The Boston Red Sox had their chances against Atlanta Braves pitcher Charlie Morton on Tuesday.
They just didn't take them.
Boston saw a bases loaded situation with no outs in the first inning after laying into the starter early, but only a single run amounted from it. And when Danny Santana tripled to deep right to lead off the second, followed by a walk from Hunter Renfroe, a strikeout and double play killed that scoring chance.
Morton gave up one more single to Xander Bogaerts in the third, but locked in from there, going seven innings for Atlanta and striking out nine en route to a 3-1 win.
"We got Charlie on the ropes the first two innings. We only scored one and that's what good pitchers do," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said postgame over Zoom.
"We had our chances early on, we didn't cash in. Bases loaded, no outs, we only score one," he added. "And then we have a man a third, with no outs, we don't score. And that's it, you know, good pitchers will do that, you know he's struggled early on with command, but he made some pitches and other situations and then after that, he did what he usually does. And that's why he's one of the best pitchers in the big leagues."
Between Bogaerts' hit in the third and a walk in the eighth inning from Alex Verdugo, no Red Sox batter managed to reach.
Had things been different, the result may have been too.
"In an era, or a year that is hard to hit, that runs are at a premium, I believe, in the game, making contact -- I've been saying all along -- it's very important to make contact with men at third," Cora said. "You just put the ball in play and you're gonna cash in."
Here are some other notes from Tuesday's Red Sox-Braves game:
-- Garrett Richards put together a solid line after his start, but he worked for it.
Through 5 2/3 innings of work, Richards gave up six hits and four walks. He got himself out of a few jams, but allowed three earned runs. Regardless if things were shaky at times, he kept his team in the game.
"He was good today," Cora said of Richards. "The walks put him in a bad spot, but overall I think it was a solid start against a good lineup. He made pitches when he needed to. Usually, if we give up three in nine innings we have a chance to win it. We usually win those games."
-- Kiké Hernández made a play in the top of the third that, to the untrained eye, hardly was noteworthy. That's what made it so impressive, though.
The Braves' first run of the game just came in, and playing the shift at second, the infielder did his best to keep the damage to a minimum. Marcell Ozuna blasted a double that scored the runner on third, but was cut off at third after Ozzie Albies grounded out to Hernández, who had the foresight to pull off the risk.
"Great heads-up play," Cora said of Hernández. "He is into every play, and he anticipates. You don't make that claim without thinking about it, you just don't react to that. You plan that before. He saw it before it happened and it was one of the best plays I've seen look routine, look easy, but to throw the ball from the shift to third base to get the runner, this is the first time I've seen that. As a second baseman, I used to take chances with men at second on a routine ground ball to second with no outs. But to do it from the shift, first I've seen that. Amazing play. Amazing play."
-- Boston lost, but so did the Tampa Bay Rays. For now, the second-place Red Sox are a 1/2 game back from the Rays with the New York Yankees breathing down their necks, one game out of first.
-- The Red Sox still can tie the series Wednesday. First pitch between them and the Braves is 7:10 p.m. ET. Pregame begins at 6 p.m. on NESN.
