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One out was all that separated the Boston Red Sox from a more pleasant flight home.
While the Red Sox surely wouldn’t have been pleased with their seven-game road trip regardless of Sunday’s result, a 4-3, walk-off loss to the Texas Rangers in the teams’ series finale at Globe Life Park definitely compounded Boston’s current frustration.
The Sox return home Monday having lost three straight and six of their last seven. Boston is fortunate in the sense that the American League East has been poor, but the season quickly is slipping away.
Let’s run down some notes from Sunday’s crushing defeat.
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— Josh Hamilton’s two-run, walk-off double against Koji Uehara added to the five-time All-Star’s resume against Boston. Hamilton, who drilled two homers Friday, is a .313 hitter (71-for-227) with 10 homers and 55 RBIs in 59 career games versus the Red Sox.
— The Red Sox’s defense was a huge issue. Boston committed three errors for the second straight game, with Pablo Sandoval responsible for two Sunday, including a costly miscue in the ninth inning.
Sandoval’s error to open the ninth allowed Hanser Alberto, who eventually scored the game-tying run on Hamilton’s walk-off winner, to reach base. The third baseman thus acknowledged his role in the loss.
“I should have gotten that ball,” Sandoval told reporters in Arlington. “I tried getting up on that hop. … That’s part of the game. It’s been tough, through that situation where you probably try to do too much, try and make that play.”
— Uehara’s blown save was just his second of the season in 12 opportunities. He had allowed only one run on two hits over his last 12 appearances (11 innings) dating back to April 27.
It’s hard to pin too much blame — if any, really — on the 40-year-old closer despite him allowing the game-winning hit to Hamilton because Sandoval’s error paved the way for the collapse. But Uehara, who’s usually as direct as he is jolly, held himself accountable for not shutting the door.
“I put extra pressure on myself to get out of that inning,” Uehara said through an interpreter. “I wanted to have my teammates’ back. I wasn’t able to. It was my responsibility.”
Uehara said that intentionally walking Prince Fielder, who represented the winning run, to face Hamilton — a decision that obviously backfired on Boston — was a “team decision.”
— Joe Kelly showed improvement, even if it wasn’t a total 180-degree turn.
The right-hander allowed seven earned runs on eight hits over 1 2/3 innings earlier in the trip against the Minnesota Twins. On Sunday, he frequently navigated through trouble en route to a five-inning, 100-pitch start in which he allowed two runs (one earned) on six hits and two walks.
Kelly didn’t record a single clean inning. He made good use of his curveball and changeup, though, while not throwing a single slider throughout the entire outing.
“He made a number of big pitches. There were a lot of high-stress pitches out of him today,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “He battled. He gave us everything he had.”
— Hanley Ramirez showed more signs of coming alive, as he collected two hits, including an RBI single, for the third time in four games. He also showed more aggressiveness on the bases, swiping a bag and scoring from second base on a single into right field.
The problem was Ramirez stranded runners at the corners in the top of the ninth inning with Boston leading 3-2 after Texas intentionally walked David Ortiz. An insurance run would have been huge.
— This is no time for moral victories or silver linings. However, the Red Sox’s compete level was better than it was in Saturday’s 8-0 loss. Then again, that’s not saying too much.
“We went into the ninth in there with two outs still with the lead,” Farrell said. “Certainly a better effort than (Saturday), which, was unacceptable.”
