Schadenfreude (Crosstown Edition)

April 27, 2021: Red Sox 2, Mets 1

Red Sox - 001 001 000 - 2 5 0
Mets    - 010 000 000 - 1 7 0

Garrett Richards: 7-7-1-0-10, 93 

Bobby Dalbec: home run (third inning) 

Rafael Devers: 2-for-4, double RBI

"What will Jake do for an encore?" [After 9-2-0-0-15, 109 last Friday]

The usual. Get no run support and lose 1-0!!

April 28, 2021: Red Sox 1, Mets 0

Red Sox - 010 000 000 - 1 4 0
Mets    - 000 000 000 - 0 2 0

Jacob deGrom: 6-3-1-1-9, 93 (2-2, 0.51 ERA) 

Nick Pivetta: 5-1-0-3-7, 93 

T2: Xander Bogaerts leadoff double, Christian Vazquez one-out double, RBI 

Rafael Devers: 2-for-3, single, double

Deesha Thosar, Daily News:

For the second straight night, the loudest noise from the Citi Field crowd came in the form of boos.

The home crowd of 8,051 fans didn't just restrict their boos for Francisco Lindor, though he heard it loudly after he struck out in the sixth. This time the jeers were aimed at Michael Conforto, Dominic Smith, James McCann and just about anyone that didn't capitalize with men on base – a trend that fans are utterly exhausted of seeing, especially when their ace is on the mound. . . .

[The Mets have] scored one run over the last 21 innings. The Mets have scored the lowest number of runs (57) in MLB and have the worst slugging percentage (.353).

Jacob deGrom (2-2, 0.51 ERA) didn't look his sharpest in the Mets' 1-0 loss to the Red Sox on Wednesday night, but he still limited Boston's bats to three hits over six innings and struck out nine. . . . The Mets have lost both of the only two games in which deGrom has allowed a run this season. They are 2-3 in his starts. . . .

The Mets suffered their third 1-0 loss in a game started by deGrom since 2019. . . .

The Mets' icy cold bats have done a poor job quelling concerns that the offense is struggling to snap out its funk. . . . The offense went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left six men on base.

Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta made the Mets' at-bats look tired, uncompetitive, and monotonous. Pivetta struck out seven batters and his 15 swings and misses through five innings were the most he had in a start since 2018. Mets batters struck out 15 times against Boston's pitching staff, the most in a game this season.

"Really, there's no excuse," said McCann of the offense's 2-for-28 day at the plate. . . .

DeGrom was coming off what was perhaps the finest start of his career, a 15-strikeout two-hitter against the Nationals last week. . . . His 0.51 ERA is the lowest through five starts in Mets franchise history.

Joel Sherman, Post:

[B]oth the depth and the performance of the outfield have waned amid a disappointing Yankees April.

Bruce, no longer feeling qualified to succeed at a major league level, retired last week. On Tuesday, Tauchman was traded to the Giants. On Wednesday, Judge did not start, with manager Aaron Boone hiding behind vagaries about lower body soreness. That left a starting outfield of Clint Frazier, Brett Gardner and Aaron Hicks, who had combined for a .155 average in 189 plate appearances.

Frazier broke out at the plate, escaping a 2-for-41 slide with his first homer and a double . . . Following the double, Frazier vapidly tried to cross to third on a grounder in front of him to shortstop and was easily thrown out — another sign he struggles to think the game out well in real time.

Judge's mysterious leg ailments led to him being held out of the lineup for a second time this season . . . Boone would more comfortably provide his social security number to an online, anonymous Nigerian prince seeking a financial favor than publicly detail what ails Judge. . . .

The Yankees . . . began Wednesday averaging 3½ runs per game, the second fewest in the AL. . . .

Cashman said the team is not having conversations about mixing up the outfield. . . .

Kristie Ackert, Daily News:

Clint Frazier looked dazed. Excited after getting his first hit in five games, the Yankees young outfielder followed that up with an absolutely bone-headed play. After doubling in the fourth, he tried to take third on Kyle Higashioka's grounder to shortstop and was easily thrown out. . . .

He broke two rules of base running in one play; he made the first out of an inning at third and he tried to move forward on a ball in front of him. Yankees manager Aaron Boone was visibly chapped about it in the dugout. . . .

It's not like it's a rare occurrence with the Yankees. Just Monday night, Aaron judge made the rally-killing third out at third base. Tuesday night, Giancarlo Stanton was sent and thrown out by 10 to 15 feet at home plate. The Yankees lead the majors with 13 baserunning outs.

Dan Martin, Post:

[T]he concern and mystery was hardly removed from Judge's health situation when he wasn't in lineup  . . . with what manager Aaron Boone called "lower body soreness."

Boone . . . was intentionally vague Wednesday, refusing to go into further specifics even when pressed. . . .  Boone defended not detailing exactly what's bothering Judge, mentioning "multiple minor things that pop up." . . .

Judge missed at least nearly a third of the regular season in each of the previous three years — playing in 112, 102 and 28 games, respectively.

Ken Davidoff, Post:

For the second time in the season's first month, Aaron Judge has missed time with a vaguely described "lower body" ailment . . . Between these two absences he started 16 consecutive games and had an uneven .222/.382/.444 slash line, obviously not his best . . .

After three straight seasons defined by long or multiple injured list stays, is this as good as it'll get for Judge on the health front? . . .

This latest drama began Tuesday night . . . when Boone lifted Judge for the ninth inning . . . Boone, minutes later, divulged Judge's "lower body" issues and announced his intention to rest him for at least one game . . .

Last time, April [7-9] . . . Boone cited Judge's "left side" in sitting him for two straight contests. It turned out, as per the man himself, to be the byproduct of swinging the bat too much.

This time … well, again, maybe we'll find out more after Judge returns to the lineup . . . In the interim, we're left with enough unanswered questions to fill the first half of a David Baldacci thriller.

Kristie Ackert, Daily News:

Judge's health is one of the murkiest areas with the Yankees. Asked to pinpoint or explain "soreness" and "lower body," Boone declined. "No," Boone said. "No more specific than that."

Judge's history of injuries . . . is something that he is touchy about. . . .

For the second straight day, Kyle Higashioka was in the starting lineup catching instead of Gary Sanchez. Boone had said that Higashioka had earned more playing time, but refuses to say that he has taken over for the struggling Sanchez.