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Red Sox's Bold New Strategy Finally Paying Off After Rocky Start originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Seven weeks have passed since Opening Day, and the Boston Red Sox's offense still hasn't found its rhythm yet. The Red Sox have scored three runs or fewer in nine of their last 13 games and are averaging just 3.36 runs per game in May, down from 4.23 runs per game in April.
And yet, Boston still has a winning record this month, entering play on Thursday with a 6-5 record and a plus-five run differential in May.
That's because the Red Sox's pitching and defense have been lights out lately, picking up the slack for the team's slumping lineup.
Boston's new run prevention strategy got off to a rough start with some shaky pitching and fielding, but both have dramatically improved over the last few weeks. The Red Sox have allowed three runs or fewer in 11 of their last 16 games, yielding just 2.94 runs per game during that stretch.
Boston's defense has emerged as one of the best in baseball this year, leading MLB in defensive runs saved and ranking second in total zone runs. The pitching has also stabilized despite dealing with injuries to Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez, posting a sparkling 2.61 ERA in May.
The Red Sox's run prevention has hit its stride, living up to Craig Breslow's vision. The offense has not, however, and is holding the team back. If Boston wants to go on a run and get back in contention, its hitters need to start pulling their weight.
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