Top Play (WPA): As if this could be won by anyone else, Jackie Bradley takes the prize here, as his three-run triple in the 8th inning was worth a stellar .201 WPA. This gave the Sox a four-run cushion they would not relinquish. What made this even more impressive was that it was off a fastball in on Bradley’s hands, a location that southpaws like Ian Krol loved to exploit while facing him. Coming into this game, JBJ’s slugging was a measly .172. Afterwards? .279. We’ve all wanted to see Bradley succeed with the bat, and this game could very well be the step forward we’ve been looking for.
Bottom Play (WPA): In the 6th inning, J.D. Martinez struck out on a foul tip with Ian Kinsler at third base, failing to even get the ball in play. That strikeout was worth a -.104 WPA, as a strikeout was the worst possible outcome in that situation. Not only did the Tigers have the second-worst play by WPA, it occurred just two at-bats later – Jason McCann grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning, stranding not only Kinsler, but Nick Castellanos at first base. That’s good for a -.089 WPA. On top of all that, Justin Masterson was pitching during both these plays. I guess it looks even worse now.
Key Moment: Despite his three-run triple being the #turningpoint of the game, I’ve gotta go with Bradley’s homer in the 7th inning, off yet another left-handed reliever in Tom Gorzelanny. JBJ had only gotten two hits in the last week, and seeing him take a fastball high-and-in and deposit it in the right field bleachers was like a sigh of relief for both him and the fans watching him. Bradley needs, if not deserves playing time, and considering his track record at Pawtucket, you could only hope that his bat would come around to supplement his phenomenal defense. Today really looked like a day where he had it all figured out, and that homer exemplified that.
Trend To Watch: Improvements in young players. For JBJ, they were tangible, with a home run and a triple off lefties on pitches inside. They weren’t middle-in either – both the home run and the triple were on the black. For Henry Owens, however, improvements need to be made. He had very little control over his fastball, as it kept missing high and away more often than not. His one saving grace was getting a ton of weak contact, inducing five pop-ups in 5+ innings pitched. With the poor control came four walks, and then the high pitch count early on. Control had never been Owens’ strength, but it cannot continue to be this awful.
Coming Next: After an off day, the Red Sox travel down to Miami on Tuesday to face off against the Marlins in a two-game interleague series. Steven Wright, fresh off the best start of his major league career, will oppose Justin Nicolino. Also, we get to see pitchers hitting, which totally won’t be a joke at all.