ALEast_Boston Red Sox

2014 Minnesota Gameday HQ Round 2

BOSTON RED SOX 5-YEAR SCORECARD 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 WINS 97 69 90 89 95 RUNS PER GAME 5.26 4.53 5.40 5.04 5.38 RUNS ALLOWED PER GAME 4.04 4.97 4.54 4.59 4.54 OPENING-DAY PAYROLL (millions) $154 $175 $163 $168 $121 2014 STRENGTHS: • Balanced lineup • Strong starting pitching • Improved defense 2014 WEAKNESSES: • Can A.J. Pierzynski adapt to a leading role? • Pressure in defending a World Series title After a dreadful season under Bobby Valentine, the Red Sox responded in a huge way last season under John Farrell. The offense was led by David Ortiz and the pitching staff was paced by Jon Lester. It resulted in a remarkable 97-win regular season and the third World Series title since 2004. Some changes were made, but the Red Sox should be in the thick of the race once again. HITTING David Ortiz hit 30 home runs and drove in 103 runs during the regular season. Big Papi was even more dangerous in the postseason. At age 38, there’s no reason to believe he’s slowing down at all. When you add the likes of Dustin Pedroia, Will Middlebrooks, Shane Victorino, Daniel Nava and Mike Napoli among others, it shows what type of balance exists. And that’s scary for the opposition. Pedroia had 193 hits in 160 games last season, and his all-out hustle and leadership were major forces during the long season. Napoli provided a nice spark with 23 home runs and 92 RBIs. More than that, Napoli was clutch and came through with big hits at just the right moment. While the look of the team is slightly different, the pop is still evident. The Red Sox scored 853 runs last season and the lineup looks just as dangerous this season. (L-R) John Lackey, Clay Buchholz, Jon Lester, Jake Peavy AL EAST BOSTON GLOBE


2014 Minnesota Gameday HQ Round 2
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