Just a horrible game for the Red Sox. Bad fundamental baseball for ten innings -- the first extra-inning game of the season.
Both teams scored in the second inning, and Tampa took a 2-1 lead in the fourth. Although with Boston unable to hit Doug Waechter, it felt more like 5-1. Johnny Damon's two-run homer off the right field pole gave the Sox a 3-2 lead in the seventh, but Mike Timlin allowed an inherited runner to score (surprise!) and the game was tied at 3-3.
The Red Sox blew a scoring chance in the ninth -- first and third with one out, then first and second with two outs, then bases loaded with two outs.
In the 10th inning, Trot Nixon singled and stole second with one out. John Olerud hit a sharp grounder towards shortstop that Nixon couldn't get out of the way of -- although if he was running on the play, he would have been well on his way to third. The ball hit his right foot, he was out, and Bill Mueller lined to center to end the inning. It's hard to say if anything would have changed if Nixon played it correctly -- man on 3rd, two outs instead of man on 1st, two outs.
In the Rays 10th, Aubrey Huff doubled to deep right off Curt Schilling with two outs. Nixon played the ball too close to the wall -- he had no chance at catching the ball -- and when the ball bounced back towards the infield, he had too far to run to grab it and throw it in. Jose Cantu scored from first without a throw and the game was lost.
One other fuck-up by Terry Francona: Boston took a 3-2 lead after the top of the seventh. Why didn't Olerud come in to play first? I can only assume it was because Kevin Millar was due up 3rd in the top of the 8th inning -- and Tito wanted to give him another at-bat (he was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts at the time; he K'd in the 8th). Unfortunately, Millar couldn't pick a throw from Edgar Renteria out of the dirt, a misplay that led to Tampa tying the score.
So with Tampa and Kansas City on the horizon, Boston should be priming to blast these AAA teams out of the water. Instead, they fart around, giving the Rays extra outs, acting like morons on the base paths, and then wondering why they ended up on the losing side in the end.
Just banging this out after the game, so excuse me if it makes little sense. Now to walk my dogs and on to bed.
I'm starting to wonder if another Francona fuckup is every time he brings Timlin in with runners on. The guy is nearly untouchable when he starts the inning, but it's becoming a given that any inherited runners will score.
ReplyDeleteThe game was definitely a disappointment and one they should have taken with no problem if they weren't so busy looking like the Bad News Bears. Grrrr We'll get 'em tonight. We better!
ReplyDeleteI was raging at the TV last night in ways I don't think I ever have. Splitting the series with Chicago did not bother me, but losing a game like that to the D-Rays does to no end. Just bad, bad baseball. The offense squandered a great pitching performance by Wells--it should've been a blowout instead of a severe case of LOB. Pure suckage.
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