Bobby Dalbec might not be a Gold Glove-caliber defensive first baseman, but generally speaking he makes the plays he needs to make.
That didn't happen Wednesday night, and it made the Boston Red Sox's task far more challenging.
Tasked with preserving a 1-0 lead handed to him in the first inning, Sox starter Nick Pivetta struggled mightily, surrendering four in the second. The final two of those runs came thanks to Anthony Rizzo, whom the New York Yankees acquired at the deadline.
With runners on second and third, Rizzo fell into an 0-2 count. On the third offering of the at-bat, Rizzo roped a hot shot down the first base line. Dalbec was playing deep, but couldn't handle the chopper, with it caroming off the first baseman and into foul territory, allowing both runners to score.
"If you ask Bobby, probably he'll tell you he needs to make that play," Sox manager Alex Cora said after the game, via The Boston Globe.
Ultimately, the Red Sox would lose 5-2, making that misplay loom large.
There were other factors that felled the Red Sox more than a misplay by Dalbec. But reeling that in and ending the inning, and thus only putting Boston down by one, undoubtedly would have changed the complexion of the game for the remaining seven innings.
