Baseball is so unfair. How can a small-revenue team like the Boston Red Sox hope to contend against a big-market team like the Oakland Athletics?
Yesterday was an example of how momentum in baseball is not always simply seeing who the next day’s pitcher is. Sometimes, it is a direct reflection of the team.
The Oakland Athletics are a team that, against all odds, have arrived at September in the lead for a playoff position. They are doing it with deep pitching and power from multiple sources. Seven Oakland hitters are in double digits for home runs.
And it seemed like they hit all of them last night against the Red Sox last night.
Boston’s West Coast road trip has seen the Red Sox do their best Houston Astros impersonation. They were swept by the Angels and looked like they were totally unprepared to play in Oakland.
In their last 17 games, Red Sox pitchers have surrendered five or more runs 12 times. That’s a problem.
Then came last night. Last night’s 20-2 A’s victory looked and felt like a major league team playing a minor league squad. It was an embarrassing massacre during which the Athletics not only looked like the big bullies, but they did so with former Boston Red Sox players.
In fact, if Red Sox fans wanted to feel anything positive about last night, they could feel good about old friends who are doing well elsewhere.
One-time Red Sox Brandon Moss went 4-5 with a homer and four runs batted in. Former Boston catcher George Kottaras homered twice and drove in five runs.
Josh Reddick, the Red Sox’s right fielder in 2011, doubled and hit a grand slam. 2007 world champion Coco Crisp did not get a hit, but walked and scored.
The Red Sox used to be the ones that stole players from Oakland. They won the 2004 World Series with big contributions from Johnny Damon and Keith Foulke.
Now, it is the Red Sox who are playing out the string with a lineup that resembles a split squad spring training game.
The A’s? The American League West-leading Texas Rangers are only four games ahead of them. They are ahead in the wild-card race and are taking their momentum to October.
They have won 13 of their last 15 games including seven straight. Will their winning continue? They are playing the Red Sox again today.
If yesterday is any indication, the Red Sox are not even in the same league as the A’s.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com