The Red Sox played just about as well as realistically possible in June. Boston posted a 20-6 record for the month and seemingly restored its status as a legitimate playoff contender.
And yet, the Red Sox aren't anywhere closer to the top of the American League East standings. In fact, Boston is even further behind the New York Yankees in the division than it was at the end of May.
That's right, Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts and company actually lost ground in the division in June. As WEX Magazine's Jay Caruso pointed out Thursday via Twitter, Boston trailed New York by 11 1/2 games on May 31 when the former was four games below .500. The Red Sox now are 10 games above .500 following their scorching-hot month and they enter Thursday 13 games behind the first-place Bronx Bombers.
To add to this frustrating situation for Boston, its 20-6 run in June marked only the fifth time this century that the ball club won 20-plus games in a calendar month, per the Red Sox's J.P. Long. Perhaps a silver lining is that Boston won the World Series in two of the four seasons it hit that benchmark previously.
The Red Sox soon will have an opportunity to gain some ground in the standings, though. After series against the lowly Chicago Cubs and reeling Tampa Bay Rays, Boston will host New York for a four-game set beginning July 7.
