Nine to Know: Red Sox Stats Pack – Good at Losing Edition

The Bill Chuck Files overflow each day with stats, factoids, and observations that are sometimes relevant, sometimes irrelevant, and sometimes simply intriguing. At the start of each Sox series, I will share some of these in my “Nine to Know,” and I hope you will do the same.

Vince Lombardi – Winning is not a sometime thing; it’s an all time thing. You don’t win once in a while, you don’t do things right once in a while, you do them right all the time. Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing.

The Red Sox are really good at losing this season.

Having lost eight straight to the Astros, Angels, and Mariners, the Sox now have their second longest losing streak of the season, having lost 10 in a row in May.

Last season, the team wasn’t as good at losing with their longest streak a measly three games, which they did five times.

Right before this losing streak, the Sox had won four in a row, their third longest streak of the season having won five in a row once, and seven in a row once. Last season, the champs had nine streaks of at least four wins in a row.

But that team wasn’t as good at losing as this team is.

Now the Sox head to Toronto to face the Jays, a team they are really good at losing to with a 3-10 record, their worst record against any opponent this season that they played more than one series.

This should be more good news. Sigh.

Boston Red Sox (56-74 – 27-34 on the road – scored 495 runs/allowed 569) @ Toronto (66-64 – 34-28 at home – scored and allowed 574 runs)

Nine to Know: Good at losing
1. In Sox wins, the team is hitting .278 with 52 homers and 297 runs scored. They have a .789 OPS and have stolen 22 bases in 32 attempts. In Sox losses, the team is hitting .219 with 43 homers and 198 runs scored. They have a .606 OPS and have stolen 20 bases in 31 attempts. When they score four runs or fewer, they are 25-61.
2. In Sox wins, the team has a 2.07 ERA and a 0.963 WHIP. They have a .203 BAA and have allowed 20 homers while striking out 238. In Sox losses, the team has a 7.74 ERA and a 1.842 WHIP. They have a .337 BAA and have allowed 59 homers while striking out 233. When they allow four runs or more, they are 14-57.
3. Big Papi has 20 homers and 57 RBI when Boston wins, hitting .280 with 30 whiffs. But in Sox losses, David Ortiz has hit .253 with 10 homers, 36 RBI, and 49 Ks.
4. In Sox wins, Mike Napoli has hit .325 with nine homers, but in Sox losses, he’s hit .215 with six homers. He leads the team with 78 whiffs in Sox losses.

5. Daniel Nava is a .345 hitter in Sox wins, but only hits .195 when they lose. Last season, he hit .338 in wins and .251 in losses.
6. A 3.03 ERA would be pretty good if that were Clay Buchholz’ seasons totals. The trouble is, that’s Clay’s ERA in wins. In his losses, his ERA is 8.49, which means the Sox have very little chance of winning those starts. In his no-decisions, his ERA is 5.91.
7. At least he is consistent: In Sox wins, Xander Bogaerts is hitting .225; in Sox loses, he’s hitting .222. He has struck out 44 times in wins, but 74 times in losses.
8. Last season, in Sox wins Dustin Pedroia hit .325 and in Sox losses he hit .262. This season, in Sox wins Pedey has hit .317 and in losses he’s hit .255.
9. In one-run games the Sox are 24-24, scoring and allowing 155 runs. In two-run games the Sox are 9-15, scoring 90 runs and allowing 102. In three-run games the Sox are 7-9, scoring 78 runs and allowing 84. In games in which the margin of victory is four or more runs, the Sox are 16-26 scoring 172 runs and allowing 228.
See you Friday as the Sox head to Tampa Bay to battle the Rays.