The 2016 Boston Red Sox continue to roll offensively, as they became the fourth American League team ever to score at least 11 runs in four consecutive games in Thursday’s matchup against the Houston Astros.
According to ESPN’s Jayson Stark, the 2000 Seattle Mariners, the 1950 Red Sox and the 1930 Philadelphia Athletics are the other three teams to accomplish such a feat.
The Boston Globe‘s Pete Abraham provided some statistics to put Boston’s recent offensive tear into further perspective:
What makes Thursday’s 11-1 outburst against the Astros more impressive is that it came at the expense of Dallas Keuchel, last season’s American League Cy Young Award winner. ESPN Stats & Info noted Keuchel is not accustomed to such shellackings:
David Price, Boston’s struggling ace, also struck out 12 in the win.
Coming into Thursday, the Red Sox were tied with the Chicago Cubs for most runs scored in MLB, per ESPN.com. With veterans such as David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Hanley Ramirez—along with the emergence of Xander Bogaerts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Travis Shaw, who are all hitting above .300—Boston can provide a punch from anywhere in the lineup.
While this offensive surge is likely to recede a bit, the Red Sox still possess a deep lineup capable of making noise come October. If Price can build on his Thursday performance, Boston will be a legitimate World Series contender.
However, of the three aforementioned teams to score 11-plus runs in four straight games, only the Athletics went on to win the World Series.
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