June predictions with one win in the books
How the Red Sox will fair in the month of June?
The Boston Red Sox are the definition of average. They finished 13-13 for the month of May. Not awful but not good. This record is concerning given the team started 6-0 as part of a carryover eight game winning streak. The Red Sox schedule has been one of the toughest so far, unfortunately their opponents do not get easier to begin.
The Red Sox full series in June is four games against the historically good Tampa Bay Rays. Tampa currently sits at 40-18 and have already swept the Red Sox once this season in April. After that the Red Sox visit old friend Terry Francona out in Cleveland for a three game series.
In this first stretch the Red Sox could struggle. The Red Sox have always struggled beating the Rays in the regular season and the gap has never been larger. The Guardians have their struggles offensively as they are currently last in the AL in homeruns, RBIs, and slugging percentage. My record prediction for these seven games is 3-4.
Whoever is putting together the MLB schedule this year was obviously asleep because it is June and the Red Sox have not played New York once. The Yankees just got back Giancarlo Stanton and Josh Donaldson and have soared to second in the wild card race behind Aaron Judge. Judge is on pace to be in the running if not the favorite for the MVP again with being second in the majors with 18 bombs and first in OPS at 1.088.
After this series, the Red Sox get six games at Fenway including the 24-34 Rockies and then the Yankees again. Boston gave up home runs 37 bombs last month, which was tied for second all time in franchise history. Yankee Stadium will likely spell trouble for the pitching staff. Thanks to a sweep against the Rockies and a series win at Fenway against the Yankees, the Red Sox finish 5-4 in these 9 games.
To finish off the month there is a seven game road trip against the AL Central Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox. Both of these teams are in the worst division in the AL as the Twins lead it by being at 30-27. After that they go home for the Miami Marlins, who are 29-28 but are 16-4 in one run games as they look to grab spot in the playoff race. The last day of the month is an away game against the Blue Jays. My record for this stretch is 6-5.
Adding up all these records and the win against the Reds, the Red Sox finish June with a winning record of 15-13. The key factor will be this offense getting hot as the weather gets nicer and the presumed return of Adam Duvall returning on June 9th. No word on Chris Sale yet, but given his history, it would be hard to rely on him for at least the first half of the month. June is a critical month sitting four games back in a very tight wild card race.
If the Red Sox want to be in the thick of it come July they will need to see Rafael Devers get hot and get have consistency out of Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock.
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