Andrew Benintendi, Brock Holt, and Xander Bogaerts react after a game-winning walk-off single completed their sweep of the Yankees. (Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- You've likely noticed by now, but the 2018 version of the Boston Red Sox are good. Really, really good. After last night's win--a sweep of the Yankees, who just one month ago put signficant frustration into the hearts of Red Sox nation--Boston is now on pace for the most wins in franchise history, with a record that's an outrageous 45 games above .500.
While everybody keeps talking about the three-headed monster in the American League--the Red Sox, the Yankees, and the Astros--Boston has opened up the largest gap between first- and second-place teams in any division across the majors, all with the number-one offense in baseball by a longshot. It's no surprise to slugger J.D. Martinez, just like last night's win, because of the way Boston controls at-bats day-in and day-out.
"It's the same story every night," Martinez said. "We're a team that doesn't give up, and we find a way to stress out those relievers and really just put a lot of pressure on them and lock it in, and I think that's why this team's really good. We just don't give away at-bats, it seems like."
It also shouldn't be a shock considering what first-year manager Alex Cora's been preaching all season long.
"We swept them, it's great," he said. "That clubhouse is pretty loud right now, but like I've been saying all along, tomorrow's an off day, and then we got Toronto, and we gotta turn the page, be ready for that team, and go win the series."
With this weekend's sweep, Boston hasn't lost a series in more than a month--and have split or tied all but three series all season long.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Chris Fama (@cfama_wbz) reports