Asked for his ideas on the membership’s defensive play to this point previous to Wednesday’s sport, Red Sox supervisor Alex Cora didn’t mince phrases.
“We’re not a good defensive team, we’re 29th in the league,” Cora mentioned. “We have a pitching staff that doesn’t have swing and miss stuff, when we get to two strikes and we induce to weak contact, we’ve got to make the plays. We’re really good when we’re making plays, when we’re not we struggle.”
Hours after Cora’s blunt evaluation, the Red Sox made their supervisor look prophetic within the worst attainable approach.
Thanks partly to a Rafael Devers throwing error to guide off the seventh, the Cincinnati Reds rallied for 3 runs within the inning to return from behind and beat the Red Sox 5-4. It was Boston’s third straight loss and ensured a collection defeat to a Reds membership that got here to Boston 5 video games below .500.
Devers’ error got here on a routine grounder proper down the third bottom line, which necessitated a protracted however makeable throw throughout the diamond that the third baseman couldn’t full. That was adopted by two straight singles to load the bases, and Josh Winckowski subsequently drew what would have in any other case been an inning-ending double play that as a substitute resulted within the Red Sox giving up the tying run in alternate for 2 outs.
Then, the subsequent at bat, Reds first baseman Spencer Steer struck for what wound up being the game-winning two-run residence run.
“It’s tough, it’s a routine play that we have to make at this level,” Cora mentioned afterwards. “I always say if you give the opposition more than 27 outs most of the time they’re going to score, they’re going to make you pay. Obviously that play we had to make, we didn’t, and it opened the gates for them.”
The error got here amid what has been a confounding stretch for Devers, who has additionally been caught in no-man’s land on the plate.
On one hand he’s been unusually passive on the primary pitch, a pattern Cora mentioned has gone on for the previous 15 video games or so. On the opposite hand he’s been extra aggressive than common later within the at bat. While he’s remained among the many most prolific run-producers within the league, he additionally has an on-base share of simply .286, on tempo to be the worst of his profession by far.
“He hasn’t walked in months, so that’s part of the equation,” Cora quipped pregame, solely a slight exaggeration since Devers had simply two walks in 94 plate appearances in May getting into the night time. “Obviously he’s an aggressive guy but at the end of the day you still have to control the strike zone.”
That mixture has restricted Devers’ general effectiveness, and Wednesday he made a transparent effort to a minimum of swing extra aggressively on the primary pitch. He laced the primary pitch he noticed from Reds starter Luke Weaver for a scorched lineout the alternative approach, and his subsequent time up he went the opposite approach once more, taking a 1-1 fastball excessive off the Green Monster for an RBI double, the two hundredth of his profession.
Devers later received a 10-pitch at bat to attract an enormous stroll within the seventh, which loaded the bases for Justin Turner, however the Red Sox couldn’t capitalize.
Hhe completed 1 for 4 and flew out to deep heart subject to finish the sport.
The Red Sox took a 3-1 lead into the seventh after Masataka Yoshida hit a solo residence run to guide off the second, Devers tacked on his RBI double within the third and Enmanuel Valdez added a solo shot of his personal within the fifth. Cincinnati managed a run off Red Sox starter James Paxton on a Luke Maile RBI double within the fifth, however in any other case the veteran was incredible, placing out eight batters whereas drawing a season-high 22 whiffs over 5 robust innings.
“I felt good, fastball felt really good coming out, I felt the breaking ball took some steps forward,” mentioned Paxton, who allowed one run on 4 hits and a stroll whereas throwing 100 pitches. “I was throwing some first-pitch breaking balls for strikes like I wanted to.”
The Reds started making their run within the sixth when Kutter Crawford was uncharacteristically sloppy in his first look since being hit within the ankle with a comebacker over the weekend. Crawford walked the primary two batters and allowed an RBI single to Nick Senzel, and whereas Winckowski was capable of slam the door with a fast strikeout to finish the inning, issues got here unglued within the seventh.
Much like Tuesday the Red Sox did make one final push on the finish. Jarren Duran bought the Red Sox inside one after hitting an RBI double to attain Yoshida within the eighth, however pinch hitter Raimel Tapia and Valdez couldn’t get him in, with Valdez placing out on the finish of an eight-pitch at bat.
The Red Sox then went 1-2-3 within the backside of the ninth, with Devers’ deep fly out wrapping issues up.
Boston (28-27) finishes May 13-13 and is 2-7 over its final 9 video games. Chris Sale (5-2, 4.72 ERA) will look to cease the skid when he takes the mound in opposition to younger Reds phenom Hunter Greene (1-4, 4.18). First pitch for the collection finale is ready for 7:10 p.m.
Source: www.bostonherald.com