The Red Sox wrapped up their West Coast trip by taking two out of three games from the Angels. They head back home with a record of 7-3. Most importantly, there will be no more 10 PM start times. The record is great and all, but seriously, the start times were a bear.
This series showed us a few things:
The team seems to love Trevor Story.
Story suffered a partially separated shoulder when diving for a Mike Trout ground ball in the hole. Instantly, Story was writhing around in pain. Rafael Devers put his hands on his head.
Triston Casas had to take a walk.
The injury is a bummer for Story, who, after holding a camp for all the young players on the team, had his first fully healthy spring in a long time. The club recently announced that Story is out for six months, likely having his season end.
The defense may still be an issue.
The Red Sox committed four errors over the weekend. Three of them came after Story’s injury on Friday night. This team has lost its most consistent defensive player and will have to shift players around. Hopefully, they keep Rafaella in the outfield and work on replacing Story at short.
Jarren Duran stays hot.
Duran had a hit in every game, drove in three runs, and hit his first home run of the year, giving them the lead and eventually the win Friday night. He has become a legitimate threat at the top of the lineup. His speed, ball contact, and wreckless running style are perfect for a leadoff man. He has some pop, which makes him even more exciting.
Tyler O’Neill is the strongest man alive.
O’Neill left the West Coast tied for the league lead in home runs. (Spoiler alert: he may have just hit his sixth in the next series) This guy oozes machismo. I can say with certainty that he has never missed an arm day. When the signing happened, I was curious if some of his flyouts in St. Louis would turn into homers. So far, the answer is yes.
The first game at Fenway is Tuesday. The games will start at a reasonable time, and the team is playing well. Things are looking up.
Photo by John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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