As the Boston Red Sox approached a 10-game homestand as mid-August neared, having been swept in a two-game series at the hands of the lowly Miami Marlins, optimism was nonexistent, with the squad nursing a 50-64 record and manager John Farrell having just learned the saddening news of his Stage 1 lymphoma diagnosis.
Spirits had reached rock bottom in the clubhouse, however, with a fresh face, interim manager Torey Lovullo, at the helm, the team has blossomed, going 6-4 on the homestand and 4-2 on the ensuing road trip, with four-game and three-game winning streaks sandwiched in between.
With Lovullo not afraid to toy with his organization of the lineup and experiment with new practices, the team is finally reaching expectations hitting wise, surging from the ninth spot in runs scored in the American League to third in the entire MLB in just over two weeks.
The pitching staff is also surging, with embattled starter Joe Kelly finishing August with a 6-0 record, and the much-maligned Rick Porcello emerging from a month-long stint on the disabled list with a dominant shutout performance on August 26th, leading the Red Sox to a 3-0 win.
Despite the fact that the bullpen continues to be the Achilles heel for Boston, Lovullo has proven his audacious approach in making changes when predicaments arise. When the experiment which saw setup man Junichi Tazawa go 3-for-9 in save situations after closer Koji Uehara suffered a season-ending wrist injury on August 7th, Lovullo was able to realize the need for a change, inserting recently-acquired reliever Jean Machi as the new closer Sunday.
Lovullo's inclination to stick with the unseasoned outfield platoon of Jackie Bradley Jr., Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo, while limiting the playing time of the injury-riddled Hanley Ramirez and Alejandro De Aza has worked wonders. His decision to move third baseman Pablo Sandoval from the depths of the lineup to the number-two spot has injected a dosage of life into the offseason acquisition, with The Panda's defensive approach improving along with his batting before a slump over the past week induced a batting average landslide.
With his decision-making over the past 17 days, Lovullo has created a managerial controversy surrounding the team despite the fact that Farrell is under contract through 2017 with the franchise. Lovullo has led his road-challenged ball club to consecutive series victories over the Chicago White Sox and the first-place New York Mets away from Fenway Park after a stellar homestand.
It is difficult to dispute the impact Lovullo has had on the team. His upbeat, positive approach has enlightened the clubhouse atmosphere and is playing a role in the newfound meshing of the pieces of the puzzle in Boston.
Newly-hired president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has little history with Farrell as well, making this something to keep an eye on as the season enters its final month.