Another day, one other reminder that the Red Sox did little to handle their bullpen this season.
The Red Sox have been brief on reliable arms to start out the yr, nonetheless brief after they didn’t add anybody – and in reality, subtracted – on the commerce deadline, and now in September, it’s persevering with to value them video games and one of many causes they’re nowhere close to the playoff image.
It was the identical outdated on Monday at Tropicana Field, the place the Red Sox wasted one other sturdy begin by Michael Wacha. A seventh-inning lead was shortly misplaced as Jeurys Familia and Zack Kelly mixed to surrender two runs and the Sox couldn’t get well in a 4-3 loss to the Rays to cease their successful streak at 5 video games.
Wacha continued his terrific season with one other gem, tossing six innings and giving up two runs – punctuated with the 1,000th strikeout of his profession – because the Red Sox led 3-2 going into the seventh inning.
They couldn’t hold on. Both the offense and bullpen might be blamed.
The Red Sox had a golden probability so as to add on within the prime of the seventh, when Xander Bogaerts singled and Rafael Devers drew a stroll to load the bases with two outs for Trevor Story, who’s been on fireplace on the plate since coming off the injured record final weekend. But the second baseman couldn’t come by means of once more, as he struck out swinging on Calvin Faucher’s 98 mph fastball to finish the inning.
That missed probability got here again to chew them. Without Garrett Whitlock (30 pitches in two innings on Saturday) and John Schreiber (back-to-back outings Saturday and Sunday) – their two most dependable relievers – obtainable, the Red Sox went to Familia, who they signed to a minor league deal final month, to guard a one-run lead. He couldn’t.
Familia hit leadoff batter Vidal Brujan with a pitch to start out the inning, although the Rays hitter was struck as he checked his swing. Brujan went on to steal second base, moved to 3rd on a Jose Siri groundout after which scored the tying run on Manuel Margot’s double to the right-center hole because the Red Sox bullpen blew their twenty fourth save of the season.
That ended Familia’s day as Alex Cora gave the ball to Zack Kelly, who made his main league debut final week. He additionally couldn’t get the job performed, as David Peralta’s two-out double down the appropriate discipline line scored Margot for the go-ahead run.
The Red Sox didn’t get well. They had the tying run on second with two outs within the ninth, however Bogaerts struck out trying to finish the sport.
Source: www.bostonherald.com