It’s no surprise that the Boston Red Sox can hit the ball and score runs. They scored a total of 853 runs during the
regular season, 57 more than the second best team and 340 more than Miami, the lowest runs producing team. In only four
playoff games, they currently tie the Dodgers for the most team runs with 26. Don’t be fooled by the Red Sox playing in
Fenway Park, 50.8% (434) of their runs during the regular season were scored on the road.
Jacoby Ellsubury: It Starts at the Top
The Red Sox leadoff hitter, Jacoby Ellsbury, batted 9 for 18 in the ALDS and had at least one hit in all four games.
His patience has been phenomenal throughout the playoffs in that he saw 25 pitches out of the strike zone and only
swung at two of them, once resulting in an out. He got hits to all parts of the field, as well as off of pitches from
all areas of the zone. Hitting isn’t his only strength though, throughout four playoff games he is 4 for 4 in stolen bases.
Shane Victorino: Second is the Best
Right fielder, Shane Victorino, has stepped up his game since joining Boston during the offseason. After batting .255 in
2012, he batted .294 in 2013 with the Red Sox and is 6 for 14 (.429) during the ALDS. A large factor for the increased
numbers come from pitches down the heart of the plate. In 2012, Victorino was 18 for 74 (.243) on pitches belt high and down
the middle; this past season, he was 29 for 65 (.466). The significance of this stat is that 5 of his 6 postseason hits
have been from pitches right down the middle of the plate.
Dustin Pedroia: Three-hole
Pedroia has struggled getting hits so far in the playoffs, but he does have 5 RBIs in four games. His fifth came as an
insurance run in the ninth inning to clinch the ALDS. He was 1 for 9 off fastballs during the ALDS, so when his bat starts
to come around he should be expected to produce even more runs.
David Ortiz: Cleanup
Big Pappi is 5 for 13 (.385), which includes two home runs and one double. Most of his pitches have been kept on the outer
half of the plate, but when a pitcher misses inside or up, there is a good chance the ball is going a far way.
Mike Napoli: Finding Ways to Get on Base
Napoli couldn’t buy himself a hit during the ALDS (2 for 13), but still finds ways to get on base. Throughout four games,
his OBS is .353, just shy of his season average of .360. This statistic is in large part due to his 4 walks, but he has
scored only 1 run. He was 0 for 7 on pitches high in the zone, 6 of which came from fastballs. Additionally he has swung and missed at 5 of
the 10 high fastballs he has seen.
Jonny Gomes: Important to Success
Gomes had 2 hits in 9 at bats, including 1 double and 2 RBIs. 4 of his 6 outs have been from high fastballs in which he hit
into an out. He was an important player at the bottom of the order during the regular season for reasons that he drove in
runs much more than expected (50.3% more) and stretched second to home on singles 9 times in 11 chances.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia: Strikeouts an Issue
Salty did have 3 RBIs in 3 games played during the ALDS, but he also struck out a whopping 7 times in 10 at-bats. 5 of the 7
strikeouts were off fastballs and 2 of the strikeouts were with runners on first and second base.
Stephen Drew: Waiting to Break Out
Drew has been in the postseason three times prior to this year, but had never struggled as much as he did during the 2013
ALDS, batting 2 for 15 (.133). He has yet to pull the ball into the outfield and has popped up 3 times in his 15 at-bats.
If he can’t get around on fastballs, Drew will have trouble this postseason because the majority of his hits during the
season occurred when he pulled the ball.
Will Middlebrooks: First-timer
In just his second Major League season, Middlebrooks is getting his very first playoff experience. In the ALDS, he had
3 hits in 13 at-bats and 3 walks. All three hits were off different pitches, and two of them were on 0-2 pitches.
During the 2013 season, he batted only 23 for 119 (.193) on pitches low in the zone and has shown to struggle in this area
during the playoffs too. In his 13 postseason at-bats, he had 0 hits and 8 outs on pitches low in the zone.
The Red Sox have one of the most exciting offenses in baseball and have proven to pour on the runs both at home and away.
They scored seven or more runs twice in Tampa Bay during the ALDS off a dominant pitching staff. As a team, they have
struggled on fastballs, but any given player has shown to step up in big situations.
NOTE: All statistics accurate as of 10/09/13
By Danny Malter
AriBall.com
