Everything We Know About Ty Cobb Is (Apparently) Wrong

As Allen Barra, reviewing Charles Leerhsen's "Ty Cobb: A Terrible Beauty", writes in the Boston Globe:

Cobb was a loyal teammate and straight-arrow ballplayer, tough but fair, something of an intellectual (or what passed for same in World War I-era baseball), and — please pause after reading this so you can absorb it fully — a racial moderate in favor of fairness for black ballplayers. ...

[I]f veteran sportswriter Leerhsen is correct about Cobb — and his book is assiduously researched and his points lucidly expressed — then "A Terrible Beauty" is not only the best work ever written on this American sports legend: It's a major reconsideration of a reputation unfairly maligned for decades. ...

Intellectually curious, he loved biographies of Jefferson and Napoleon; his favorite fiction was "Les Miserables" ... He was far from the Scrooge-like miser depicted in books and articles. He did a lot of charity work ...

Evidence that Cobb was a virulent bigot is slim to nonexistent. ... Leerhsen has tracked down the famous stories of Cobb insulting and assaulting African Americans, and in some cases discovered that the targets of Cobb's alleged wrath were not black. ...

[M]ost of the stories that sprung up about him were exaggerated or just plain nonsense. No other player in the game's history had a career so clouded by malicious gossip and just plain lies; many of the tales were invented in articles and in a famous biography by a sportswriter who hated him, Al Stump.

See also reviews in the New York Post and New York Times.

G51: Rangers 4, Red Sox 3

Red Sox - 110 001 000 - 3 11  3
Rangers - 101 000 002 - 4  8  1

Josh Hamilton, pinch-hitting with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, doubled home two runs off Koji Uehara to give Texas a win.

The Red Sox held three leads during the game - and lost them all.

Manager John Farrell met with five of the team's veterans before the game. ESPN reported that Farrell was "looking for more aggressiveness. He felt the team had a 'very tentative approach' to Saturday's game". Perhaps answering that call for aggressiveness, the Red Sox stole four bases in today's game (Hanley Ramirez, Mookie Betts, Blake Swihart, Rusney Castillo).

Xander Bogaerts went 3-for-4. ... Castillo and Ramirez each had two hits. ... All 11 of Boston's hits were singles.

May is now complete:

Fewest Runs/Game (In May In Team History)
1907 - 2.38 - 57 runs in 24 games (7-17)
1906 - 2.81 - 73 runs in 26 games (4-22)
2015 - 2.83 - 82 runs in 29 games (10-19)
1914 - 3.08 - 80 runs in 26 games (13-13)
1915 - 3.09 - 72 runs in 21 games (12-9)

Note: The 1915 team went on to win the World Series.

Joe Kelly / Wandy Rodriguez

Pedroia, 2B
Betts, CF
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Napoli, 1B
Sandoval, 3B
Bogaerts, SS
Swihart, C
Castillo, RF

Runs Per Game In May: The Worst In Red Sox History

Could this be the worst May for scoring runs in Red Sox history?

Fox wanted to give its viewers that impression when it broadcast this graphic early in Saturday's debacle against the Rangers:

Fewest Runs/Game (In May Since 1920)
2015 - 2.93
1932 - 3.16
1943 - 3.17
1929 - 3.24
1923 - 3.35

But why only "since 1920"? It's not as though game scores from 1901-1919 are unknown or unavailable. In fact, Baseball Reference has runs scored/runs allowed splits by month for the Red Sox all the way back to 1901. (Here's a link to 1907's schedule and results.)

It took me only 10 minutes to check the totals for those other 19 seasons. I did a little division, and bam! Here's a complete and up-to-date list of the worst Mays for scoring runs in Red Sox history:

Fewest Runs/Game (In May In Team History)
1907 - 2.38
1906 - 2.81
2015 - 2.82 (does not include 5/31)
1914 - 3.08
1915 - 3.09

Okay, it's not the worst, but you've got to go back nearly 110 years to find worse.

G50: Rangers 8, Red Sox 0

Red Sox - 000 000 000 - 0  5  3
Rangers - 100 410 20x - 8 13  0

Wade Miley / Alex Gonzalez

Pedroia, 2B
Betts, CF
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Napoli, 1B
Holt, SS
Leon, C
Castillo, RF

David Ortiz makes his return to the lineup after a couple of days of working on his swing. Big Papi is hitting .216/.303/.377 and is currently stuck in a 3-for-31 slump (.097 in his last eight games).

Sometimes it [the time off] works and sometimes it doesn't. For me, it worked once. I'll try it again now and go from there. I've just been thinking too much and overdoing things. Sometimes that works and sometimes that doesn't. I know this ballclub needs me, and now we have a long season ahead. I'm just going to try to pull the best out of this.

Miley has a 1.25 ERA over his last three starts (A's, Rangers, Angels). In his last outing, against Los Angeles, he gave up only one run and four hits in eight innings.

"Chi Chi" Gonzalez, 23, will be making his major league debut. He was the Rangers' No. 1 draft pick in 2013 and has a 4.15 ERA in AAA this season.

G49: Rangers 7, Red Sox 4

Red Sox - 000 200 020 - 4  6  0
Rangers - 011 100 22x - 7 12  1

Hanley Ramirez's 12th home run of the year, an opposite field drive which just squeaked over the fence in right, cut the Rangers' lead to 5-4 in the eighth inning, and provided some hope that the Red Sox might come back on the Rangers.

But those hopes were dashed when Craig Breslow put two men on base after two were out in the home half of the eighth and Matt Barnes allowed them both to score - on a double by Robinson Chrinos. Josh Hamilton hit two solo home runs and scored three times for Texas.

Boston trailed for most of the game, though they did tie the score at 2-2 in the fourth. Ramirez singled and Mike Napoli worked a nine-pitch walk. Brock Holt grounded back to the mound and Yovani Gallardo's bounced his throw to second base and shortstop Hanser Alberto could not catch it. It was ruled an error and the bases were loaded with no outs. Xander Bogaerts flied out to right which brought in one run, and Blake Swihart singled in another run. Rusney Castillo grounded into a double play to end the rally.

The Red Sox fell to 22-27.

Steven Wright / Yovani Gallardo

Pedroia, 2B
Betts, CF
Sandoval, 3B
Ramirez, DH
Napoli, 1B
Holt, LF
Bogaerts, SS
Swihart, C
Castillo, RF

Reconsider, Baby!

Two days ago, John Farrell said Eduardo Rodriguez's major league debut was designed to give the five members of the rotation an extra day of rest and he would be sent back to Pawtucket after the game.

When asked what would happen if Rodriguez pitched "really, really, really well," Farrell responded, "Then we'll have to really, really, really reconsider."

NESN: Far From Professional

Screengrabber:

[Thursday's] NESN broadcast of the Red Sox-Twins game featured a mid-game interlude of the announcers discussing their memories of the dear, departed Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome. It also featured video of the Metrodome being imploded — something that never happened.

The video NESN aired is of the implosion of Seattle's Kingdome in 2000. Stranger still, the video was digitally edited to add a roof and other elements of the building that did not exist when the Kingdome was blown up ...

This is completely bizarre, especially the lame Photoshopping of a dome onto the building, a dome that instantly vanishes as the implosion begins.

This raises several questions. If the brilliant minds at NESN knew the Metrodome had a roof and they had some footage of a stadium without a roof, wouldn't that have suggested to them that perhaps that stadium was NOT the Metrodome? Nope. They just clumsily added a roof to the video. ... And then got busy thinking of a follow-up to the Wally Wave.

G48: Red Sox 5, Rangers 1

Red Sox - 000 011 030 - 5 13  0
Rangers - 000 000 001 - 1  5  1

Eduardo Rodriguez's major league debut could not have gone any better.

The 22-year-old lefty was simply superb, tossing one of the best pitched games of the season. He was poised and wasted no time in attacking the strike zone. Through the first four innings, he allowed only one hit on 43 pitches. He allowed only four baserunners through his first seven innings and finished with a 7.2-3-0-2-7, 105 line. He threw 68 strikes (65%).

I don't think I've been truly excited by a game like this all season.

According to Jon Shestakofsky, Boston's Manager of Media Relations & Baseball Information:

"At 7.2 innings, Eduardo Rodriguez has the longest scoreless outing by a Red Sox in his major league debut since Billy Rohr in 1967 (9.0 IP)."

"Rodriguez is 1st MLB left-hander since Karl Spooner in 1954 to have scoreless debut longer than 7.0 IP with 7+ SO and no more than 3 hits."

(Rodriguez was also the youngest Red Sox pitcher to make his debut on the road since 21-year-old Roger Clemens in 1985. Billy Rohr was 21 when he won in his debut in New York against the Yankees on April 14, 1967.)

And the offense came alive for him, totaling 13 hits, five walks, and five runs, despite hitting into five double plays. Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia each had three hits. Blake Swihart singled twice and drove in two runs and Hanley Ramirez hit a solo home run and a double.

Rodriguez relied almost exclusively on his fastball the first time through the Rangers' lineup, using his cutter and slider more often later in the game. He retired the side in order in the first, striking out price fielder on a slider for the third out. Josh Hamilton doubled with one out in the second, but Rodriguez struck out Mitch Moreland and got Elvis Andrus on a fly to center. Texas' next baserunner came with two outs in the fifth, when Andrus walked; Rodriguez recorded three strikeouts in that frame.

Rodriguez seemed to be finished after the seventh (and 90 pitches) - he gave a little nod to the heavens when he left the mound - but he was back out there for the eighth. He quickly struck out the first two batters before allowing a walk and a single. Tommy Layne came in and struck out Shin-Soo Choo to end the inning. Layne gave up one run in the ninth and Farrell called on Koji Uehara to get the final out. Uehara threw only one pitch - and Andrus flied to Castillo in deep right.

Boston scored in the fifth on singles from Swihart, Pedroia, and Betts. Ramirez went deep to open the sixth. The Red Sox rallied with two down in the eighth. Mike Napoli walked against Tanner Scheppers. Sam Freeman came in and faced four batters - he did not retire any of them. He hit Brock Holt and walked Carlos Peguero. With the bases loaded, Swihart singled in two runs and Rusney Castillo's single brought in a third run.

Peguero, recently acquired from the Rangers, was in the game because Xander Bogaerts was drilled near the left wrist by a pitch in the second inning. He played in the field for two innings before leaving the game.

Eduardo Rodriguez / Nick Martinez

Pedroia, 2B
Betts, CF
Sandoval, 3B
Ramirez, DH
Napoli, 1B
Holt, LF
Bogaerts, SS
Swihart, C
Castillo, RF

Rodriguez, 22, will be making his major league debut. With the Red Sox currently in a stretch of 20 games without a day off - their next off day is June 8 - Rodriguez will give the rotation an extra day of rest. Manager John Farrell said that the lefty would be sent back to Pawtucket after the game.

Rodriguez has a 2.98 ERA in eight starts for the PawSox and has averaged almost one strikeout per inning (44 in 48.1 IP). He has pitched at least six innings in five of his eight starts.

Sox Prospects lists him as Boston's #4 prospect (he was acquired from Baltimore in the Andrew Miller trade last July):

Mechanics: Stands middle of the rubber. Hands set just above the belt. High leg drive up to elbow generating power. Slight knee bend on posting leg over the rubber. Will often drift toward home early. Three-quarters arm slot. Long arm action in back. Easy, loose arm. Plus arm speed. Smooth delivery. Stays on-line towards the plate. Gets himself in good fielding position.

Fastball: 91-94 mph. Has touched 97 mph. Plus fastball. Average command and control. Uses both side of the plate effectively. Fastball can be fairly straight and lack movement, but shows occasional arm-side tail.

Changeup: 84-86 mph. Future plus potential. Hard, sinking fade away from left-handed hitters. Willingness to throw in any count and to both sides of the plate. Throws most comfortably in the upper velocity range where he gets his best movement on the pitch. Orioles organization reportedly tried to get him to throw the pitch in the low 80s, but after trade began throwing it harder, which is more comfortable for him. Sells pitch well without slowing arm speed.

Slider: 82-85 mph. Solid-average potential. Ability to throw for strikes to both sides of the plate. Two-plane movement. Lacks consistency and bite. ...

Summation: Ceiling of a quality number three starter. Three average-to-above-average pitch mix. Pitches with confidence and poise. Working hard to improve. Works in and out and stays around the plate. Improving slider and consistency with the pitch will be key to future success.

For the Rangers, Martinez has allowed three earned runs or fewer in his last 15 starts, dating back to last August. So, he's due to get rocked.

G47: Twins 6, Red Sox 4

Red Sox - 002 020 000 - 4  7  0
Twins   - 003 201 00x - 6  8  0

Dustin Pedroia hit two two-run homers. ... Rick Porcello: 7-7-6-2-2, 94. ... Boston's #3-#7 hitters went 1-19.

David Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, and Pablo Sandoval went 4-for-35 (.114) in Minnesota's three-game sweep.

The Red Sox have lost six of their last eight games and are 9-16 (.360) this month.

Rick Porcello / Phil Hughes

Pedroia, 2B
Betts, CF
Sandoval, 3B
Ramirez, LF
Ortiz, DH
Napoli, 1B
Bogaerts, SS
Holt, RF
Swihart, C

News: Eduardo Rodriguez will be called up from Pawtucket and make his major league debut starting against the Rangers in Arlington tomorrow night.

Rabble.tv: Broadcast The Game Yourself

After all my complaints about NESN (and baseball broadcasting teams in general), I'm glad to offer a possible alternative.

Rabble TV is a new site where fans can sign up and broadcast the games themselves. According to the Help page, these are the very simple instructions:

1. Pick up the remote control to your TV.
2. Press the MUTE button.
3. Grab a mic.
4. Create a broadcast on Rabble.TV.

You can also see if the game/event you want to watch is being broadcasting by anyone. It looks like there are at least two broadcast alternatives for Red Sox games.

G46: Twins 2, Red Sox 1

Red Sox - 010 000 000 - 1  7  1
Twins   - 200 000 00x - 2  7  0

Only when the Red Sox were down to their last four outs did they finally get their second runner beyond first base. The first one had come in the second inning when David Ortiz doubled and scored on Mike Napoli's single.

Now, facing Blaine Boyer in the eighth, Dustin Pedroia grounded a two-out single to right and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Mookie Betts walked. The Twins brought in closer Glen Perkins and Pablo Sandoval, hitting only .071 against lefties this year, reached on an infield single. Brian Dozier ranged far to his right and gloved it behind the second base bag, but did not have a play. With the bases loaded, Hanley Ramirez flied out to right.

Perkins retired the Sox in order in the ninth.

Minnesota hit three doubles off Clay Buchholz (7.1-7-2-1-4, 102) in the first inning and scored twice. It turns out that would be all the runs the Twins would need. Buchholz ended up turning in a decent performance, retiring the side in the second, third, sixth, and seventh innings. He got a double play to escape a bases loaded/one out jam in the fourth.

Despite cutting the lead to 2-1 in the second, Boston could not do much against Mike Pelfrey (7-5-1-1-4, 100). Betts singled in the first but was erased on a double play. Sandy Leon singled to start the third, but watched as the next three hitters flied out. Napoli walked with two outs in the fourth and Leon singled in the fifth, but again, their teammates were unable to advance them.

Rusney Castillo made two outstanding diving catches, one in right-center and the one diving head first towards the right field foul line.

There was a rain delay of 81 minutes before the start of the game.

Clay Buchholz / Mike Pelfrey

Pedroia, 2B
Betts, CF
Sandoval, 3B
Ramirez, LF
Ortiz, DH
Napoli, 1B
Bogaerts, SS
Castillo, RF
Leon, C

G45: Twins 7, Red Sox 2

Red Sox - 002 000 000 - 2  8  0
Twins   - 160 000 00x - 7 16  0

Joe Kelly registered only five outs (1.2-8-7-1-0, 52).

Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts, and Mike Napoli each had two hits.

Joe Kelly / Ricky Nolasco

Pedroia, 2B
Betts, CF
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Napoli, 1B
Bogaerts, SS
Nava, RF
Swihart, C

G44: Red Sox 6, Angels 1

Angels  - 000 001 000 - 1  4  0
Red Sox - 020 010 03x - 6 12  0

Wade Miley pitched eight commanding innings (8-4-1-1-2, 97), Mike Napoli drove in four runs with a home run and a double, and Xander Bogaerts went 4-for-4.

Bogaerts was on first base in the second inning when Napoli crushed a pitch roughly a dozen rows up in the bleachers in dead center. ESPN Stats and Info said it travelled 450 feet, the longest home run hit at Fenway this season. It was Napoli's fifth dong in his last six games.

Bogaerts collected four hits for the third time in his career: he went 4-for-5 on September 2, 2014, and 4-for-8 on April 10 of this year.

Miley retired the first 14 Angels before walking Chris Iannetta in the fifth. C.J. Cron followed with a single, but Miley retired Matt Joyce to end the inning. Mike Trout had an RBI-double in the sixth. Miley shrugged that off, retiring the side in order in the seventh and erasing a one-out hit in the eighth by inducing a double play.

The Red Sox (now only 2.5 GB in the East) begin a six-game road trip to Minnesota and Texas with a game against the Twins tomorrow at 2 PM.

Hector Santiago / Wade Miley

Pedroia, 2B
Betts, CF
Ramirez, LF
Ortiz, DH
Bogaerts, SS
Napoli, 1B
Castillo, RF
Holt, 3B
Leon, C

Roster move: Shane Victorino was put on the 15-day disabled list and infielder Jeff Bianchi was called up from Pawtucket.

G43: Red Sox 8, Angels 3

Angels  - 200 000 010 - 3  6  1
Red Sox - 011 002 22x - 8 12  0

In play, run(s)!

The Red Sox scored eight runs on Saturday night - more runs than they had scored in a game in nearly one month (April 28). It was their largest margin of victory since a 7-1 win over Baltimore on April 20.

Mike Napoli hit two home runs, Brock Holt and Blake Swihart each scored twice, and Mookie Betts (who did not start) drove in two runs, as eight of the nine starters got at least one hit. David Ortiz was the outsider, going 0-for-4, after reaching base in all of the previous 19 home games this year. Steven Wright (6.1-4-2-1-2, 75) pitched extremely well and the bullpen took care of business the rest of the way with little drama.

The start of the game gave little indication of how it would end. By the time Wright had thrown 10 pitches, the Angels had three hits and two runs. Erick Aybar began the game with a single to right and after Mike Trout flied to right, Albert Pujols and Kole Calhoun stroked back-to-back doubles.

Wright promptly settled down, though, retiring the next 10 batters and 18 of the next 19. After issuing his first walk of the game with one out in the seventh, he was lifted, having thrown only 75 pitches. It was a curious decision, as Wright had thrown 110 pitches in relief on May 12 and 83 pitches in his previous start. (Perhaps John Farrell was concerned about the 12 flyball outs the knuckle-balling Wright had recorded.)

Napoli nailed a solo home run in the second - nearing hitting a target drawn on a fan's sign in the second row of the Monster Seats - to halve LA's lead and Boston tied the game in the third. Holt walked and took second on a wild pitch. Dustin Pedroia singled to right and Betts (pinch-hitting for Shane Victorino, who left the game with left calf tightness) singled to left. Hanley Ramirez reached on an infield single, as the Angels nearly nipped Betts at second, loading the bases. Ortiz grounded into a 3-6-1 double play.

Ramirez walked to open the sixth. With two outs, Napoli launched a bomb to left-center that sailed out of the park and gave Boston a 4-2 lead. Napoli's batting average is now up to a season-best .193.

The Angels used four pitchers in the seventh and Boston scored twice, Xander Bogaerts driving in both runs with a bases-loaded single. In the eighth, Holt singled with one out and took off on the 0-1 pitch to Swihart. The Boston catcher tapped a slow grounder into right field. As Calhoun ran in and fielded the ball, Holt was at third - and had not slowed down. He scored easily as Calhoun, startled to see him on his way to the plate, made a late throw. Betts knocked in Swihart with the Sox's final run.

The Red Sox came into the game hitting .203 with RATS/RISP. They went 6-for-12 in those situations tonight. ... They also gained a game in the standings and are now 3.5 GB the Rays. ... Adding to the day's fun: the Yankees gave up 10 runs in the third inning and lost to Texas 15-4. New York has lost nine of its last 10 games.

C.J. Wilson / Steven Wright

Pedroia, 2B
Victorino, RF
Ramirez, LF
Ortiz, DH
Bogaerts, SS
Napoli, 1B
Castillo, CF
Holt, 3B
Swihart, C

Dustin Pedroia: "Everybody's pissed."

Robots, Please!

Umpire Marty Foster has called strike 3 the most on pitches out of the zone this year. 25 times. Ouch. http://t.co/vUV8veMOrV

— Daren Willman (@darenw) May 22, 2015

G42: Angels 12, Red Sox 5

Angels  - 000 290 010 - 12 12  2
Red Sox - 010 200 200 -  5 11  3

Garrett Richards / Rick Porcello

Betts, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Bogaerts, SS
Napoli, 1B
Holt, 3B
Castillo, RF
Swihart, C

Rusney Castillo has been promoted from Pawtucket, with Jackie Bradley being sent down.

The AL East, with games behind and run differentials:

      W   L    GB  DIFF
TBR  23  19   ---   +21
NYY  22  19   0.5   +12
BAL  18  20   3.0   + 5
BOS  19  22   3.5   -35
TOR  19  24   4.5   +16

Boston's expected record based on that negative differential is 16-25.

Andrew McCutchen's Pay Stub

A friend sent this to me at work. I see that it's being discussed at Deadspin.

In May, Crooked Numbers Are Very Rare

How pathetic has the Red Sox's offense been in the month of May?

In 19 games this month, the team is batting .218/.286/.351.

They have scored 17 runs in their last nine games (an average of 1.89 runs/game). By some miracle, they have actually won four of those games.

How about this? In 171 innings, they have scored more than 1 run only seven times.

They have scored more than 2 runs in an innings only twice.

0501 - 001 100 000    - 2
0502 - 000 100 100    - 2
0503 - 000 005 000    - 5
0504 - 010 000 000    - 1
0505 - 000 001 01x    - 2
0506 - 002 000 010    - 3
0508 - 000 000 000    - 0
0509 - 000 010 000    - 1
0510 - 400 020 000    - 6
0511 - 000 110 200 01 - 5
0512 - 000 001 100    - 2
0513 - 010 000 010    - 2
0514 - 000 100 001    - 2
0515 - 001 000 000    - 1
0516 - 011 002 000    - 4
0517 - 000 000 000    - 0
0519 - 100 120 00x    - 4
0520 - 000 010 000    - 1
0521 - 000 100 000    - 1

Overall, the Red Sox are batting .234 with men on base, which is actually better than their .232 mark with the bases empty.

With runners on second and/or third, the team's average drops to .199.

G41: Rangers 3, Red Sox 1

Rangers - 200 100 000 - 3  7  0
Red Sox - 000 100 000 - 1  6  2

It was around the end of seventh inning when Maxwell Horse posted to the game thread: "It's absolutely insane that a two run deficit feels insurmountable."

I whole-heartedly agree, and yet ... the Red Sox have scored only 17 runs in their last nine games. When a team averages 1.89 runs per nine innings, a two-run lead is insurmountable.

It turned out that Texas scored all the runs it would need against Clay Buchholz (7.1-5-3-2-4, 106) in the first inning. Shin-Soo Choo lined a single to right and Delino DeShields bunted his way aboard. Both runners advanced on Prince Fielder's fly to deep right and Adrian Beltre walked, loading the bases. Mitch Moreland grounded to Dustin Pedroia, whose throw to Xander Bogaerts at second base was off-target. Bogaerts stretched and kept his foot on the bag to record the out, but dropped the ball - and two runs scored.

Moreland (3-for-4) homered in the fourth, giving the Rangers a 3-0 lead. The Red Sox came back quickly with one run in their half of the inning. Mookie Betts beat out an infield single and raced to third on Pedroia's double to left. David Ortiz swung at the first pitch and grounded out, but Betts scored. Pedroia then took off when Hanley Ramirez squibbed the ball in front of the plate - and was easily tagged out 1-2.

From there, whenever Boston got a man on base, they were unable to do anything further.

5th: Bogaerts walked with one out. Daniel Nava then singled to right-center, but the ball hit Bogaerts's foot on its way through the infield - and he was called out. Sandy Leon fanned, ending the inning.

6th: Betts, Pedroia, and Ortiz all grounded out to shortstop Elvis Andrus.

7th: Brock Holt worked a 10-pitch walk with two outs. Keone Kela then relieved Wandy Rodriguez (6.2-4-1-2-5, 112). Bogaerts lined a hard single to right. Nava - batting .175 and slugging .211 - struck out on three pitches.

8th: Pablo Sandoval pinch-hit for Leon and despite being the team's best hitter against RHP (.365), he struck out. Betts flied to right and Pedroia was called out on strikes.

9th: Facing Shawn Tolleson, Ortiz doubled to left-center. It was a great beginning, but the game ended with him still standing on second. Ramirez popped to short center. Napoli struck out, chasing a slider low and away. Holt also chased two pitches out of the strike zone, missing them both. After two balls, he was called out on a pitch on the outside black.

Wandy Rodriguez / Clay Buchholz

Betts, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Napoli, 1B
Victorino, RF
Holt, 3B
Bogaerts, SS
Leon, C

Runs scored by the Red Sox in their last eight games: 2, 2, 2, 1, 4, 0, 4, 1.

Nevertheless, Alex Speier offers some silver linings about the team's frustrating lack of production.

Also: Marvin Hudson is a colossal asshole.

G40: Rangers 2, Red Sox 1

Rangers - 011 000 000 - 2  8  1
Red Sox - 000 010 000 - 1  9  1

Another frustrating game in which the Red Sox fail to hit with men on base.

In the sixth, trailing by one run, Boston loaded the bases with one out. But Brock Holt struck out and Xander Bogaerts, who hit a tremendous home run in the fifth, lined to center.

In the seventh, Mookie Betts was on second with one out. But Dustin Pedroia flied to short right and after David Ortiz was walked intentionally, Hanley Ramirez lined to second.

In the eighth, with a man on first and one out, Holt grounded into a fielder's choice and Bogaerts struck out.

In the ninth, Betts hustled his way to a one-out double. It was a repeat of the seventh. Pedroia lined to left and after an intentional walk to Ortiz, Ramirez grounded to second.

The Red Sox were 1-for-8 with RATS and left 12 men on base (eight left on in the final four innings).

Phil Klein / Joe Kelly

Betts, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Napoli, 1B
Nava, RF
Holt, 3B
Bogaerts, SS
Swihart, C