The Red Sox enjoyed a very successful July. After stumbling in June, Boston exerted themselves to take a firm grip on the first Wild Card position, but only managed to gain one game on the division-leading Yankees. In an effort to demonstrate that they are a team to be reckoned with, the Sawx swept New York in a four-game set at the end of the month. At Fenway, the club continued their strong play winning 9 of 13 games, pushing their season record to 34-22. They also played well on the road finishing the month at 8-4 to nudge their mark over .500 at 28-26. Scores and opponents can be seen on the calendar below.
The complexion of the team overwent a bit of an overhaul as Mookie Betts made an impressive impact this month and is manning second base. Johnny Pesky has become an important utility played off the bench after being called up in June, and Rico Petrocelli has also just been called up. Dwight Evans, Bobby Doerr, and Dustin Pedroia were originally on the Opening Day roster, but now are toiling in AAA as can be seen in the "Down on the Farm" section. Wade Boggs is leading the American League in batting average and hits and is second in OBP. Boggs has also been an effective run producer, leading the club in batting average with RISP. Carl Yastrzemski and Ted Williams have also been very productive in this area. Manny Ramirez ranks fifth overall in batting average and is leading the club in homers and RBI.
Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez are tied for the league lead in wins with 12 and sit in the top ten in strikeouts. Jon Lester is atop the league in ERA despite his losing record. The back end of the bullpen has been in total lockdown mode with Jonathan Papelbon and Dick Radatz nailing down victories, and Tom Burgmeier has joined the bullpen corps club this month. Boston may look to reward Dutch Leonard's fine farm league campaign to bolster the starting rotation for the stretch run. Derek Lowe would also be a candidate for a look-see with the big club in a middle relief role. Cy Young and Luis Tiant are on the bubble due to inconsistent outings.
Batting
Pitching
Down on the Farm
Batting
Pitching
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