Red Sox still +400 to Win the AL East despite Winning 6 of 7
- The Boston Red Sox are longshots to win the AL East
- Boston (17-19) recently won six of seven games
- The Red Sox have finished first in the division the past three seasons
Is time up for the Boston Red Sox as the paragons of the AL East? Sportsbooks certainly think that to be the case.
They currently list the BoSox third in the American League East futures.
Odds to Win the 2019 AL East Division Title
| Team | 2019 AL East Odds |
|---|---|
| New York Yankees | EVEN |
| Tampa Bay Rays | +135 |
| Boston Red Sox | +400 |
| Toronto Blue Jays | +4000 |
| Baltimore Orioles | +25000 |
Odds taken 05/07/19.
The defending World Series-champion Red Sox have won the division title in each of the past three seasons.
Red Sox Alert
They’re up. They’re down. And they’re impossibly difficult to figure out.
The 2019 edition of the Red Sox has done little to install the belief that consistency is a quality that they will ultimately embrace.
Taking this show to Charm City. ✈️ pic.twitter.com/FiGEMDTEER
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 6, 2019
A recent run of six wins in seven games pulled the BoSox up to 17-18 and poised to reach .500 for the first time since they were 1-1.
Turn the page and bounce back tomorrow.
?: https://t.co/PWepqJfOt5 pic.twitter.com/88y5KvKYJy
— Red Sox (@RedSox) May 7, 2019
But just when you think it’s okay to jump back on the bandwagon, Boston does a pratfall and loses 4-1 to the pitiful Baltimore Orioles, the team with the worst run differential in the AL.
Boston’s longest winning streak of the season remains three games.
Boston Red Sox are the 1st team since the 2010 Cincinnati Reds to have 0 wins from their starting pitching thru the first 13 games of the season
Last AL team – 2003 Tampa Bay Devils Rays
— Boston Sports Info (@bostonsportsinf) April 12, 2019
Boston went the first 13 games of a season without a win from their starting rotation, the first team to do so since the 2010 Cincinnati Reds. But maybe that’s good news.
The 2010 Reds rebounded to go 91-71 and win the NL Central title, and the Boston pitching is bound to improve. Right?
A (White) House Of Cards?
Is there trouble brewing in the Boston clubhouse? Well, that would be nothing new to the team that was described in the 1970s as “25 players, 25 cabs.”
The latest signs of fracturing within the Red Sox appear to be centered around the club’s impending visit to the White House. They’ll be honored by President Donald Trump for last fall’s World Series win.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora doesn't “feel comfortable celebrating in the White House” while Puerto Rico is still struggling to recover from Hurricane María, per @EstebanPagan pic.twitter.com/phXcEadHNY
— Bleacher Report MLB (@BR_MLB) May 6, 2019
Several of the club’s players who are visible minorities, as well as manager Alex Cora, have publicly opted out of the visit. Cora was critical of Trump’s handling of Federal aid to help with storm damage in his native Puerto Rico. He will be the first coach or manager of a championship team to decline an invite to the White House.
I just feel like more than 38k should see this tweet… https://t.co/BtbK0DNPQc
— David Price (@DAVIDprice24) May 6, 2019
Pitcher David Price appeared to emphasize a racial divide within the team, retweeting a reporter’s suggestion that only the “white Sox” would be visiting the White House.
Price, who has 1.8 million Twitter followers, later claimed he retweeted it to display the post’s insensitivity.
Those Damn Yankees
If and when the Red Sox play more to the level they showed last year, there’s another issue, and it’s a familiar foe.
Overcoming a rash of early-season injuries, the New York Yankees kept on rolling. Off to a 20-14 start, they sit two games back of the 22-12 Tampa Bay Rays.
.@ElGarySanchez now has 12 multi-HR games in 284 career contests, becoming the second-fastest player in Major League history to reach 12 multi-HR games (Ralph Kiner-282G).
— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) May 4, 2019
The Yankees are second in the AL in batting average (.257) and on-base percentage (.340) and third in runs (178). The Rays lead the league in wins and earned-run average (2.90) and are second in WHIP (1.062).
Even if you think the Rays will fall off from their torrid pace, the Yankees are only going to get healthier as the season progresses. If they can piece together a +40 run difference (3rd in the AL) without Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, DiDi Gregorius, Luis Severino, and more, how good is this team going to be when healthy?
Given that Boston has spotted New York a four-game lead through the first 35 or so games, we like the Yankees to win the division.
Pick: Yankees to win the AL East (+100)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
