The Red Sox' lackluster offense can't cover up for defensive mistakes

Boston Globe

5 hours ago

But with Alex Bregman and Triston Casas on the injured list and Rafael Devers now across the field playing for the Giants, the Red Sox have used 48 different lineups over 79 games, 70 when you include pitchers.
'The roster right now is very flexible,' manager Alex Cora said before the game.
That's a polite way of saying, 'We have a lot of utility players.'
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It worked for a while. Refsnyder and Gonzalez hit home runs and Eaton had two hits as the Sox scored four runs and knocked Giants starter Robbie Ray out of the game after five innings.
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But a small margin of error doesn't easily fade away. A two-run lead in the fifth inning turned into a mistake-filled 9-5 loss at Oracle Park.
Instead of a fifth consecutive series win the Sox were left with regrets as they headed for Anaheim and the final three games of the road trip.
The Sox were undone by little mistakes. Jarren Duran charged in from left field and bumped into Eaton while he was trying to catch a popup off the bat of Patrick Bailey in the third inning.
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The ball fell to the turf as Duran was charged with an error. Duran said he called for the ball but Eaton didn't hear him.
'It's just about communication,' Cora said.
With two on and two outs, Cora chose to pitch to Devers. Lucas Giolito got ahead, 0 and 2, then walked him. The last pitch was an automatic ball because the pitch clock ran out.
A veteran pitcher can't let that happen. Heliot Ramos followed with a two-run single.
In a 5-5 game in the seventh inning, the Giants had a runner at third with two outs when Mike Yastrzemski hit a line drive right at Gonzalez at second base. Inning over.
Except Gonzalez took his eye off the ball and it deflected off his glove for an error.
Gonzalez offered no excuses.
'We're major leaguers. That play has to be made,' he said.
The Giants took full advantage of the mistake. Devers singled and Ramos followed with a two-run double off Justin Wilson.
That gave the Giants five unearned runs. The Sox have allowed 49 unearned runs this season, by far the most in the American League and second only to the historically bad Rockies.
They had four errors and eight unearned runs in this series alone.
'We've got to play better defense,' Cora said for what feels like the 50th time this season.
Duran ran himself into more trouble in the eighth inning. He tried to stretch a single into a double but was thrown out by Yastrzemski when he slid past the bag.
It was a close play and Cora asked for a review. The call by umpire Doug Eddings was upheld and Duran was ejected after he said something to Eddings while leaving the field.
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It was Duran's first career ejection. Then Cora was tossed while defending Duran.
Losing two of three on the road to one of the best teams in the National League is no disaster. But the Sox could have won the series if not swept the Giants.
They've hit .194 in six games since trading Devers and averaged 3.16 runs. Defensive mistakes become magnified in that environment.
That Bregman and Masataka Yoshida are making progress toward coming off the injured list is important. But Yoshida is at least a week away and Bregman more than that.
The Sox are contending for a wild-card spot as the season approaches the halfway point. Every game they give away because of silly mistakes is one that could haunt them come September.
Peter Abraham can be reached at