The Boston Red Sox are on an absolutely insane nine-game winning streak, dude, and they haven't seen a loss column change since July 1st. Seriously, they're sitting pretty with 48 losses, but don't get it twisted: that good feeling is about to vanish, fast. This "remarkable turnaround" they're enjoying is about to get slammed by a schedule that will stress their pitching like nothing else.
The Schedule Is A Straight-Up Nightmare
Get this: from tomorrow until August 20th, the Red Sox are playing 33 games in just 34 days. That's practically a game every day, with only two off days total. It restarts tomorrow, Friday the 17th, with a doubleheader against the Rays. Remember how they pulled off that perfect 9-0 road trip? They had two off days wrapped around the Angels series and then a four-day break after that. That allowed them to be aggressive with their arms and always have fresh pitchers ready. Now? It's the complete opposite. A doubleheader, and no off day until the following Thursday. This means they either need to roll out six different starters right away, or one of their Friday starters is gonna have to pitch on short rest for Tuesday's game against the Orioles. Talk about a tough spot!Who's Even Left To Throw?
So, what are they gonna do? So far this season, 11 different guys have started at least one game for the Sox. Let's break down who's even available, because it's not looking great. First, Group A: Garrett Crochet, Ranger Suarez, and Connelly Early. All three are on the IL, totally unavailable. Ouch. Then there's Group B: Brayan Bello and his lefty openers, which includes Jovani Moran, Tyler Samaniego, and Eduardo Rivera. Finally, Group C: the healthy starters who went into the break: Jake Bennett, Sonny Gray, Payton Tolle, and Patrick Sandoval. The smart money says they'll have to use those four healthy arms from Group C to cover most of the upcoming starts. But for those crucial doubleheader games tomorrow and then Tuesday against the Orioles, the best move looks like using Brayan Bello with Eduardo Rivera as his opener. That keeps Bello in his successful bulk role, and Rivera, a lefty, can mess with opposing lineups right out of the gate. If they don't pull that off, they're scrambling to find another starter by next week, or they're just throwing one of their other guys into a seriously tough situation. The Red Sox's "momentum" is about to meet its biggest test. Can their pitching staff survive this insane stretch starting with tomorrow's doubleheader against the Rays, and then Tuesday against the Orioles? We're about to find out if this winning streak was just a fluke of good scheduling, or if they have the depth to actually hang on.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.