September 25, 2020

G58: Atlanta 8, Red Sox 7 (11)

Red Sox - 000 010 102 21 - 7  6  1 
Atlanta - 100 000 030 22 - 8 11  1 
Beaten by a leadoff -two-run homer by Freddie Freeman — thanks Rob Manfred, you worthless, baseball-hating asshole — after blowing leads of 2-1, 6-4, and 7-6. With the Friday night loss, the Red Sox fell to 0-4 in extra innings this season.

For some reason, Jeffrey Springs pitched the eleventh inning, despite blowing a save opportunity by giving up two runs in the bottom of the tenth. Handed another lead, Springs blew another save opportunity in the eleventh and was branded with the L as Freeman homered on a 1-0 pitch.

The box score states "Springs (L, 0-2)(BS, 1)" so we now know a pitcher cannot blow two saves in one game even if he blows two saves in one game.

Ryan Brasier also blew a save, giving up three runs with two outs in the eighth (one run scored on an error). Perhaps his mind was elsewhere — maybe he was worried about Donald Trump's less-than-tremendous poll numbers.
Chris Mazza / Kyle Wright 

Verdugo, RF
Arroyo, SS
Martinez, DH
Bradley, CF
Plawecki, C
Dalbec, 3B
Lin, LF
Chavis, 1B
Araúz, 2B 

This is Jackie Bradley's second career start as a clean-up hitter, in 871 games. He batted #4 against the Angels on July 30, 2016, going went 0-for-4 with a walk. Bradley's only start batting #3 was also against the Angels: July 23, 2017 (0-for-4).

The Red Sox are 22-35, with three games in Atlanta still on the schedule.

Checking back on our W-L Contest, three people are still in the running (but only if the Red Sox sweep this series) and John G. would win the tiebreaker, because the top MLB batting average is .355 (assuming DJ LeMahieu doesn't go something like 9-for-15, which would put him at .374).
                 W-L        MLB TOP AVG     W/162G
Jim G.          25-35          .407           67.5
Rich G.         25-35          .393              "
John G.         25-35          .350              "
(I'm ignoring the fact that 25-35 was the worst full-season prediction of the contest.)

At .386, the Red Sox's current winning percentage is better than only nine other seasons in franchise history (1906, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1932, and 1965). Seven of those seasons happened in an eight-year period!

2 comments:

johngoldfine said...

Glad to know that in my life of gloomy and depressed prognostications, one of them may have struck lucky, and there may be a chance at the brass ring for John G! Too bad the Red Sox had to suck in 2020 to bring me this close to the big payoff, but, fellas, only winners win! If you can't, perhaps I can.

Jim said...

I thought that 25-35 was the absolute worst they could do. Yet a month ago they were playing even more poorly. That, plus the NESN broadcast with its various gimmicks trying to make the game an "event" had me baling by 9 o'clock. And what's with the 7.30 start? Do the Red Sox (Werner) think that people are still glued to the 7 pm news?
Since MLB-tv blacks out the Jays for all of Canada(?!), I picked up a monthly Rogers telecast of Jays games (which was nicely timed for all 10 Sox/Jays games). Have to admit that Dan and Buck(yuk) way more watchable than NESN. Less gimmicks and way fewer in-game promos. Plus no freezes like MLB-tv when the half-inning ends. I may keep it for the post-season just to root against a Yank/Dodgers final and hope fervently that Tito comes back and leads his boys to the promised land. All in all, a very disappointing season, and MLB-tv, probably due to many threats, is going to make good the 98 games they owe me, not by refunding cash but letting me watch them next season. Thanks, Rob, yer a real gent.