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 has thrown beyond his previous career highs, and these last two starts are clear examples that his stuff may be starting to falter.
In September 2023, Bennett had Tommy John surgery and did not throw a pitch in anger during the entire 2024 baseball season. In 2025, he threw 75.1 minor league innings coming off the injury and has now thrown 144.1 innings between Worcester and Boston this season.
For those mathematically challenged out there, he has almost doubled his innings total from last year.
Not only is that increased number of innings a massive load on his left arm, but you also have to factor in the stress that so many of those innings have placed on him, especially given that more than 100 of them have come at the Major League level for the first time.
Bennett has been amazing for the pitching staff this year and projects to be a very important piece for this franchise moving forward. It is going to be important that Craig Breslow and Chad Tracy work together to monitor how he is feeling and determine the risk versus reward of extending him further, as opposed to shutting him down and letting him watch the rest of the season.
I Have Become Comfortably Numb
As for the game itself, there isn’t an awful lot to take from it, given that so many of the players who will hopefully be playing in October aren’t playing on a regular basis. The Sox continue to play the resting game and hope that they survive.
Still, Roman Anthony provided another glimpse into what he could be with a massive two-run home run to right field. He did strike out three times on the night, though, so there is still some good and bad as he works his way back into form following his IL stint.
Wilyer Abreu hit his 24th homer of the season as well. The hope is that they can get Abreu back on a hot streak with the lumber before the Wild Card Series. That could really pay dividends, especially with those games most likely taking place in the Bronx.
Jarren Duran also had two hits on the night, but who really knows what is going to happen with him? He has experienced more ups and downs over the last few weeks than a high school football player during their preseason workouts!
High Hopes
Fifteen games remain, and Boston has gone 6-4 over its last ten. They still remain seven games in front of the Blue Jays, which means their magic number to clinch some sort of playoff spot is nine.
They continue to just plug along. A lot of that is because of the inability of the teams chasing them to mount any challenge at all, but that really doesn’t matter. The key is to get in.
I understand that we should want more and deserve more as Red Sox fans! But that is a discussion for the offseason, and I have a sneaking suspicion that we will have plenty of time this offseason to talk about it.
So instead of complaining about what this team is not, I suggest we try to enjoy what this team is while we still have something to actually enjoy!
The offense put up four runs last night despite there being no Contreras, Rafaela, or Rutschman. Like them or not, I just named three members of the 2026 All-Star Team who are not in your lineup every day.
I am fine losing some of these games in September if it means the Red Sox have a “better” chance of winning a couple more in October.
I have seen what those players are capable of when rested and healthy. Right now, they are not. If the organization were to continue pushing them simply to win games in September, only to rest them just before the playoffs and not give them the best opportunity to get as close to full health as possible, it makes no sense.
We have heard nothing but negativity about the state of the American League all year long. Well, it is time to take advantage of it.
Rest the players you need to rest. Back that truck all the way down the Bronx River Parkway if you have to and right up to the gates of Yankee Stadium.
I don’t care!
Losing the Wild Card Series last year with a number of pitchers either hurt or running on fumes, and key bats like Roman Anthony missing, was incredibly disappointing.
Let’s learn from history for a change and do everything possible to go into that series as fully loaded as possible. After all, for a team that has spent most of the season just trying to get over the wall, maybe the best thing we can do now is get healthy and get to the Bronx.
Then we’ll find out whether there’s anybody out there.
Like the theme reference. Pink Floyd