Game 10: Red Sox 6 Brewers 8

There Is No Bottom

Despite demonstrably improving in several areas over the previous days' awful losses, the Sox somehow manage to get worse and blow it even more agonizingly.

I looked at the standings today for (literally) the first time this season.

We are the worst team in baseball. The Rockies, Nationals, A’s — all have managed at least three wins. 

Happy 55th birthday, Lou Merloni. That is not related to anything but it seems hard to imagine he’s twenty years out of baseball, or at least out of playing baseball.

Brayan Bello out there tonight. He looked more self-possessed than he had in previous years, but didn’t pitch any better.  Tall order against Brandon Woodruff.  Milwaukee has this habit of churning its quality starters, trading them ahead of the end of club control instead of extending them. Woodruff is the exception: they kept him. Legit ace, if not an impact ace like Crochet.

Alex has made the lineup changes commensurate with achievement, relatively speaking. Roman leading off and playing left, but then Yoshida at DH, Contreras, Abreu down into the cleanup spot (he won’t be back in 5th this year), Story batting fifth, Mayer, Durbin, Narvaez, and Rafaela in center. The four man OF-DH rotation takes another turn. Duran on the bench.

Durbin of course facing off against the team that brought him up — and then traded him — Milwaukee. The Contreras brothers are facing off against one another, but this is nothing new: they’ve both been in the same league for years now. It is fun, however, to see them side by side, or at least sequentially. Let’s hope we don’t see Willson chumming it with William at first base, eh?

Bello gets into trouble right away with one out, a single and a double putting runners on second and third. But he bears down and strikes out the next two guys.

Even better, the Sox get a run in the bottom of the the inning on virtually the same combination — hit, walk, and a timely two out single by Trevor Story to get Roman in to score. It wasn’t a huge hit, but it’s good to see Trevor (finally) coming up with a hit with a runner in scoring position. Or anywhere, for that matter.

In the bottom of the third: a weird confrontation between (our) Contreras and Woodruff after Willson is just nearly nicked bit a pitch. Given this loaded the bases there’s no way this was intentional. After this, the Brewers appeal the call and lose. Then Contreras jaws at Woodruff from first, and Alex has to run out and keep him from getting ejected. Then on the next play Contreras slides in hard, but cleanly, to help prevent a double play (and a run scores) but we’ve had ten minutes of delays of people yelling, milling around, or waiting. (He did seem to make contact with former Red Sox David Hamilton, who is a nice guy and isn’t jawing back.)  The Sox are up 2-0, though, with Trevor Story up with a runner on third (and first). And our speedster, Masa Yoshida, scores on a sac fly! They made the CFer throw it, and it was offline. Sox up 3-0 now.

Woodruff’s PC is up to 48, but Bello is starting out the top of the 4th with 66. We definitely need the proverbial shutdown inning here and get back to bat quickly to keep the pressure on Woodruff. 

Alas Bello gives up an infield hit, and a walk, a sacrifice bunt, and another walk and we have the go ahead run at the plate with one out and a pitch count up to 80. (We are also an hour and a quarter into the game.) That is nine baserunners already.  

They give William Contreras an infield it on a bounder off the base of Caleb Durbin’s glove, but to me it’s an error all the way. He got caught trying to move to a double play (or come to the plate) and he should have fielded it first.  Run scores, bases still loaded.

That’s it for Bello. Earliest hook of the year. Coulombe in. After using Uberstine long yesterday, our long options are a little limited. Dave and Will on the radio are both of the opinion that Bello made a lot of quality pitches but just took too many.

Fortunately for the forces of justice, they gave Durbin an error —and the status of the run being earned or not earned is a little up in the air. You can’t assume two when scoring so I think it’s going to be earned even if Coulombe wiggles out of this.

UGH and just like that another ball towards Durbin, who just gets a little leather on it, keeping it in the infield for an infield hit, but the crowd boos a bit because they think it looked like an error. Or maybe booing 3-2 with the bases still loaded…

The Brewers have now had 11 baserunners through three and a third…

Oh lord this is horrible. A dribbler down the first base line doesn’t go foul…and another run scores and the bases are still loaded with one out. It will go down as back to back hits on Coulombe’s line but you can’t ask for more than that, two powerless grounders in force out situations.

Well, we’re tied 3-3 and we’re still in trouble, and Moran is already up and throwing in the bullpen. 

And now we go down 4-3 as Coulombe walks the man, and we are STILL at bases loaded one out, where we were four runs ago. This is beyond station to station: the ball hasn’t left the infield and they’ve scored four! 

Oh, after a helluva battle, Coulombe gets Rengifo to hit the ball on the ground at Marcelo, who steps on the bag and completes the double play. I don’t often say we were fortunate to give up only four runs that inning, but I will right now. Blowing the lead was bad, but we’re still in this game.

I suppose making Woodruff sit this long ended up being a net plus…? Oh stop me and my rationalizing.

Took a peak at Win Probability: we were up to 82% and dipped to 21% this past inning, before recovering a little to 44%. 

People in Fenway are cranky. Everybody is dressed like it’s February, because it feels like it’s February, and they boo Caleb Durbin for the two errors (well, one error). But they gotta give him a break, it’s not his fault the Sox are down by a run.

Durbin responds by cracking a ball that looks like it’s going over the monster, but instead drops at the base of the wall, but it’s still a double because…Fenway. And opposing left fielders being clueless.

Woodruff looking a little roughed up on a very loud long foul down the left field line by Carlos Narvaez. Give Carlos a GTJD with a nine pitch at-bat and a ball up the middle that moves the runner over to third.

Infield in with one out in a one run game. And finally we catch one of those infield breaks! Sharp ball off the shortstop’s glove, which they will score as a hit because Home Town Scoring. We are tied back up, 4–4, with the runner reaching first and still only one out. Good little AB by Cedanne, and Roman is up for the third time in the fourth inning. 

Anthony makes a loud out on a fly to left center but it hung up. Yoshida up…he is only hitting .214 but he has an OPS of .833, second best on the team behind Abreu (1.232!) Masa gets another rip through the infield — and it’s runners on first and third with two out and Willson Contreras is up. Against Woodruff again. (Cue ominous foreboding music.) The Brewers pitching coach comes out for a visit, perhaps to let Contreras stew at the plate a bit.

Oh another one of those weird breaks: Contreras dumps it down the right field line, it drops in, and it bounces into the stands for a book-rule double. We do get a run out of it, Cedanne scores, Yoshida stuck at third, he would have scored on a ball remaining in play.

Not a bad response: taking the lead back, running Woodruff up to 79 pitches. He’s given up five runs, three earned, but I think it’s a bit early to use up your ace in a slog like this game is turning into. 

Wilyer Abreu has looked al little overmatched at the plate today, and that’s the first time I can say that this year.

Moran in for the Sox in the 5th, and we’ll get as much out of him as possible. It’s going to be all hands on deck in the bullpen today.  The Sox are going to give me my stroke today: after getting Frelick to pop up, Moran walks David Hamilton on five pitches, not really working the zone well, and we put the number eight hitter — with speed — on. Moran’s a lefty but he’s not even looking at Hamilton as he goes right after the batter. I suppose the Brewers maybe sticking to a strategy of getting as deep in the pen as possible. 

Weird misplay by Marcelo, breaking to the shortstop side on a slow bounder at the slow hole. He may have thought Contreras was going for it — it was that far over — but Contreras didn’t move. The pitcher was running to cover first so that’s two out of three players who thought it should have been covered by the first baseman. 

Willson Contreras then makes the somewhat dubious decision to throw to second on a ground ball, when he had a shot at the runner at home. Gets the runner at second, two outs, but no chance of turning the DP, and it’s tied up again…at 5-5. Both of the last two plays suggest a little lack of experience there at first. Contreras really plays over there quite well, but those instincts are honed by 10,000 reps and he’s not had a fraction of those chances after moving over from catcher.

Runner steals on a 1-1 count and the Brewers again have a guy in scoring position with their Contreras at the plate. Fortunately he pops up to Abreu and that’s it.

Such a weird game going here. Hardly anything has left the infield but there’s been a ton of action.

OMG this is a weird game. Trevor Story puts on a home run swing to dead center, but it’s cold, April, and a night game, and the CFer settles under it with the 379 sign behind him. 

We have been admiring Marcelo Mayer’s perpetual five o’clock shadow, which with the eyeblack and the gum chewing make him look like a veteran. He certainly looks relaxed up there, and has been making good contact despite being hitless the last two games. 

Oh we have a disappointing inning, allowing Woodruff to escape the inning with only 84 pitches so we are like as not to see him out there to start the 6th. So much for that stratagem. 

Tom Caron on TV saying he doesn’t think they’ll be able to fit the whole game into a single post-game show, and we have four innings to go still. 

Christian Yelich is 3 for 3 this game, and shows bunt (for a strike) leading off the inning. That is weird. He doesn’t have as loud a bat as he had his MVP year but he was hitting .405 on the year coming in! He ends up striking out so I’ll take the gift strike.

Moran gets back to back strikeouts and that is the best 1-2 at bats a Sox pitcher has had all night.

Nice play by Contreras on the first base line, really nice double-stealer, collides with the umpire but makes the play unassisted at first to end the inning. It’s all Willson all the time tonight.

And as I suspected, Woodruff out there in the bottom of the inning. Narvaez has a really good AB, unfortunately striking out on the 9th pitch. The Sox need to get baserunners to make Woodruff pay for that AB . He is at…94 pitches. And oh futz, Rafaela swings at the first pitch, grounds to third, and that’s it for Woodruff, they pull him. He’ll have a no-decision for this game. That makes it even more amazing after Bello gave up 11 baserunners in three and a third that this game is tied…

Sox Win probability at 51.8% with two out in the sixth and Aaron Ashby on in relief. Ashby has knocked between relief and starting roles, but sure looked like a top of the rotation guy at a couple of points. His durability, I think, was what the problem has been. He’s still only 27 and is in his fifth year already, but has never gotten more than 107 major league innings in in a given season, and has pitched much better around injuries out of the pen since 2022. 

K, K, pop out in the 7th — Moran really cruising through the bottom of the lineup. That is really good. I’d like to now get a run or two so we can bring in our leverage guys, such as they are.

OK we’re on deck for an Alex Cora Genius Point, as he declines to pinch run for Yoshida after a leadoff walk in the 7th. It’s a tie game, AC must be thinking the marginal utility of having him in the lineup is better than the marginal extra chance the pinch runner would score in a situation where Yoshida would not. I don’t think this is on the line for a Questionable Management Moment, however. 

Contreras pokes one into center, Masa to second base, so we have something going with Abreu up against a lefty. Wilyer gets under one and it’s a can of corn to the centerfielder. Abreu’s just been a bit off all night, not far off, but definitely not on top of the ball the way he has been the last few games.

So Trevor Story is up from the five hole, and he’s got runners in scoring position again. He pops up quickly though and just like that we’re down to two outs.

Cora pinch hitting for Marcelo with Monasterio now — genius point possibly on the line, but this may be a ploy to eat up another Brewers pitcher. Alas Monasterio pops it to the outfield and the inning and the rally is over. 

On to the 8th, and Whitlock is back. Uberstine got sent back to Woo with Garrett coming off the paternity list in a 5-5 game. Temperature: 43 degrees. Monasterio at second base for the Sox.

Chapman starting his long warm-up routine. He’ll appear in the 9th no matter what here, as long as the game is at least tied.

Nice 2-2 changeup for the strikeout! Welcome back!!

Unfortunate walk to Brice Turang, who is a speedy devil. The kind of guy who can score from first on a single. 

Really nice sequence by Whitlock to get the younger Contreras out on strikes. Yelich up, hitting only .395 on the season now…and Whitlock walks him, being very careful. K BB K BB and that brings a mound visit from Andrew Bailey.

OH GOD THIS SEASON IS GOING OFF THE RAILS. Single, Roman throws it off line, the play at the plate is being challenged for the second run, which was muffed otherwise and the runner advances to third with Whitlock not paying attention after the play at the plate. If this isn’t overturned we are in simply terrible straits.

Call stands. 7-5 Milwaukee and a runner at third, two outs.

Roman cannot throw well. He needs some serious help here. 

Whitlock killing me. Bauers hits a rip that looks like it’s going into Williamsburg, but Abreu makes the play to end the inning. It wasn’t going to go out, I don’t think, but if it had dropped obviously it would have been another run. I can’t quite award Wilyer a Win Saving Defensive Play for it, though, since it was a ball a majority of fielders would have managed, I think. 

Well, we’re way down again. Win probability went down to 18% on that one play, from 52%.

Grant Anderson in for the Brewers. He’s underrated, or unnoticed: he had a couple of rough outings last year but otherwise was nails. He’s got a funny half-side armed delivery that puts a little spin on the ball from an unexpected angle.

Oh, Caleb: Durbin works the count to 3-2 but then grounds weakly to shortstop.  We really need baserunners here. Narvaez up.

A second full count and Narvaez sends it to center for an easy play,

Cedanne up, then the top of the lineup. Another meek grounder, this to short, on an 0-2 count. On tot the 9th.

Ryan Watson on for the Sox. Our Rule 5 baby! Another big situation for him. I don’t know what other options Alex has here, anyway, since Chapman is obviously not worth using and Slaten, Kelly, and Weissert pitched yesterday.

People are leaving the ballpark and I get it, but you know, never leave. Never leave early. I can’t emphasize that enough. 

Leadoff double. Single, run, 8-5. Hamilton bunts, I guess it’s a sacrifice, but maybe a hit attempt, but he’s out at first and the runner is up to second. I guess the Brewers are playing for the insurance run for the insurance run for the insurance run. Dave is talking about how disappointing it was Hamilton didn’t work on his bunting, as asked to, when he was with the Sox, but maybe losing his job was a wake up call for David. That was a good bunt. Flyout, two down. Groundout takes us to the 9th with the Sox down three, after being in the lead twice this game and blowing a 3-0 lead for the second day in a row.

Win probability: 4%.

Brewers don’t bring their closer in — they bring in Zerpa, a situational lefty, against Anthony. Ground out. Yoshida up, still in the game, no longer subject to a possible Alex Cora Genius Point. Honestly, I don’t know what else AC could be doing here: this lineup is just not sharp. Masa works the count to 3-2 but grounds out. We are in really sorry shape with the lefty being left in against Contreras. 

Well, Contreras hits a mammoth homer off the light stanchion. I guess we’re not dead yet, 8-6. Thank goodness the Wally mask is back!  

Abreu up with two out. Singles through the infield to the right and we at least have the tying run up…Trevor Story…which brings the manager out, with nobody up in the bullpen. Trevor grounds out on a 1-1 pitch and hope officially is dead. Possibly for the whole season.

Takeaways: Weird game with a lot of action going on early but all of it in the infield. Bello goes off the rails on infield hits, and then the relief lets in three innings on similarly small infield hits that just don’t seem to go the right way. Errors or not, they are not making the plays they need to make, and are not making good decisions in the field. The Sox blow another lead and even their best relief pitcher Garrett Whitlock screws up. There’s so much going badly here it’s hard to know what to point to. We sorta had a few good offensive moments and we had two leads this game, but in the end we’re 2-8 and continue to be the worst team in baseball.