Marc Bertrand Claims Red Sox Sweep Over Yankees Means 'Absolutely Nothing'

Marc Bertrand Claims Red Sox Sweep Over Yankees Means ‘Absolutely Nothing’ originally appeared on NESN.
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The Boston Red Sox may have saved their season by completing a four-game sweep over the New York Yankees. Marc Bertrand doesn’t seem convinced that the series will spark a midseason turnaround.

Boston is just 4.5 games away from the American League’s last wild-card spot after beating the Yankees four straight times at Fenway Park. They’re one of only five AL teams with a positive run differential (+5) after outscoring their long-time rivals 21-9.

Red Sox fans are riding high from a successful weekend, but Bertrand tried to temper any excitement during Monday’s “Zolak & Bertrand” on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

“The Red Sox sweep the Yankees, and it means absolutely nothing,” Bertrand claimed. “It doesn’t mean anything.”

Bertrand appears to see the latest hot streak as too little, too late for the Red Sox. The radio host doesn’t think they should start planning to buy before the trade deadline because they swept the Yankees.

“They’ve won seven of 10. It doesn’t mean they’re back in it,” Bertrand continued. “It doesn’t mean they’re capable of competing for a playoff spot. It doesn’t mean they’re getting themselves back into the wild-card race … It changes absolutely nothing.”

Or it could change everything for a team scuffling to build momentum throughout the first half. 

The Red Sox had gone 6-17 against the American League East before snatching four straight wins over the Yankees, who began the series boasting the AL’s best record. Boston was also 12-25 at home to start the series and 5-12 in one-run games before Sunday night’s 5-4 victory in extra innings.

FanGraphs now gives the Red Sox an 18 percent chance of making the playoffs, up from 9.7 percent after the Jays completed a sweep over them on June 18.

Boston’s work remains far from finished, but sweeping the Yankees could prove the catalyst to a second-half run. The Red Sox will try to sustain that goodwill during a three-game series against the Washington Nationals.

More MLB: Ken Rosenthal Explains Why Resurgent Red Sox Are Suddenly ‘Really Interesting’