You could chalk up the Boston Red Sox’s loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday to any number of factors.
Boston didn;t get enough timely hits, Nathan Eovaldi wasn’t as sharp as he usually is and the relievers gave up a few runs. In the eyes of Alex Cora, though, one moment, in particular, felled his ballclub in its 5-3 loss.
With one on in the top of the sixth inning and the Red Sox down 3-2, Xander Bogaerts, launched a would-be go-ahead homer to right-center field. But Halos center fielder Juan Lagares lined it up well and managed to bring it back, robbing the home run to keep the Angels ahead.
The Red Sox wouldn’t score again until the ninth inning, when it was too little, too late.
“He changed the game with that play,” Cora said after the game. “That ball, that’s a homerun. You know, it’s (hypothetically) 4-3 us, but he’s a good center fielder. I think we grinded at bats. We just weren’t able to cash it in. …He changed the game right there. We get the lead and obviously it’s a different ballgame.”
Indeed, the approach the rest of the way probably would’ve been different had the ball gone out. Cora brought Brandon Workman in for the final out of the sixth and all of the seventh, then closed the game out with Yacksel Rios, two maneuvers he probably wouldn’t have used if the Red Sox went ahead.
The Red Sox and Angels will finish up their three-game series Thursday afternoon, with first pitch at 4:07 p.m. ET. NESN will have pregame coverage beginning at 3 p.m. ET.
