Sometimes life doesn’t go your way. Sometimes you load the bases with no one out in the 8th inning and only score once. Sometimes you pitch pretty well in your second start with a new team that owns the best offense in baseball and you get two runs in support. Sometimes you miss a killer Michelle Obama speech because you had to watch the Detroit Tigers beat the Red Sox 4-2. It happens to us all.
Top Play (WPA)
Old friend Jose Iglesias hit a home run out of Fenway Park in the sixth inning (.285), the only real damage done to Drew Pomeranz all night. It was his fourth of the season – a season where he’s hitting .255/.208/.335 with a .240 TAv. The next three top plays all belonged to the Red Sox. You can watch it while reminiscing below:
http://m.mlb.com/video/v970368083/detbos-iglesias-drills-a-tworun-home-run-to-left/?query=iglesias
Bottom Play (WPA)
Mookie Betts, up in the 8th inning with the bases loaded and two outs, grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning (-.156). Not unsurprisingly, the next two worst plays were also outs in that inning, when both Bryce Brentz (-.113) and Brock Holt (-.146) struck out. Speaking in an entirely non-scientific manner, it certainly felt like the offense missed a lot of good pitches to hit last night.
Trend to Watch
The Clay Buchholz Showcase has begun. After being noticeably absent from the field for most of July, Buchholz has pitched three times in the last four games. After handling mop-up duty the last two appearances, last night he came into a two-run game. Is it a showcase to other teams or the Sox figuring out what kind of bullpen role fits him best? If Buchholz isn’t the backup plan, then who is? Henry Owens or Roenis Elias? Don’t think about it for too long. It’s all so bleak.
What’s Next
Steven Wright vs. Mike Pelfrey, that’s what. How the absence of Sandy Leon’s bat will affect the Sox offensive production is yet to be seen.
Photo by Bob DeChiara/USA Today Sports Images