October is Coming, But the Sox Aren’t Ready Yet

In the first game of September that truly had no meaning for the Red Sox postseason hunt, Boston dropped a 3-2 decision to the hungry Cleveland Guardians. While Boston has already locked up its spot in the Wild Card round, the Guardians are still battling the White Sox for the Central Division crown while trying to fend off Texas and Toronto for at least the final Wild Card spot.

This series should provide the Red Sox with an excellent litmus test to determine where they stand going into next week’s matchup with the Yankees. That is assuming Craig Breslow’s “rest them while you got them” plan hasn’t been altered to “tank to avoid the Yanks.”

Offensively, Tuesday night’s game was more of the same for the month of September. The bats could only muster a few runs, one of which came on a late home run, and they constantly failed with runners in scoring position.

Boston collected eight hits and two walks on the night but was only able to scratch across one run before Mickey Gasper hit his nightly home run, this time as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the eighth inning, to tie the game at 2.

To their credit, the Sox were able to manufacture their first run in the bottom of the second, thanks to two productive outs. Adley Rutschman doubled to lead off the frame, advanced to third base on a ground ball to second base by Caleb Durbin, and then scored on an Andrew Monasterio groundout. Besides those two moments, the team was again 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

Peyton Tolle got the start for the newly extended Chad Tracy, and he pitched all right in what will most likely be his final start of the regular season. He completed 5.2…