Blue Jays - 010 030 900 - 13 15 0 Red Sox - 503 000 011 - 10 12 1Friday's game raised an interesting question: How many "worst loss(es) of the season" can one team have?
In this latest (and very strong) contender, the last-place Red Sox excited their fans by strutting out to an 8-1 lead. Then, over the course of the next four innings, they blew that seven-run advantage - and ended up trailing by five runs. For the Blue Jays, it was their ninth consecutive victory. The 13 runs tied a season-high.
Before tonight, teams in 2015 that led by seven or more runs were 142-1.
The Red Sox, back at Fenway after dropping three games in Baltimore, showed some encouraging signs of life in the first inning. Brock Holt walked with one out and Bogaerts doubled to left. With two on, Ortiz smacked an opposite field single to the Wall in left, scoring both runners. After Mike Napoli struck out, Pablo Sandoval (mired in a deep slump, like Ortiz) hit a first-pitch, two-run home run. Mookie Betts followed with a solo shot. Blake Swihart singled to left. Rusney Castillo singled to right. Pedroia walked, loading the bases. Holt spoiled any additional fun by flying to right. (The first-inning fireworks were a rarity for the Red Sox. They had scored 19 runs in the first inning all season entering tonight's game.)
Pedroia launched a three-run dong in the third, after Swihart singled and Castillo walked. (Betts left the game in the top half with a low back sprain, sustained when he crashed into the padded wall in the triangle.)
According to Elias' win probability model, the Red Sox were 97.1% likely to win the game after Pedroia's home run gave them an 8-1 lead. But ... the Jays scored three in the fifth off Joe Kelly (6-7-4-2-3, 101) and exploded in the seventh, scoring nine times against three relievers (Matt Barnes, Junichi Tazawa, and Tommy Layne) before making an out.
Boston tried to rally in the eighth. With two outs, Napoli batted with the bases loaded, as the potential tying run. But after swinging at a pitch that actually bounced to the catcher, he looked at a curveball in the heart of the zone for strike three. (Napoli is 1-for-his-last-20, with 10 strikeouts.)
Pedroia, 2BToronto (31-30) has won eight straight games. In those eight games, the Jays failed to score at least six runs only once.
Holt, LF
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Napoli, 1B
Sandoval, 3B
Betts, CF
Swihart, C
Castillo, RF
Kelly has allowed two runs or fewer in four of his past five starts.
5 comments:
Note from Cafardo re: Hanley:
"When Dustin Pedroia scored from first on a double by Holt on Wednesday, on-deck hitter Hanley Ramirez was not in position to direct him which way to slide. Pedroia looked askance at Ramirez. Farrell said a “conversation was held” about the matter."
11-8 and still no outs in the top of the seventh. New depths of putrid.
From @EliasSports: The last time each of the first 9 batters in an inning scored before an out was recorded was 2009 (PIT vs COL, 7th inn.)
Alert Alert 1966 time warp in progress.....alert!
Time to sell and load up on #1 picks and prospects at every position! Multiple eat the money outright releases are in order too.
Surprised Ortiz doesn't retire this doesn't help his legacy....surely he can't need the $$?
Hate to say it but Pedroia to the west coast (diamondbacks?) is a sell high proposition right now, multiple 2B replacements are already in the system.
This club could lose 100 games....yikes!
Nasty! Watchable only if one likes train wrecks.....
WEEI:
"According to Elias, Toronto became the first team to score nine runs before recording an out in an inning since the Red Sox scored 12 runs in the sixth inning on May 7, 2007. The Blue Jays also overcame a deficit of at least seven runs for the fifth time in club history."
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