Not much has been going right for the Boston Red Sox lately. In their last 10 games, Boston has lost six.
This includes a current three-game losing streak where they’ve scored a combined five runs.
In addition, the Red Sox are just 1-32 when trailing after seven innings and 0-35 when trailing after eight.
On Tuesday night, catcher Mickey Gasper had two near-misses for home runs that would have left the park in the majority of ballparks.
He’s taking measures to figure out the problem.
According to MLB.com’s Ian Browne, Gasper decided to order new bats.
Why Did Gasper Order New Bats?
In this season-long offensive slump, the Red Sox players are trying whatever they can to get it right.
Gasper fell short of hitting a home run to tie the game for Boston on Tuesday night. Because of this, Gasper is ordering new bats.
“It’s incredibly frustrating,” Gasper said. “We’re all trying to help the team win, and we’re knocking at the door every night. We’re coming up a little short right now, and the only thing you can do is look in the mirror and say, ‘How do I help the team?’ And if 26 guys do that, that gets you in a good spot.
“I thought I got them both. Honestly. I just put in a bat order with (clubhouse manager) Tommy (McLaughlin), because I’m pretty frustrated with what I got. The first one, I felt a hair on the bottom of the barrel, but I knew I spun it right. I’ve seen that ball go out before, and then the second one, I really thought that was going over the fence.”
While this may not be an unusual request, it is notable due to Boston’s offensive struggles.
How Bad Have Gasper and the Boston Red Sox Been?
Gasper has a .284/.325/.351 slash line this season through 23 games, but has yet to hit a home run. Across 81 games in his three-year career, the catcher has only two career home runs.
It will be interesting to see if the new bats give him the extra pop he’s looking for. Although according to Baseball Savant, Gasper’s expected slugging percentage is at .341, he is squaring up the ball and hitting it hard at a high rate.
However, like the rest of the team, the execution hasn’t been there for Boston.
The Red Sox rank last in the American League in runs scored with 253, and 29th in baseball just ahead of the San Diego Padres.
And the pop just hasn’t been there. They’ve hit just 49 home runs, last in MLB.
Boston is just not in a good spot at the moment. With a record of 27-38 as of Wednesday morning, the Red Sox are 12.5 games out of the AL East.
However, in a weak AL, they are still just 4.5 games back.
While executive Craig Breslow may be looking to add at the Trade Deadline because of this, maybe the addition the position players need is new bats.
It’s possible that Gasper’s request could spread to the entire team if it works, and could revive Boston’s offense.
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