Another evening, and yet one more gut-punching loss for the Red Sox.
With an opportunity to lastly win a sequence, the Red Sox misplaced in crushing vogue but once more. Orlando Arcia hit a tie-breaking, two-run walk-off homer within the ninth off Ryan Brasier to ship the Red Sox to a brutal 5-3 loss at Truist Park in Atlanta on Wednesday evening as they cut up the two-game sequence with the Braves.
The Red Sox (11-20) now haven’t gained a sequence in a month, a stretch of eight consecutive sequence and not using a victory as they fell 11 1/2 video games again of the first-place Yankees. It was their fifth walk-off lack of the season on a rising record of excruciating defeats that’s nearly turn into too many to depend.
Wednesday evening’s loss was painful on various ranges. The Sox had possibilities — together with a giant one within the sixth inning that resulted in a sequence by which supervisor Alex Cora and catcher Kevin Plawecki have been ejected — and the momentum from a giant win on Tuesday evening was successfully sapped.
The takeaways:
1. Cora ejected in game-changing sequence
The largest second of the sport Wednesday evening got here within the sixth inning.
The recreation was tied at 3 when the Red Sox began a rally in opposition to Braves starter Ian Anderson. J.D. Martinez led off with a single and Alex Verdugo drew a one-out stroll to chase Anderson out of the sport. The Braves went to Collin McHugh, who induced Trevor Story right into a groundout however walked Franchy Cordero — the primary baseman’s fourth in two nights — to load the bases.
That’s when controversy ensued. Plawecki labored an important at-bat in opposition to McHugh and the depend was full when he appeared to attract the bases-loaded stroll and the go-ahead run on a pitch that was effectively beneath the strike zone. But residence plate umpire Adam Beck didn’t assume so, and rang up Plawecki for strike three. Plawecki had alternative phrases for Beck and was instantly tossed earlier than Cora raced out of the dugout to argue with Beck in much more emotional vogue. He was past furious, persevering with to argue effectively after he was tossed.
Alex Cora and Kevin Plawecki each ejected for arguing this strike three name (7). That needs to be ball 4 and a Red Sox lead. Cora is rightfully pissed. pic.twitter.com/uISWnhM5za
— Steve Hewitt (@steve_hewitt) May 12, 2022
It was Cora’s second ejection within the final week, however his argument was greater than legitimate as the decision value his crew not less than one run and probably extra. But he didn’t wish to say it value them the sport.
“We’ve been preaching stay patient and swing at strikes, and he did his job,” Cora instructed reporters in Atlanta.
“We had chances to add on and we had chances to make pitches and we didn’t do it.”
2. Story will get on the board
Story has had a tough begin to his Red Sox profession, together with his struggles mounting to seemingly limitless booing by the Boston crowd in the course of the second baseman’s brutal homestand final week.
But on Wednesday, he lastly received the monkey off his again.
Story, who was recognized to hit residence runs throughout his six-year profession in Colorado, had in some way gone by way of the primary month of this season with out one, the longest drought of his profession. He got here shut just a few instances, however within the second inning in Atlanta, he lastly received a maintain of 1. After Verdugo received on base with a one-out double, Story was throughout Anderson’s changeup down within the zone and roped it to lifeless heart for a two-run homer.
The ball was crushed — touring 422 ft with a 105.8 mph exit velocity off the bat — to offer the Red Sox a 2-0 lead.
It needed to have felt good for Story to lastly get the primary one out of the best way. And when he returned to the dugout, his teammates have been simply as glad for him. After he received his first customary laundry cart journey, Kiké Hernandez was ready and showered him with confetti.
For Story, the two-game journey could possibly be a giant confidence booster going ahead. After having simply three hits throughout final week’s six-game homestand, he produced three hits and 4 RBI in opposition to the Braves.
3. Eovaldi bounces again
Nathan Eovaldi has had a stable begin to the season, however in contrast to his All-Star season in 2021, he’s getting hit laborious.
After getting by way of the primary two innings completely in 20 pitches, Eovaldi bumped into hassle within the third and gave up his ninth residence run of the season — a two-run shot from Braves No. 9 hitter Travis Demeritte — earlier than he gave up a game-tying RBI double to Matt Olson. Eovaldi in the end wanted 29 pitches to get out of the third.
Eovaldi gave up simply 15 residence runs final season and didn’t permit his ninth till Aug. 11 — precisely three months after Wednesday evening’s shot from Demeritte. But Cora isn’t involved.
“It doesn’t change, right?” the supervisor stated. “I think the results are the same. He’s doing a good job, he’s going deep into the games. We feel like every night that he goes out there, he’s going deep into the game and giving us a chance to win.”
Eovaldi responded to complete his evening with 3 1/3 shutout innings earlier than handing it over to the bullpen. Matt Strahm and John Schreiber stored it a 3-3 recreation earlier than Brasier gave up the walk-off homer to Arcia.
Source: www.bostonherald.com