Sorry, Steven Wright. Not today.
While Wright pitched well Sunday against the Seattle Mariners, James Paxton pitched even better. The Boston Red Sox’s bats were silenced in a 5-0 loss at Safeco Field.
It was a disappointing end to a so-so road trip for the Red Sox, who went 5-5 during their 10-game swing through Toronto, Oakland and Seattle. Boston’s offense is becoming a major issue, as the Red Sox have scored just 11 runs over their last six games.
Let’s dive into some notes as the Red Sox head into an off-day Monday before starting a four-game series Tuesday against the Texas Rangers at Fenway Park.
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— Wright was your quintessential tough-luck loser.
The 30-year-old knuckleballer allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits over five innings. It wasn’t a dominant performance, or anything like that, but asking for more would have been unreasonable.
Simply put, Wright did his job.
“I thought he threw a number of good knuckleballs,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “Five innings, three runs, kind of kept the game in check, didn’t get away from him.”
Wright’s biggest obstacle was the second inning, in which the Mariners scored two runs on three singles and a passed ball. He surrendered a solo homer in the fifth inning to a red-hot Brad Miller.
“You can make a really good pitch and the guy just happens to put a really good swing on it,” Wright told reporters in Seattle. “Or you can make a bad pitch and the guy swings through it. I had a couple of those today. Out of my hand, I was thinking, ‘Oh God, he’s going to crush it,’ and they swung through it.
“That’s the life of a knuckleballer. For me, I just have to continue to throw strikes and get them in swing mode and if I do that, than more times than not, I’m able to get them to put it in play.”
Wright, starting in place of Justin Masterson, who was placed on the disabled list earlier this week, certainly earned the opportunity to start another game. The ball’s in Farrell’s court.
“I’m just ready for whatever John wants me to do, whether it’s another start or going to the ‘pen,” Wright said. “For me, it doesn’t matter. I just have to go out and throw good knuckleballs over the plate and hope for the best.”
— Catcher Blake Swihart had a hard time handling Wright’s knuckleball in the early going. He barely got leather on one knuckler in the second inning, leading to a passed ball that scored Seattle’s first run.
Swihart has caught Wright before, so it wasn’t like the 23-year-old was navigating uncharted waters. His experience working with Wright (and his knuckler) is limited, though, so the hiccups weren’t surprising.
— Matt Barnes worked through some trouble in the sixth inning and quickly is emerging as a trusted member of Boston’s bullpen.
The 24-year-old has allowed one earned run on nine hits in five relief appearances spanning 7 1/3 innings (1.23 ERA) this season.
— The Red Sox should consider using Brock Holt (when he’s in the lineup) out of the leadoff spot during their upcoming homestand.
Mookie Betts, who went 0-for-4, is struggling and could benefit from a little less pressure.
— The Red Sox’s offense has been especially bad against left-handers this season. Boston owns a .193 average versus southpaws, which is among the worst marks in Major League Baseball.
“I can’t believe how bad we’ve been against left-handed pitching,” David Ortiz said Sunday, according to The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo. “We’ve got to turn that around. I was looking at those numbers today. I couldn’t believe it.”
— The Red Sox could use a shakeup in their order. But don’t expect too much change.
“These are our guys,” Farrell said following the loss. “We believe in them. We trust them. But we’ve got to get some things going.”
— Masterson played long toss Sunday morning for the second time since landing on the DL with right shoulder tendinitis. The Red Sox are targeting midweek for a side session, according to Farrell.
There’s still no timetable for Masterson’s return.
Thumbnail photo via Jennifer Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports Images
