The Red Sox are playing bad baseball… again.
Boston did everything right for nearly two months, but at some point they were going to regress back to the mean. Saturday was the start… Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday included some bad luck… Wednesday was the result of an absolute implosion.
Tyron Guerrero and Alec Gamboa combined to allow five hits and five runs in the eighth inning of what eventually became a 6-4 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. I’ve got the stud and duds from an ugly night
north of the border:
STUDS
Wilyer Abreu: If you don’t respect defense, you’re not welcome here!
Abreu might have gone just 1-for-4, but he also made an absurd play out in right field where he stole a hit from Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a ball that had an expected batting average of .990 and doubled up an eager Brett Bateman. The Red Sox almost certainly would have given up the lead if not for his heroics…
DUDS
Ceddanne Rafaela: It’s time to go back to the drawing board.
Rafaela has regressed in terms of his plate discipline and swing decisions, with his sixth- and eighth-inning at-bats including several chases outside of the zone. If he’s going to keep swinging at everything, no one is going to throw him strikes.
Guerrero: The Red Sox did some bullpen shuffling, electing to go with Guerrero in the eighth inning over Garrett Whitlock.
Single. Single. Single. Walk. Walk.
Chad Tracy pulled his typically reliable reliever without having him record a single out. If that isn’t a depressing turn of events, what is?
“IT’S ABOUT TO UNRAVEL, ISN’T IT?” MOMENT OF THE GAME
Willson Contreras dropped a pop fly in foul ground in the eighth inning, with the very next pitch serving as the nail in the coffin.
The Blue Jays took the lead and never looked back, pouring on five total runs in the frame to run away with the series victory.
YIKES!
