Bobby Dalbec and Trevor Story have been proper within the middle of the motion because the Red Sox misplaced a wild 3-2 sport to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night time.
Dalbec lastly got here via within the prime of the tenth inning to get the Red Sox on the board, however appeared to misstep on his means towards first base to obtain a throw from Trevor Story that sailed wild and saved the Rays alive with two outs within the backside of the inning.
The very subsequent hitter, Kevin Kiermaier, despatched the Tropicana Field crowd right into a frenzy with a two-run, walkoff homer in opposition to Hansel Robles.
The play in query was a groundball to second base off the bat of Taylor Walls with two outs and a person on third base after Robles balked the ghost runner over. Walls hit the routine ball to Story, who stumbled and made a throw slightly to the left of the place Dalbec was arrange. Dalbec’s ft obtained combined up and he fell down as he missed the news to maintain the Rays within the sport.
Kiermaier than dealt with a 96-mph heater down the center and crushed it over the right-field fence for his first residence run of the season.
Here are the three takeaways:
1. The Sox have been held and not using a hit via 9 innings by six completely different Rays pitchers.
It was a bullpen sport for the Rays, who began the sport with two innings from J.P. Feyereisen, then used six extra pitchers to finish the sport. The Sox had no hits till the tenth inning, however did have 5 walks in that span.
The Rays additionally caught the Red Sox at a time when their bats haven’t been working, and till Saturday night time, no one’s bat has been as chilly as Dalbec’s.
The 26-year-old entered Saturday with a .159 common and .479 OPS via the primary 12 video games, a small pattern measurement however a considerably notable one, notably given the spectacular play of one of many group’s prime prospects, Triston Casas, down at Triple-A Worcester.
And it was Dalbec who missed one of many Sox’ solely alternatives earlier within the sport, when he stepped up with two males on and two outs, however he struck out swinging on three pitches to maneuver to 0-for-15 with runners in scoring place this 12 months.
In the tenth, dealing with right-hander Matt Wisler, Dalbec fell behind 0-2 earlier than one way or the other making contact with a slider off the plate and slicing it down the right-field line. The ball bounced previous a diving Brett Phillips to depend because the Sox’ first hit of the day and rating the ghost runner from second base. Christian Vazquez drove in Dalbec on a sacrifice fly and the Sox have been in enterprise as they took a 2-0 lead into the underside of the inning.
2. Robles can’t shut it out
As gamers shuffle roles on the Sox’ pitching employees, Robles is beginning to seem like the Red Sox’ best choice within the bullpen
But the 31-year-old couldn’t shut out the tenth inning for his second save of the season. He struck out the primary two guys earlier than Story was charged with an error to increase the sport and convey up Kiermaier.
The two-run homer was the primary time Robles had allowed an earned run within the common season since Aug. 29 of final 12 months.
3. Whitlock sensational
What Garrett Whitlock is doing proper now’s particular.
Not since Chris Sale have the Red Sox had such a dominant, overpowering and in-command pitcher as Whitlock has been to start out the 2022 season.
Making his first profession large league begin in his 51st large league look, Whitlock sliced via a scary Rays’ lineup with ease over 4 innings. He wanted simply 48 pitches to do it, and he struck out a career-high seven batters within the course of. These have been fairly strikeouts, too. The 97-mph sinker was noticed on the corners and at one level Randy Arozarena struck out whereas throwing his bat at a slider within the filth.
Whitlock now has a 1.76 ERA via his first 87 innings within the large leagues and the Sox might need to contemplate letting Whitlock keep within the beginning rotation full-time.
The Sox then turned to their B-set of relievers, going to Austin Davis, Kutter Crawford and Tyler Danish, and all three have been sensational on their technique to giving Robles the save likelihood within the tenth.
Source: www.bostonherald.com