"Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony are the two most important players on the Red Sox. As fun as the sweep in Detroit was, it's going to be really hard for this team to build any sort of momentum without those two guys healthy playing to the best of their abilities. Tonight's game showed everyone precisely why that is. The lineup looked punchless, as any lineup with Trevor Story batting cleanup would. The pitching staff couldn't get big outs when it mattered. And the Sox dropped a listless game to a team they'll probably need to catch in the standings at some point this season if they're going to make the playoffs."
"Bennett didn't exactly mow down the opposition. In fact, I would describe his outing as more of the "chugging along" variety. He generated just five swings and misses all night, but managed to keep it close, limit the walks, and pitch into the sixth. Look, folks, the word "stud" is relative tonight."
"Like I said, we're playing a little fast and loose with the studs. Samaniego faced just two batters, coming into the game after Greg Weissert coughed up two runs in the sixth. But he sat those two batters down, as he's done to most guys so far this season. He singled in the third and brought home a run on a sac fly in the eighth. That was enough to make him the most productive hitter in the Red Sox lineup tonight - by far."
"To a certain extent, Weissert can console himself with the thought that he was BABIPed to death in the sixth inning, when he gave the Rays a two-run lead they would not relinquish on a couple of soft hits. But the fickle nature of the BABIP gods is precisely why it's so important for relievers who come into tight games to strike dudes out. Weissert did not"
Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony were identified as the two most important Red Sox players, and the team struggled without them at full strength. The lineup produced little offense, including a weak look with Trevor Story batting cleanup. The pitching staff failed to record big outs when runs mattered most. Bennett kept the game close by limiting walks and pitching into the sixth, but he did not dominate, generating only five swings and misses. Samaniego entered briefly, retired both batters he faced, and contributed offensively with a single and a sacrifice fly. Weissert allowed two soft hits in the sixth that gave the Rays a lead they did not relinquish, underscoring the need for strikeouts in tight situations.
Read at Over the Monster
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]