Competing in the AL East is never a fun ride. Despite boasting one of the more potent offenses in the league, the Boston Red Sox are stuck at the bottom of one of baseball’s more stacked divisions. Boston hasn’t exactly done themselves any favors at 42-47, and have specifically struggled with their pitching, having allowed 419 runs up to the midway point. Additionally, their starting pitching staff owns one of the worst team ERA’s in the game.
As rough as 2015 has been for Boston, few baseball experts see them as a true cellar dweller, given how competitive the AL East has been. The first-place New York Yankees only have six more wins, and the difference in the standings is just 6.5 games. The Toronto Blue Jays (45-46), Tampa Bay Rays (46-45) and Baltimore Orioles (44-44) make up the rest of a division that is largely responsible for Boston’s so-so march into this year’s All-Star break, but the Red Sox are certainly within striking distance of each division resident.
The good news is that Boston does have that offense to lean on. While Brock Holt was the only member of Red Sox Nation to make the 2015 MLB All-Star roster, an argument could have been made for more Boston players to have landed on the squad, specifically Hanley Ramirez (19 home runs), David Ortiz (15 homers) and Xander Bogaerts (.304 avg, 43 RBI), who have all had terrific seasons and are a huge reason why their club is still in contention.
The Red Sox can only hope their top sluggers can continue their strong seasons, as they’ll be tested right away out of the break with a four-game series opposing the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Tickets to Red Sox games are always a much sought-after item, and the same will hold true in this series when the first-place Angels welcome them into Angel Stadium of Anaheim beginning on July 17. h a 48-40 record.
As gathered by SeatSmart.com, game one of this pivotal series features an average ticket price of $73.48 and a get-in price of $13. Fans of both sides are certainly eager to see how this series gets underway, as the Angel possess similar firepower within their lineup, led by All-Stars Mike Trout and Albert Pujols. The price jumps up for the second game, having an average of $88.69 on the secondary market, with a $13 get-in. In that contest, there is also a fireworks display at the conclusion of the contest on Saturday, but the real value could come in the latter two games.
Fans only have to pay $62.44 on average for game three ($10 to get in), despite a “Kids Run the Bases” promotion in which youngsters will have the ability to go on the field and trot around the base paths. The series finale on Monday, however, features the lowest average ticket price, being just $52.75, while the cheap seats are also a series low at just $8. Thus, the best value may come in the fourth and final affair.
Given the star power on both sides, this will be one of the more high-profile series this weekend coming out of the break. In the first series between the two clubs, Boston took two of three, and will look to duplicate that type of success here to begin their push towards the top of the AL East.
The Red Sox don’t return to Fenway Park until a week later when they begin a showdown with another top offensive team, the Detroit Tigers. One of the great things about attending a Red Sox home game is not only their inane ability at putting up runs, but also being able to take advantage of great Fenway Park parking from ParkWhiz.com, which has affordable parking spots available all around the stadium.