Just Another Brick in the Wall

The Red Sox dropped their second home series in a row to an opponent that was beneath them, this time falling to LAA 6-4 on Wednesday night.

While the outcome of the game was disappointing, the result itself really isn’t all that important for the team moving forward. Regardless of how you feel about the team winning games down the stretch and maintaining an aura of competitiveness, the organization itself doesn’t appear to believe that winning as many games as possible in September is all that important.

I understand that there are plenty of fans out there who find this philosophy reprehensible and par for the course for a franchise that is no longer serious about winning.

Honestly, I don’t entirely disagree with that sentiment.

Yet, this is the team that we have been blessed/cursed with this year as fans, and if we choose to remain engaged, they are the team we will have to suffer with.

With that being said, the most important takeaway from the game at the Fens was the performance by Jake Bennett. This appearance marked the eighth start in his last nine in which he has surrendered three or more runs.

Unfortunately for the Sox, it was the “or more” part that really stood out this time.

Bennett went only 5.1 innings and gave up six runs on nine hits and, most concerningly, three home runs. Those six runs were the most Bennett has given up all season, and the nine hits tied his season high. What must be worrying Andrew Bailey the most is the amount of hard contact Bennett has been giving up lately. Three bombs were hit in this start after he surrendered two in his last one.

For a while now, concerns have been mounting regarding the number of innings Bennett…