Oh hey, look, it was yet another frustrating loss for the Red Sox as they failed in just about every facet of the game.
Top Play (WPA)
The biggest play of this game came in the fourth inning, and was really the epitome of a David Price start in 2016. He had looked great to start this one, but got into a little bit of trouble in this inning. With the Dodgers trailing 2-1, they had the bases loaded with one out. Instead of getting a big strikeout or double play, Price left one up in the zone and Rob Segedin ripped a two-run double off the wall in center field (+.232) to give Los Angeles the lead. It was the rookie’s first career hit. To make matters worse, the play was preceded by a costly error from Brock Holt at third base on a play that should’ve gotten Adrian Gonzalez out and given the Red Sox two outs in the frame. It was arguably the most frustrating sequence in a game that was full of them.
Bottom Play (WPA)
I’ll get more into the frustration around the offense in just a second, but the bottom play of the game was the culmination of everything. In the third inning, the Red Sox had a 1-0 lead and looked like they were going to be bale to tag on at least a couple more. Xander Bogaerts came up with one out and the bases loaded, but was not able to come through like Segedin. Instead, he offered at a low pitch and hit a double play ball to end the inning (-.139). The Red Sox had plenty of chances after this one, but not coming through in this spot was a precursor to how the rest of this night would go.
The Red Sox Offense Let Brandon McCarthy Off The Hook
In all honestly, Boston should’ve scored six or seven runs in the first couple innings of this game. McCarthy put on his best Rick Ankiel impression in his short start, throwing multiple pitches at least fifteen feet off the plate and walking batters left and right. The Red Sox had plenty of chances with runners on base, but were never able to put a big number on the board. They would eventually get some things going later in the game, but they were already playing catch up by that point. Earlier in the year, this was the kind of game when this lineup would plate double digit runs without blinking. This entire road trip has been incredibly frustrating, and not scoring more on a wild McCarthy was a culmination of everything.
The Defense Was Sloppy, Too
Not only did the offense sputter, but the defense didn’t do anyone any favors, either. As I mentioned above, Holt made a big error on a play at third when he dropped a throw from Bogaerts. To be fair, the throw was a bit low, but that’s a play he has to make every time. It wouldn’t have mattered either way if Price made that pitch to Segedin in any situation, but it was a deflating play that completely changed the feeling of that inning. Then, in the very next inning, Bogaerts botched another play, this time over-throwing Pedroia at second base. He rushed a play that had no chance at being a double play and in the process got zero outs out of it. Once again, the play took all of the energy out of the inning.
David Price Was 2016 David Price Again
I’m not sure what else can be said about Price anymore at this point. He was what he’s been all season, which is a guy who shows plenty of flashes of the Price we all expected coming into the year with horrible command mixed in. He left up way too many pitches in the zone, resulting in a home run and plenty of other hard hit balls. You can really tell when things start to get bad for the team’s presumed ace, as his pace becomes noticeably slower and he seemingly overthinks every pitch. Most of the advanced numbers still point towards an eventual comeback, but watching him pitch right now doesn’t inspire any confidence.
Coming Next
The team has a much-needed day off on Monday before a much-needed trip back home. They return to action on Tuesday with a series against a new-look Yankees team. On the one hand, New York has been stripped of two of their major bullpen pieces along with Carlos Beltran. On the other hand, it is Alex Rodriguez’s last full series, which could make their roster play up a bit. The series gets underway on Tuesday with Rick Porcello facing off against Luis Severino.
Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/USA Today Sports Images
Price is introspective, smart guy who’s into his own head too much when the spotlight turns on. He’s always struggled in the postseason, and then he signed the Big Contract to come here and pitch in the cauldron of a Boston baseball summer. Anyone know of a good hypnotist?
hey, at least we got Beni