After a 15-5 loss to the Texas Rangers on Wednesday afternoon, coupled with a Toronto Blue Jays win over the New York Yankees later Wednesday evening, the 2023 Boston Red Sox were officially eliminated from any playoff contention with nine games left in the regular season.
Boston (75-78) is now a postseason spectator for a second straight season, and for the fourth time in five years. The Sox are in last place currently in the American League East. The team was considered a borderline wild card playoff contender before the start of the season, and were in the mix leading up to the MLB trade deadline. They finished the first half at 48-43, and were 57-50 on August 1. Some holes in the starting rotation due to injury and some ineffectiveness, and also cracks in the defense has led to a tailspin as they’ve gone 18-28 since that August 1 date now battling to stay out of the division basement with the Yankees. Chaim Bloom was fired as the teams chief baseball officer last week, and a new leader will look to turn the franchise back around next season.
Boston begins their final nine-game stretch on Friday night at 7:10 as they welcome in the Chicago White Sox to open a three game series at Fenway Park. Lefthander Chris Sale (6-4, 4.66 ERA) toes the rubber for the Red Sox, and the White Sox counter with righty Touki Toussaint (4-7, 5.40). The Sox close it out next week by playing host to Tampa Bay for two games, before hitting the road to Baltimore to take on the Orioles in a four game set.
Story by Chris Lessner
