Red Sox end West Coast losing streak

Image source: Boston Globe

Before last night, I was beginning to get a little worried that my support was acting as a jinx for Red Sox prospects. I'm probably the least superstitious and most skeptical person I know - except when it comes to baseball. I don't utter the words "no-hitter" when one is happening, I wear the same shirt to the ballpark as long as the Sox win when I do, and I won't leave my seat (at home or at the park) when there's a rally going on.

So when I bought Jackie Bradley Jr. and Will Middlebrooks shirts at the beginning of the season, and they both struggled before being demoted to AAA, I was worried. My concerns were only exacerbated when I decided to hold off on the purchase of a Jose Iglesias shirt, and he went on to have an incredible first half, both defensively and at the plate.

So I'm essentially convinced that I'm a jinx. Or I was, until Jackie Bradley Jr. contributed a home run to the Red Sox win last night. In fact, Bradley's homer was the blow that finally put the Sox on top for good in a game full of offense and somewhat devoid of masterful pitching performances on both sides.

The victory stopped what had become a string of Red Sox losses, albeit at only three games long. Indeed, had the Sox not come back to win last night, it would have been the very first four-game losing streak of the 2013 season. The West Coast has not been friendly to the Red Sox this week, but hopefully last night's game is the beginning of a turnaround: they're 2-3 so far on this road trip, but they have another two games against the Mariners and then three against the A's before the All-Star Break.

As long as I hold off on buying any more player t-shirts, I think they have a good chance of ending the West Coast trip on a positive note.