The Boston "Red Sx"

Can anyone help this team find it's "O?" Last night, they fell to Odalis Perez and the pesky Kansas City Royals, 6-5. It's their 7th loss in their last 10 games. Since the break, they're averaging just over 4 runs a game and haven't hit double-digits in runs since July 5. Oh by the way, the Yankees are 8-2 over that same time period and are now an uncomfortably close 7 games out with nearly 70 games left. Additionally, the Tigers, Phillies, Indians, Yankees, and Rangers have all outscored the Sox on the season and they no longer boast the best record in baseball. They are an unimpressive 7th in the AL in homeruns, and 5th in average (although they're 1st in on-base percentage and 2nd in OPS).

What's so surprising about most of those numbers is the fact that, on paper, this lineup should be one of, if not the most potent in baseball. Since the break, JD Drew and Coco Crisp have been sharing time in the leadoff spot as Julio Lugo ties to put more distance between himself and the Mendoza line. But after the black hole to start the game, you have surprising rookie Dustin Pedroia (.316, .397 OBP), Big Papi and Manny (whose power numbers aren't quite up to par, but are still the best right/left combo in baseball), Kevin Youkilis (.313, .407 OBP), Mike Lowell (who's actually the team leader in RBI), then Drew or Crisp followed by Jason Varitek (who's enjoying a nice bounce-back season), and Lugo (who's hitting .383 in July).

In my opinion, they need to find a leadoff hitter and they need to do it soon if they want to get out of this funk. I can say right now, the answer ain't JD Drew. He's hitting .264 with a .344 OBP leading off for the Sox, which is lower than, but not that far from his career numbers in any spot in the order (.284/.390). Coco hasn't fared much better in the 1-hole this year (.286, .342) and his career numbers are worse than Drew's, even though he's much more of a prototypical leadoff hitter, as someone who can switch-hit, and run.

Ichiro signing with the M's hurts for sure. He would have been the perfect quick fix. Now, Boston needs to find themselves a table-setter (Lugo? Youkilis? Jacoby Ellsbury? Kenny Lofton?), or else these last 6 games with the Yankees (August 28-30 and September 14-16) could mean a whole lot more to both teams than everyone thought a month ago.