ROM Watches Another 4-Game Red Sox-Yankees Series So That You Don't Have To

In 2018, the Boston Red Sox were an unstoppable, record-breaking machine that dominated not only the AL East but pretty much of all of baseball.  In 2019, it's been a very different story, but when they won three of a four-game series against New York last week at Fenway, it looked like the Sox might finally have returned to form.

Despite slipping back to their losing ways after that series, the ROM, a die-hard Boston fan, wasn't going to give up on his team and was excited to watch a second four-game series against New York, this time in The Bronx.  It might be just the thing to finally complete the Sox' rehabilitation and get them back to consistent wins, he reasoned.

So the ROM watched all four games over the course of last weekend, although he can't say it was a pleasant experience.  Here's the breakdown:

Friday, August 2:

It was pretty much all over after the first inning - the Red Sox scored two runs in the top of the inning, but then allowed the Yankees a grand-slam home run in the bottom of the first.  After that, the pitchers settled down and there was no more scoring for the rest of the game, but the damage had already been done.  Red Sox lose the opener.

E-Rod, the starting pitcher, actually had a pretty good overall game, if you don't count that first inning grand slam.

Saturday, August 3 (Game 1)

After a 1-1 tie for several innings, starting pitcher Chris Sale collapsed and gave up seven runs in the bottom of the fourth and it was all over for the Sox after that.  The only real entertainment for Red Sox fans was watching Cora and Sale getting ejected during that awful fourth inning.

Saturday, August 3 (Game 2)

This game wasn't actually televised, at least not here in Atlanta, so the ROM "watched" it by following the play-by-play scoring updates on line.  The result: the seventh consecutive loss for Boston (but who's counting?), the third loss of this four-game series, and the second loss on Saturday alone.  The Sox drop to 13.5 games behind New York in the AL East and 5.5 games behind Tampa Bay for the AL wild card spot.

In retrospect, it seems that whoever in the Red Sox PR department decided that Saturday would be a good day for a "picnic in the park" is probably second guessing that decision now. "Panic In The Park" is more like it.

Sunday, August 4:

Not even a David Price start and back-to-back homers in the fifth inning could win a game for Boston.  Despite giving up six runs in the bottom of the 3rd, it started to look like the Sox were going to mount a comeback, but the effort fell short and the weekend sweep was complete.

After last week's three-of-four against New York in Fenway, it felt like the Red Sox were at least capable of making it to the playoffs over the final two months of the season, and once the playoffs began, could redeem themselves for the sorry first-half of the season. Now, Boston finds itself 14.5 games behind New York - 16 in the loss column - and 6.5 out of wild-card contention.

It's been a great run and a great decade for New England sports, but long-time Red Sox fans, despite the recent success, are used to disappointing seasons (it's in our DNA) and it looks like another disappointment in the making.  But add to that the Bruins loss in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, and the Celtics fall in the second round of the NBA Finals (and then losing almost all of their starters), and it looks like that great run might finally be coming to an end.  

And Tom Brady isn't getting any younger, making us wonder how long the Patriots' domination of the NFL will last.  They have an exhibition game against Detroit (who beat them during the regular season last year) on Thursday night, which might answer some of the questions about the Pats' prospects for 2019. 

In 26 days, the University of Georgia Bulldogs kicks off their season with a road game at Vanderbilt.  The ROM is looking forward to the return of college football, especially after this bitterly disappointing baseball weekend.