BOSTON — A team already limping can’t afford to shoot itself in the foot.
The Red Sox didn’t do themselves any favors Wednesday in a 5-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Three key decisions by manager John Farrell, while not entirely to blame for the loss, backfired as Boston suffered its fourth defeat in five games.
The first decision involved starter Justin Masterson, who was all over the map for 4 1/3 innings. The right-hander loaded the bases with one out in the fifth inning, and Farrell stuck with him to face Joey Butler, who lined a two-run single into right field to give the Rays a 4-2 lead.
“Thinking he’s the one guy that he’s got the ability to get two outs with one pitch,” Farrell explained of keeping Masterson in the game. “In the fifth inning, trying to get through that inning, and unfortunately those two runs that score on a bloop base hit proved to be the difference.”
Edward Mujica replaced Masterson after Butler’s knock and retired both Asdrubal Cabrera and Brandon Guyer to minimize the damage. Farrell’s faith in his starter — something that’s been an issue in the past — cost the Red Sox, though, as it was clear Masterson didn’t have his best stuff.
Masterson probably should have been on a short leash in the fifth inning, especially after he allowed a one-out single, uncorked a wild pitch and issued two walks to pack the bags. (The Red Sox to that point had endured Masterson’s wildness and lived to tell about it.) But Farrell left in the veteran one batter too long, and it took some strong mound work by Mujica to keep Boston in the contest.
When all was said and done, Masterson was charged with four runs on seven hits (including a homer), six walks and a hit batter. The Red Sox amazingly remained in the ballgame, though it hardly mattered because they again couldn’t cash in with runners in scoring position.
Boston’s futility was aided by not pushing the correct buttons late in the game. Farrell’s other detrimental decisions came in the eighth inning, with one not truly manifesting itself until the ninth.
The Red Sox trailed 4-3 in the eighth after Mookie Betts ripped a solo homer into the Monster seats. David Ortiz walked with one out and Mike Napoli followed with a single, prompting Farrell, knowing the risk involved, to call upon recently acquired Luis Jimenez to pinch-run for Ortiz. More on that later.
Pablo Sandoval followed Napoli’s single with a walk to load the bases. Farrell called for Daniel Nava to pinch-hit for Allen Craig against Kevin Jepsen, citing the right-hander’s in-game performance and the hitters’ history against the hurler.
Nava had been 2-for-4 against Jepsen in his career. Craig is 1-for-2. Conventional says to go with Nava over Craig more because of Nava’s track record against right-handers, but it’s important to note that Nava entered the at-bat mired in an 0-for-17 slump.
Sure enough, Nava hit a bouncer to first base that James Loney fielded and fired home for the inning’s second out.
“Nava had had a couple of hits off Jepsen previous, where Allen had not,” Farrell said. “I know they’re limited looks at both guys and Jepsen hadn’t had many at-bats against either. But just thinking that the left-handers, the way he was being a little bit careful with left-handers, thought here’s an opportunity to slot Daniel in, who still has very good command of the strike zone to get into a hitter’s count.
“Unfortunately, there’s two back-to-back breaking balls for strikes that he gets a ground ball to first.”
Brock Holt ended the threat by also testing Loney, who fielded a ground ball and stepped on first.
The Red Sox, trailing 5-3 after Evan Longoria’s second home run of the game, made noise in the ninth inning, putting runners on first and second with one out. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging for the second out, bringing up Ortiz’s spot in the order, now occupied by Jimenez. That’s not ideal.
As fate would have it, Jimenez, a career .218 hitter with no homers, hit a dribbler in front of the plate for the game’s final out.
“With (Ortiz’s) run being the tying run, if we get a base hit there and we don’t pinch-run and he gets thrown out at home plate, you’re kind of damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Farrell said, looking back on the decision to pinch-run Jimenez for Ortiz in the eighth. “But the way this one worked out, there’s his spot in the final out.”
Wednesday’s loss shouldn’t be pinned on Farrell. The Red Sox went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base, so execution was the biggest problem in Boston’s rally falling short.
But you know things aren’t going your way when each decision and each bounce seemingly benefits the opposition. That was the case Wednesday as the Red Sox repeatedly hurt themselves.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
