Any time a crew goes on a protracted profitable streak, the stress to maintain it going mounts with every sport.
Even extra so for a crew just like the Red Sox, who most consultants predicted will win round 78 video games and end on the backside of the AL East once more this yr, however entered Sunday afternoon’s sequence finale in Philadelphia with an 8-game win streak on the road and the fourth-best report within the majors.
Boston had already received the sequence by taking the primary two video games, however they weren’t going to have the ability to preserve the expensive and highly effective Philly lineup quiet all weekend. Instead, their very own bats fell silent whereas acquainted faces handed them a deflating 6-1 loss.
Phillies starter Taijuan Walker pitched six innings of 1-run ball, however the hardest capsule to swallow was that Kyle Schwarber (2-for-3, 1 R, 1 HR, 3 RBI) and Matt Strahm (2 IP, 1 H, 3 Ok) helped put their former crew away.
While each beginning pitchers confronted the minimal by means of the primary three frames, Tanner Houck received himself into bother within the fourth. He loaded the bases on back-to-back singles and a stroll, then allowed two runs to attain. He exited after 5 ⅔, charged with three earned runs on 5 hits, a stroll, and 4 strikeouts on simply 74 pitches. Not his greatest day, however adequate to make it the thirteenth consecutive sport through which a Red Sox starter went no less than 5 innings.
Boston batters have been 7-for-36 of their careers in opposition to Walker, however the bulk of that belonged to Justin Turner (4-for-16), who wasn’t in Sunday’s lineup. Neither was Christian Arroyo, who landed on the 10-day injured record unexpectedly on Sunday morning. The Red Sox needed to convey up Bobby Dalbec, who’s performed 4 main league video games and none since April 13, from Triple-A to patch over their sparse center infield.
Masataka Yoshida rapidly prolonged his main league-leading hit streak to 16 video games within the first inning, then received picked off, so it ended up being a 1-2-3 first inning, as did the next two frames.
After placing out in his first battle with Walker, Triston Casas turned on a 4-seam fastball, and put his crew on the board within the fifth. Walker struck out six and didn’t challenge a stroll in holding Boston to a few hits and one run. Casas’ 106.4 mph, 416-foot homer was the one run his crew scored.
Meanwhile, Schwarber roared again in a giant method after an 0-for-5 sport on Saturday evening. The common 2021 Red Sox commerce deadline addition struck out in his first at-bat, then singled to herald a run within the fourth, and blasted a 110.8 mph, 434 house run off Richard Bleier within the sixth.
Though Schwarber was 1-for-8 in opposition to Bleier prior to now, it was stunning to see the lefty take the mound when he did; Houck had solely thrown 74 pitches, and Bleier has struggled in opposition to left-handed hitters this season.
Strahm, one in all Boston’s solely dependable relievers final yr, added salt to the wound by placing out three in a scoreless eighth inning. His efficiency stood in sharp distinction with Zack Littell’s season debut within the backside of the inning. In his first sport with the Red Sox, Littell loaded the bases and gave up a 2-out, 2-run single to J.T. Realmuto, placing his new crew’s already-quiet lineup in an excellent greater gap, earlier than Strahm put the Red Sox away within the ninth.
Defense behind the dish was one of many solely vibrant spots for Boston. Runners proceed making an attempt to run on Connor Wong, who entered Sunday tied for the second-best Catcher’s Caught Stealing Above Average and second-best Pop Time to second base within the majors, and confirmed off his arm on Sunday. He caught fellow catcher Realmuto (who leads their place in pop time to second) stealing within the second, then repeated the transfer within the seventh, nabbing Edmundo Sosa. Both occasions, the play ended the inning.
The Red Sox entered Sunday’s sport 8-11 when their opponents rating first. They have already got 14 comeback wins this season, nevertheless it’s unrealistic to count on them each sport. Sometimes, they’ll rating one run, strike out 9 occasions and received’t draw a stroll.
Not each sport will finish with a bang. For the primary time in over every week, the Red Sox whimpered.
Source: www.bostonherald.com