2005 Boston Red Sox season


The 2005 Boston Red Sox season was the 105th season in the franchise's Major League Baseball history. The Red Sox finished second in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 67 losses, the same record as the New York Yankees. The Yankees were deemed the division winner, due to their 10–9 head-to-head record against the Red Sox during the regular season. The Red Sox qualified for the postseason as the AL wild card, but were swept by the American League Central champion Chicago White Sox in the ALDS.
On offense, the Red Sox led Major League Baseball in runs scored, hits, doubles, RBI, walks, batting average, OBP, OPS and sacrifice flies. Red Sox pitchers hit opposing batters with 89 pitches, the most by any major league pitching staff in 2005.

Offseason

The Red Sox made a few notable offseason moves coming off their 2004 World Series championship. The team brought back Jason Varitek by re-signing the veteran catcher to a 4-year $40 million deal. Outfielder Dave Roberts – who played a key role as a base stealer during the 2004 postseason – was traded to the Padres in exchange for shortstop Ramon Vazquez and left fielder Jay Payton.
Management sought to fill the void left by Orlando Cabrera and Pokey Reese at shortstop by signing free agent Édgar Rentería to a 4-year $40 million year with a 5th year option. The move sat well with fans because Rentería was coming off a very successful 2004 campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals. Rentería hit.287 with 10 homeruns and 72 RBI in 2004.
The Red Sox front office looked to bolster their starting pitching by signing two veteran pitchers. The need for starting pitching was a point of emphasize due to the departure of Pedro Martínez to the New York Mets after 7 years in a Red Sox uniform. The first pitcher signed was former Padres starter David Wells. Wells was coming off a surprising 2004 season with the Padres in which he posted a 3.73 ERA over 195 innings pitched at the age of 41. The second pitcher signed was former Cubs starter Matt Clement. Clement was coming off a season in which he posted a respectable 3.68 ERA over 181 innings pitched.

Regular season

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Notable transactions

Roster

Game log

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PosPlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
CJason Varitek133470132.2812270
1BKevin Millar134449122.272950
2BMark Bellhorn8528361.216728
SSÉdgar Renteria153623172.276870
3BBill Mueller150519153.2951062
LFManny Ramirez152554162.29245144
CFJohnny Damon148624197.3161075
RFTrot Nixon124408112.2751365
DHDavid Ortiz159601180.30047148

Other batters

Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in
PlayerGABHAvg.HRRBI
Tony Graffanino5118860.319420
John Olerud8717350.289737
Doug Mirabelli5013631.228618
Jay Payton5513335.263521
Alex Cora4710428.269216
Gabe Kapler369724.24719
Kevin Youkilis447922.27819
Ramón Vázquez276112.19704
Roberto Petagine18329.28119
Adam Hyzdu12164.25000
Adam Stern36152.13312
Kelly Shoppach9150.00000
José Cruz Jr.4123.25000
Dave McCarty1342.50002
Alejandro Machado1051.20000
Hanley Ramirez220.00000
Shawn Wooten110.00000

Pitching

Starting pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ER = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
Tim Wakefield33225.116124.15151
Bronson Arroyo35205.114104.51100
Matt Clement32191.01364.57146
David Wells30189.01574.45107
Wade Miller1691.0444.9564

Other pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGIPWLERASO
Curt Schilling3293.1885.6987
Jonathan Papelbon1734.0312.6534
Lenny DiNardo814.2011.8415

Relief pitchers

Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts
PlayerGWLSVERASO
Mike Timlin8173132.2459
Mike Myers653103.1321
Keith Foulke4355155.9134
Alan Embree431417.6530
Mike Mantei341006.4922
Chad Bradford312103.8610
John Halama301106.1826
Geremi Gonzalez282106.1128
Manny Delcarmen100003.009
Blaine Neal80109.003
Chad Harville80106.433
Mike Remlinger800014.855
Craig Hansen40006.003
Cla Meredith300027.000
Abe Alvarez200015.431
Mike Stanton10000.001
Scott Cassidy100040.500
Matt Perisho1000∞0

ALDS

The Chicago White Sox swept the Red Sox in the American League Division Series. The White Sox went on to win the World Series that year against the Houston Astros. The Red Sox were forced to play in the 2005 Postseason as a wild card team even though they had the same regular season record as their interdivision rival the New York Yankees. That is due to the fact that the Yankees had won the regular season head to head matchups versus the Red Sox 10-9.
A crucial moment of the series came in game 2 when Red Sox second baseman Tony Graffanino made a crucial error that led to the White Sox scoring three unearned runs in the fifth inning. A slow groundball hit to the right side of the infield was able to get past Graffanino and a key double play was not turned. Later in the inning, White Sox second baseman Tadahito Iguchi hit a three-run homerun to give the White Sox a one-run lead. Red Sox pitcher David Wells was pitching well in the game until the error. The error is viewed by many fans as having the Red Sox lose Game 2 and eventually the American League Division Series.
Red Sox ace Curt Schilling did not start a game in the American League Division Series after pitching in the last game of the season against the Yankees.

Awards and honors

;All-Star Game
The Wilmington Blue Rocks replaced the Sarasota Red Sox as the Class A-Advanced affiliate, and the Greenville Bombers replaced the Augusta GreenJackets as the Class A affiliate.