Granted, three of those wins came against the Orioles (sorry Chris) in a weekend sweep, but those wins count all the same and the Red Sox will take them any way they can get them at this point. 

On Sunday, Boston's sweep looked to be in jeopardy when they fell into a 6-0 hole against Baltimore, but they rallied to score the game's next 13 runs and come away with the 13-7 win in the finale. That marked their largest deficit erased in a win this season, and it's just the first time since 2007 that they've won by a game by at least six runs after having trailed by six runs at any point. A weird stat but an achievement nonetheless! 

Boston's longest win streak this season is six games, and they'll have a chance to match that with a win over the Phillies at home on Tuesday. That being said, they're still six games back of the second Wild Card spot in the American League (currently held by Tampa Bay) so while they're doing an admirable job of not rolling over, it's still rather unlikely that it's going to mean anything in the long run. 

Chris Sale is done

The biggest news to come out of Boston this week is somewhat of a good news-bad news situation. After experiencing elbow inflammation on his throwing arm, Chris Sale met with Dr. James Andrews, who is essentially baseball's Grim Reaper, and managed to come out in pretty good shape, all things considered. The ace won't need Tommy John surgery, so the worst case scenario was avoided. 

But Sale received a plasma injection in his affected elbow and will be re-evaluated by Andrews in six weeks. With about six weeks remaining in the regular season, that likely means Sale is done for the year. The Red Sox are still (mathematically) in the hunt for a playoff spot and attempting to hold on to delusions of grandeur, so it's tough to say it's entirely good news. 

However, consider this:

player headshot
Chris Sale
ATL • SP • #51
W-L6-11
ERA4.40
WHIP1.09
IP147.1
BB37
K218
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Sale has clearly not been himself this year and it's been "a nightmare" (his words, not mine...but also mine) so perhaps it's for the best that he's getting shut down a little early. In fact, this very column has suggested in each of the past two weeks that maybe it's time to just call it on Sale's rough 2019. And now here we are. 

Obviously, you never like to see a guy be forced into an abrupt ending via injury, but with Sale struggling and the Red Sox just desperately trying to wiggle out of the guillotine, hitting the reset button and just focusing on getting better for 2020 is probably the sensible route here. 

Rafael Devers is not human

Another week gone by and another week of pure Rafael Devers dominance. The third baseman had an incredible week and is currently working on an eight-game hit streak, including a performance in which he went 6-for-6 with four doubles. That makes him only the second player this season to record six or more hits with a perfect batting average in a game this season. 

During his eight-game heater, Devers is 20-for-37 (.541) with 12 extra base hits and 14 RBI. 

Devers is up to a league-leading 46 doubles on the year and has a great chance at delivering the ninth 50-double season in Red Sox history. If he continues at this pace, it's not impossible that he approaches the major league record for doubles in a year (67, set by Red Sox outfielder Earl Webb in 1931). No player has hit 60 doubles since 1936, though Todd Helton had 59 in 2000. 

This week, the 22-year-old Devers became the first player to hit the 100-RBI mark this season. According to Elias, he's the fourth-youngest player to ever touch the century mark first in a season -- behind Joe DiMaggio , Johnny Bench, and Jose Canseco. Pretty good company, I'd say.

Devers also becomes the first player under the age of 23 to record at least 100 RBI and 100 runs in a season since Miguel Cabrera did it in 2005 with the then-Florida Marlins. According to the Red Sox, the only other Boston player to accomplish that feat is Ted Williams, who did it twice (in 1939 & 1940). 

He's an insanely good and pure child, something that should not be lost in this hair-ripping season. 

What's next? 

The Red Sox will play a two-game set at home against Bryce Harper and the Phillies, then head out west for an eight-game road trip. They'll play three against the Padres, two against the Rockies and three against the Angels.