Some things that struck me from Sunday and Monday:

* - The Red Sox are 41-8 when they score 4+ runs this season, the highest winning percentage in the majors:

.837 - Boston (41-8)
.816 - Tampa Bay (40-9)
.795 - Texas (35-9)

The 49 games scoring 4+ runs puts Boston in a tie for 3rd most, trailing only the Yankees (55 games; 40-15 record) and Dodgers (50 games; 37-13 record).

The Washington Nationals are 16-24 (.400) when scoring 4+ runs so far this season. Only two teams since 1998 have been below .500 in those games for a full season (’98 Marlins and ‘03 Tigers) and only one team, the famous ‘62 Mets, have ended a season below .400 in those games (30-46; .395).

* - Boston is now 2-9 on the road this season when they fail to hit a HR, the 2nd lowest winning percentage in the AL:

.133 - Tampa Bay (2-13)
.182 - Boston (2-9)
.200 - Kansas City (3-12)

* - Sunday marked the 14th time in 2009 that Dustin Pedroia has failed to reach base despite 4+ plate appearances (it was the 6th time this month). Pedroia only had 20 such games last season and just 7 after June 1. In 2007, he had just 9 such games all season.

* - Pedroia has not had a hit in any of the Red Sox last 8 losses (0-21) dating back to May 30. During that same span he’s batting .267 (23-86) in wins. It’s nice when there are a lot more at bats in wins than in losses.

* - Jacoby Ellsbury has gone just 2-19 in his last six games (all on the road). Prior to that, he had the 2nd highest road average in the AL from May 2 through June 23:

.406 - Chone Figgins, LAA (43-106)
.394 - Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS (41-104)
.390 - Ichiro Suzuki, SEA (39-100)

* - Ellsbury had his 3rd career 4-hit game on June 23 and has followed it up by going into a 2-19 funk (so far). He followed his other 4-hit games with a 1-4 (last game of the 2008 season) and a 2-27 slump (July 11 through July 20, 2008).

* - Ellsbury has not had multiple strikeouts in a game in his last 31 games (counting only those with 3+ PA), the longest streak of his career. He’s only had 2 games with multiple K’s in his last 84, dating back to last August 28.

* - Brad Penny has put up a “Game Score” between 38 and 64 (no gems; no disasters) in each of his last 11 starts, one shy of the Red Sox record of 12 set by Mike Gardiner (’91-’92) and six short of the MLB mark of 17 held by Ryan Dempster (ended 5/8/09).

He has also thrown 100+ pitches in his last six starts, the longest such streak for him since 2004.

* - The Red Sox have posted 4 shutouts in 2009 and all have come in June. The last time that the Sox had 4 shutouts in a month was June, 2007 and by the way, they haven’t had 5 in a month since July, 2002.

Also notable is that the Sox didn’t post a shutout in April or May. The last time that the Sox went two consecutive months without a shutout was 2005 and 2006, when they went from July 24, 2005 through July 14, 2006, 153 games and 5+ months, without one.

Big thanks to Baseball-Reference for their stats help!  Enjoy your Tuesday!

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