* Text Features
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Boston Red Sox Thursday, May 13, 2021 * The Boston Globe Red Sox offense sputters again vs. Oakland in matchup of division leaders, losing skid now three games Alex Speier For so much of the season’s first five weeks, the Red Sox offense seemed imbalanced but nearly slump- proof. While the team got next to nothing from the bottom of the order, the second through fifth spots in the lineup — occupied by Alex Verdugo, J.D. Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers — represented an often insurmountable obstacle for opposing pitchers. Yet as the Red Sox zoomed to the top of the standings, an unasked question loomed beneath the surface: What might happen if the Fearsome Foursome faltered? Now, the question has been asked — and the Sox have found the answer disconcerting. On Wednesday night, with the heart of the order failing to capitalize on tantalizing opportunities, the Red Sox continued their offensive skid in a 4-1 loss to the A’s at Fenway. The Sox have lost three straight, totaling four runs in those contests. The team’s Core Four is 7-for-41 with a .171/.244/.293 line and three extra-base hits during those contests, while the team as a whole is hitting .141/.198/.239 with 32 strikeouts in 101 plate appearances over the three-game rut. “Obviously we’re just going through a rough stretch right now,” Bogaerts said. “We’re in a slump right now as a team.” The Sox had an opportunity to escape their slide almost from the first pitch of the game against A’s rookie James Kaprielian, who appeared jittery at the outset of his first big league start. Three batters and 15 pitches into the bottom of the first, the Sox had loaded the bases with no outs on a Marwin Gonzalez double, Verdugo walk, and Martinez single. Yet Kaprielian regained his composure and got Bogaerts (strikeout on a slider out of the zone) and Devers (pop-up to first on a fastball on the inside corner) to chase his pitches. Though Christian Vázquez accepted a four-pitch walk to force in a run, the 1-0 advantage felt like a squandered opportunity — particularly given that, on average, teams that load the bases with no outs score more than two runs in an inning. “When the big boys are not swinging the bats the other guys have to contribute, too,” manager Alex Cora said. “We know they’re going to go through their up and downs, and that’s part of this, but other guys have to pick it up.” The A’s likewise proved inefficient early in the game, as they managed just one game-tying run in the top of the second despite three straight hits that included a pair of doubles — thanks in part to a brilliant play by right fielder Hunter Renfroe. Matt Chapman crunched an Eduardo Rodriguez fastball off the fence in center, with the carom carrying past Verdugo in center. Chapman sniffed a triple, but Renfroe raced to back up his teammate and uncorked a one-hop throw to third to cut down Chapman for the second out of the inning. That out proved significant, as the A’s followed with a single and Sean Murphy RBI double — hits that netted one run instead of at least two. The exchange of fumbles permitted both starters to settle into the middle of the game. Kaprielian found his footing, retiring nine of 11 from the second through fourth, and Rodriguez — who threw two- or four-seam fastballs a season-high 61 percent of the time while working at 91-94 m.p.h. — tore through the A’s lineup while striking out six of the nine batters following Murphy’s double. “I finally had the feeling that I’m back with my fastball velocity,” Rodriguez said. “That’s big progress for me.” But Rodriguez faltered in the fifth. Ex-Sox stalwart Mitch Moreland cued a cutter off the end of the bat for a dribbler that snuck inside the third base line, then jogged to third when Elvis Andrus nearly left the building, pounding a double off the fence in center. After a strikeout, Jed Lowrie’s RBI grounder gave Oakland a 2-1 advantage. The A’s stretched the lead to 3-1 when Andrus distracted Rodriguez by dancing down the third base line, inciting a run-scoring balk. The Sox immediately had a chance to return serve against Kaprielian in the bottom of the fifth, and again failed to capitalize. With runners on the corners and no outs, Martinez tapped a comebacker on which Marwin Gonzalez broke but then hesitated before getting thrown out at the plate. (“If he keeps going he’s probably safe,” Cora said.) Kaprielian (1-0) then reasserted himself, blowing a 94 m.p.h. fastball past Bogaerts and getting Devers to chase a pitch in the dirt — the fifth and sixth strikeouts of the night for the 27-year-old A’s rookie, who allowed one run on four hits and three walks in five innings. “I really love those moments. Those are the moments that I think great pitchers are able to come out of,” Kaprielian said. “The crowd going, chanting for the Red Sox — I love that . That’s almost putting me at my best.” With the Sox still stunned by their inability to score, the A’s quickly delivered another punch in the sixth. Matt Olson attacked the first pitch of the inning, launching a Rodriguez two-seamer into the right field grandstand for a solo homer, his eighth of the season. Though Rodriguez (5-1, 4.15) struck out a season-high nine over six innings, his yield of four runs matched a season high. In three May starts, opponents are tagging him at a .338/386/.523 clip. Still, on a different night, four runs would have given the Sox a chance. Wednesday, however, offered no bailouts. Instead, the Sox mounted then flubbed one more chance in the eighth, failing to score after putting runners on second and third with one out. They went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position on the night and are now 1 for 18 with eight strikeouts in such situations over the last three games. In the process, their lead in the AL East dwindled to a single game over the Yankees, and their record at Fenway fell to 10-11. “Things are going to come around,” Bogaerts said. “You can’t keep a good guy down for too long. We’re going to bounce back.” Ex-Red Sox first baseman Mitch Moreland touched by warm reception upon return to Fenway Alex Speier Mitch Moreland spent 3½ seasons in Boston, yet the duration seemed considerably longer. The 35-year-old emerged not just as a productive regular for the Sox — hitting .251/.332/.471 with 64 home runs in 386 games, while also delivering a pivotal pinch-hit homer in Game 4 of the 2018 World Series — but also as a clubhouse leader whom many players viewed as a mentor who contributed to their growth. That legacy was recognized Tuesday night, when Moreland — who was traded by the Sox to the Padres last August for prospects Jeisson Rosario and Hudson Potts — returned to Fenway Park as a member of the A’s. When Moreland approached the plate for his first at-bat, catcher Christian Vázquez called time so that he and other players in the Red Sox dugout could applaud. “Those guys, they’re still close friends and great teammates,” Moreland said before Wednesday night’s 4-1 Oakland victory over the Red Sox. “For Vazqy to do that, to look around and see the other guys following his lead on that, was special. It’s something I’ll never forget.” Moreland also expressed his gratitude for the sustained ovation of the crowd at Fenway. “I’m humbled by it. It’s a great fan base,” Moreland said. “It’s a special place to play baseball. I was fortunate enough to play here and enjoy that from the home side. It’s still fun being here as a visitor as well.” Pivetta on COVID-19 list Righthander Nick Pivetta was placed on the COVID-19-related injured list with side effects from his vaccination. “Not feeling great after his second shot,” manager Alex Cora said. “Hopefully he’ll be OK for his next start.” Pivetta (5-0, 3.19 ERA) is scheduled to start Friday against the Angels at Fenway. The Sox are hopeful that he’ll be ready to return by then but will monitor his progress. If he’s unavailable, Cora suggested that Garrett Whitlock or Matt Andriese would be candidates to start. To fill Pivetta’s roster spot, the Sox called up righthander Eduard Bazardo from Triple-A Worcester. Bazardo tossed two scoreless innings, striking out two. Santana keeps moving up After three games with Greenville, super-utility player Danny Santana — who signed a minor league deal with the Sox in spring training — joined Worcester, batting second and playing third base Wednesday night. Santana, who underwent modified Tommy John surgery last season and then was slowed in spring training by a foot infection, has played second, short, third, and center in his four games this season. “This is a guy that had a great season two years ago,” Cora said of Santana, who hit .283/.324/.534 with 28 homers in 2019. “Last year he was hurt. He needs to play, that’s the most important thing. Just because he’s [in Worcester], it doesn’t mean he’s that close to being added here, or he’s going to be part of this.