The Worst Loss of the Year, Redux (Redux)
Suarez Sucks, Weissert Worse
Quick lineup note from yesterday which I should have noted then but didn’t because I was sobbing too much: Alex had pinch hit for Duran with Monasterio in the 8th, and then slid Roman Anthony from DH to left field in the 9th. The Sox thus lost the DH and Chapman was in Duran/Monasterio’s slot in the lineup. That slot would likely not have come up until the 11th in a tie game (there were enough batters that they likely would have won in the 10th before the slot came up, but bases loaded two out…) At that point the Sox had only Kiner-Falefa on the bench. It is entirely moot, of course, but in terms of manager tendencies, AC has never been shy about sacrificing the DH for the exigencies of the moment.
Ranger Suarez on the dish today, his first Fenway start as a Red Sox. I’d have to check and see if he pitched here in interleague games in his previous stops. The Padres are hitting .209 against lefties this year so no time like the present. The Padres are throwing out Walker Buehler. I was really excited by the prospect of Buehler adding something special to the team when he joined the Sox last year, but we got 112 innings of horror and zero quality starts. After being traded to the Phillies he had an ERA of 0.66 in 3 games. I’m not even going to catalog his injuries over the years, but the cat had two legit Cy Young-level years with the Dodgers in 2019 and 2021, and even at 31 I’m sure the Padres figure they have a chance to tap into hidden gold. His first start this year he got battered with five hits and two walks in four innings. Of course, Suarez got pummeled even worse at Houston, with 7 hits and a walk and I think — three homers? He didn’t make it out of the 4th.
The Sox are a really shocking 2-6 and are averaging just over 2.6 runs per game thus far (despite not having been shut out). Their season max thus far is five runs (once in a loss, in the extra innings game in Cincy, the second time in the win on Friday against th Padres).
The weather is rainy but we’re starting on time, albeit a little damp. It’s hazy, but cold weather hazy. I’m sure the air is quite heavy.
Somewhat oddball lineup today: Roman leading off again but again DHing, Duran in Center and batting third, and Yoshida getting another game in the field in left and batting after Abreu. Durbin sure hasn’t been a lot of lineup protection for Wilyer, but I’d’ve dropped Mayer in there, given how well he’s hitting. Instead he’s batting 8th. We also get Carlos Narvaez for the Sunday start at catcher, after Wong had the unexpected start on Friday, Carlos doesn’t need the rest. Cedanne getting the day off.
So: Yoshida-Duran-Abreu across the OF, which I think is a first.
Suarez starts off right, with a called strike followed by a weak groundout. But he walks Tatis after starting out 0-2, trying to be just a bit too fine around the edges of the zone. Tatis, after whiffing four times yesterday, shows excellent patiences. Carlos’ arm may be tested early. Tatis has busted into 30 steal territory the last few seasons (career success rate: 82%) but looks fast enough to steal a lot more.
Sweet 1-6-3 double play, deftly executed by the Sox. Suarez didn’t hesitate on the throw to second, which is what you have to do on quick comebackers. Even if the guy beats it at first there’s still plenty of time to get the runner at first on the pivot, so you might as well commit to second base immediately. Some pitchers you can tell have been pitchers their whole careers, and not infielders; Suarez is a ballplayer. He was an outfielder at 15 when he was first scouted by the Phils (and signed at 16 and converted to pitcher).
Roman swinging at bad pitches again, and he golfs a 1-1 pitch for an easy pop out to start out the offensive part of the game. Story whiffs…for the 16th time. I really think Alex needs to think about moving both these guys a little further down the lineup for a bit, but Story as the vet will get the reps in the number 2 slot for quite a long time. Remember the atrocious start for Devers last year, DHing amidst all the controversy about Bregman displacing him at third? Alex kept him in the lineup every day and while it took almost a month Devers did snap out of it. AC managerial tendency: he does run his veterans out every day in the same spot in the lineup. Buehler whiffs Duran on a 2-2 pitch for a (stop me if you’ve heard this a lot recently) quiet inning for the home town team.
Closed captions isn’t working today on the TV broadcast. Even with the automated feed I like following along with the commentary there while actually listening to the radio as my default media set-up.
Suarez called for a violation for taking too much time warming up…by two seconds. Starting out on Machado 1-0. Maybe they’re trying to be hardass to keep the game moving but Machado didn’t look ready, either.
Weird play on a one out grounder by Andujar — terrible throw by Trevor for the overthrow, but then a terrible decision by Andujar to run to second after coming to a stop, and Contreras was able to throw him out at second. Trevor’s arm just doesn’t look right, and he seems to have lost a step.
Wow! AL MVP Wilyer Abreu with a Baserunner Kill at second on a dribbler down the right field line, and we have two great defensive plays (and one terrible one) and just like that Suarez is out of the inning. First Baserunner Kill of the year.
At some point the Sox hitters going into the game without a game plan — not looking at enough pitches, not playing to the pitchers’ tendencies — is going to have to be laid at Cora’s feet. This is a team coaching thing, not a collection of individual tendencies. We’ve had enough problems with some free swinging — Duran last year comes to mind — that you can blame the hitting coaching a bit, but only to a point. Peter Fatse, the batting coach, is as far as I know much more of a data guy than a mechanics guy, but the data guy has to be the one showing each hitter how much better they do in being aggressive vs. being patient, especially on a matchup by matchup basis. I am curious how the Sox do individual game prep at the pre-game meeting.
It’s Laz Diaz umpiring today and he’s already made at least four or five missed calls that the Sox have not ABS challenged. Perhaps this is one area where they are exercising some additional discretion. I’ll be interested to see what the MLB Umpire office does with ABS challenges as far as disciplining umpires. My guess is nothing. The Umpiring office is even more incestuous than the Astronaut Office at NASA (always run by an astronaut).
AL MVP Wilyer Abreu raps one out and we have a one out runner.
The Padres call an ABS challenge on a pitch by Buehler, and win the challenge. Yoshida being selective, though.
OH DEAR GOD. Wilyer whacked with the throw with a pickoff attempt, looks like on the soft part of his thigh. At first it looked like he might’ve jammed a finger on the play, because he was rolling in agony and man did my heart leap into my throat. Fortunately he’s able to shake it off. Yoshi grounds into a fielder’s choice on the next pitch and Abreu has a hard clean slide into second to help break up the double play, so that’s good.
WOW! Masa on a stolen base attempt, and it’s a wild pitch by Buehler, although Yoshida should get credit for a steal. He had an amazing jump and Walker might’ve been distracted or surprised. Really nice baseball from Yoshida to see the opportunity.
The stands look a bit empty today, but it’s been misting and I suspect the empty rows are people back up in the grandstands. I haven’t checked attendance for today or yesterday yet, it will be sad if we’re already not selling out weekend games, bad weather notwithstanding.
Durbin works the count to 3-2 and gets a walk, so ducks on the pond for Marcelo Mayer and they are finally getting Buehler’s pitch count up. Maybe too much so: Mayer just laid off a missed changeup that went right down the middle, and then swung on a breaking ball dipping toward him on the inside lower corner, and our rally dies stillborn.
A blown appeal on a check swing: Castellanos wasn’t even close to a swing but he’s rung up by the first base ump. Umps don’t have to grant catchers’ appeals but at the major league level they never seem to deny the catchers.
Ranger putting on a fielding clinic today, with a couple more comebacks and a great 1- unassisted play moving straight towards first on an in-between hopper.
OK a called strike three on Campusano — the opposing catcher! — on an 0-2 count and I can’t quite figure out whether this was a faint by Suarez, who himself wasn’t ready to pitch until the last second, and Campusano might have thought he had time on the clock. Diaz is playing close to the rules on the clock today!
I don’t know how to score this — I should’ve figured this out when they brought in the clock. KC? (backwards K?) or is there another symbol to use…?
Time for a sidebar: this is what the inter tubes tell me. (AI actually being useful here).
KV (or BV/PV): Many scorers use a K (swinging) or ꓘ (looking) followed by a small V for "violation". Specifically, BV might denote a batter violation and PV a pitcher violation.
Kt: A K followed by a subscript t is used to represent "time".
K(PC): Some scorers add (PC) or a tiny "pc" next to the K to explicitly note the Pitch Clock as the cause.
A "Clock" Doodle: It is increasingly popular to draw a small circle around the K or a tiny clock face next to it to visually represent the timer violation.
The "Sideways" K: Some official scorers have suggested using a sideways K (resting on its back) to indicate a "technical" strikeout where no pitch was actually thrown.
Standard ꓘ: Because it is technically an "automatic strike" and the batter did not swing, many official sources simply record it as a backwards K (strikeout looking) without additional notation in the official box score.
Narvaez walks, and then, wow, Roman draws a walk! The Sox turned that corner fast, and Buehler is up to 45 pitches. I think the Sox know all too well how quickly Buehler can get off the tracks when he has baserunners seemingly always in the fourth inning last year. Here we are in the third, though.
Trevor…does he get a GTJD for grounding slowly to the right? Sure, we’ll give him one, he needs a break even with fake made-up positive statistics. Runners at second and third with one out.
And Duran doubles in two runs right down the right field line, caroming off the outcropping! Way to make Walker pay. Other than Cedanne’s two out RBI Friday, this is the first really timely piece of situational hitting I can recall this year. Sox up, 2-0!
Duran advances to third on a groundout by Contreras, who looked tough but couldn’t find the right pitch to hit. Buehler is far craftier than he was when he was a fireballer, but that was between TJ surgeries. He just has never gotten velocity and location back together after the second procedure.
AL MVP WILYER ABREU knocks the ball to the Brunansky corner, and not only knocks in Duran, makes it to third on a stand up triple after Tatis misjudges the carom. Abreu doesn’t make that mistake in RF, definitely a base for a home field advantage. Assist to the fan who could have fielded it but backed away! 3-0 Sox and a runner on third with two outs.
Reliever on to face Yoshida…who hits the ball almost to the exact spot Duran did! We have another two out RBI double, and it’s 4-0! It was right on the foul line, and the fans again keeping their hands off the ball. Our biggest offensive rally of the season, sad to say.
Does God hate the Red Sox? If you are a believer the rain opening up at this point might suggest that. We are still two innings away from an official game, and while MLB likes to play suspensions out these days, they do make exceptions when the visiting team isn’t coming back and there’s no good hole in the schedule for a continuation, and that’s certainly the case with the NL-west coast Padres, who of course have only the single series here this year.
The radio guys are giving the rag to Don Orsillo for keeping his broadcast window closed in what Dave describes as “warm” weather — fifty degrees. Orsillo has gotten soft out there in San Diego! Ha ha ha ha ha
Wow! Defensive gem from Marcelo Mayer, ranging to the shortstop side and throwing on a leap! It wasn’t even close at first. He’s really looked good at second.
Good thing too because Tatis has a solid double to the left center gap that dings off the monster. Merrill follows up with an RBI single and there’s no shutdown inning, Sox lead cut to 4-1. Suarez missing in the zone: the very next pitch is rapped at Yoshida (who manages to field a bad hop, possibly water-aided) and it’s first and second one out and the tying run to the plate, drawing a visit from Andrew Bailey.
Weird play: Narvaez threw to first, they had Machado leaning off, but Machado kicks the ball away — literally — and there’s no call on the play by the ump on interference. Machado has now called in from second to challenge on the ABS, which is against the rules. The ump allows the challenge though, the second non-call on consecutive pitches. It’s amazing with all the replay and challenge rules how the umpires are still sticking their mugs into the outcome of the play.
Ranger comes back to get the guy on strikes and we have two outs but with runners still on second and third. Bogaertz walks to load the bases with two outs.
We’ve had bad calls or non-calls by the home plate, first base, and second base umpires already today.
DAMMIT liner into left, two runs score, and it’s 4-3 Sox. The Sox blew a chance for an out at the plate: the relay guy had plenty of time on a good throw by Yoshida to get the guy at the plate, but was looking at the runner on first. It’s Trevor. The Sox should have been out of this 4-1.
Zack Kelly and Tyler Uberstine up stretching in the pen. Uberstine still looking for his major league debut.
Suarez goes to 3-2 on Cronenworth and Ryan Watson is now throwing in the pen. I suppose situationally this calls for a leverage guy, and the Sox are clearly positioning the Rule 5 guy as that, which is unusual but Watson’s been tossing well thus far.
Fortunately a little dying fly makes it out to Yoshida for the final out. Yoshida has been getting a workout in left and has done well playing the field. His limitations with range are not as much of a liability with the short field in left, and while we really haven’t seen him play a lot of outfield, he seems like a high baseball IQ guy who would do a lot of preparation with wall balls and such.
So, on to the…it’s only the fifth? This game seems like it’s been taking forever. I didn’t mark first pitch but I think it was 1:37, so we’re about an hour and twenty minutes in.
Kyle Hart is pitching for the Padres, who is a former Red Sox. Hart got toasted when he came up in the Covid year: 19 ER and 24 hits in 11 IP. He didn’t make it back from the minors again until last year with San Diego, when he also got ripped, in a higher sample size of 43 innings. Six foot five lefty, you get lots of chances, I guess. Marcelo really rips one to deep left center, but it hangs up, and then Narvaez grounds out. Roman dribbles out and it’s good because we really want to get the top of the fifth in (and scoreless as soon as possible).
Weissert up in the pen now, and there’s heavy rain coming in on the forecast — the Sox may be playing the fifth like the 8th inning in terms of matchups. Suarez gives up a hard single to start the inning, and this brings out Alex Cora with the hook, finally. Suarez pitches 4+ and doesn’t qualify for the win, 6 hits, 2 walks, only 2 Ks. He was around the plate a lot of first pitches, and the Padres eventually started taking advantage of that.
Weissert gets a leadoff strikeout and that’s what we need. Because Tatis is up….gerf. Weissert whiffs him on a great changeup! Two outs!
My hopes got up too high, as Merrill jumps all over the first pitch and singles to center for first and second with two outs…and Manny Machado coming up. GERF.
MANY CUSS WORDS. MANY CUSS WORDS. MANY CUSS WORDS. Three-run homer by Machado crushed to center, and we’re down 6-4…with weather coming in. To make things even worse, a Padres fan catches it in the monster seats. You should have to pass a loyalty test to get seats out there.
Weissert not only has given up three homers, and his ERA is over 10.00, but he’s given up three leads. This is not a good sign. He ends up striking out Andujar but the two baserunners he gave up were just dreadful. The thing is, the Red Sox pen in general has been pretty good, but between Weissert and then Chapman giving up the winning run yesterday, it feels like it’s been a disaster.
We were up 4-0 an inning ago. Now with weather coming in, Alex has to play the bottom of the fifth like the bottom of the ninth.
“It’s getting less early,” Dave Fleming says, and that could apply to the season as well as to the game.
Win probability down to 25% after peaking at 87% after the 4-0 lead.
Well, down by two, Contreras walks with two outs, and AL MVP Wilyer Abreu comes to the plate. The Padres have an intense mound conference among the fielders before Wilyer steps in.
Cronenworth makes a great play on a dribbler to second to retire Wilyer, using a glove flip. Back in the day, (you know, “the day”) we’d get benched and yelled at by a coach for using the glove on purpose. The conventional wisdom, and what was taught, was to always transfer to your throwing hand. At the same time, while not as actively discouraged, coaches frowned on bare-handed plays. (Craig Nettles and Brooks Robinson made their living on bare handers, but they were righties playing an inner infield position.) But now players actually practice flips with their gloves, and it shows on plays like these.
Top of the sixth: Tyler Uberstine makes his major league debut! He’s likely going down as soon as Whitlock comes back from paternity leave, The 19th round draft pick, 26 year old rookie — good to see his family in the stands, where they must have spent the entire weekend waiting for him. It’s a lower leverage situation but still important, since this game is still within reach. Alas, Uberstine gives up a 3-2 single to Bogaertz (which Yoshida cut off very nicely to hold it to a single). They’re showing his family on the TV and they are looking a little nervous with Castellanos coming up and nobody out.
Twice we’ve seen fans in the stands with foul balls seeking out kids several rows away from them, to give away the ball. I always do this (but I’ve caught a lot over the years) but the exception I’m going to make is if I ever catch a fair ball - e.g. a home run ball — because that’s the one thing missing from my portfolio. I almost got one, the one time I was sitting in the monster seats — a Blue Jay homered just below us, and I would have had to have stuck my glove in a lady’s face to make the play. I am still a bit ambivalent about the decision, because she didn’t make the play and the ball bounced to another row. But I might have considered throwing it back, anyway, you know, opposition homer and all.
Uberstine induces a ground ball for a double play following a line out and he’s officially both a real major leaguer and now one with a quality pitching line. It would be fab if the Sox could come back here and take a lead to put him in line for a win.
Bragley Rodriguez in for the Padres; I know nothing about him. Yoshida at the plate. We need his patience! Yoshida hits a leadoff single, and if he ends up being key to this game, I’m willing to give AC a genius point for the lineup selection. He certainly has played a good left field. Durbin flies out, bringing up Marcelo with one out. Marcelo has struck the ball well both his previous at-bats but right at them. This time he dribbles down the first base line, advancing Yoshida but at the cost of the second out. Carlos Narvaez up: I hate saying things like “he’s due”, but, you know, he’s due. Well, he gets a deep bounder to short and he beats it out for an infield hit. First and third, two outs, Anthony at the plate, right hander still in there. Hoo boy.
ABS challenge by the Padres…overturned. Good case of the catcher setting up poorly making it look like a ball but the ball actually went over the plate. Umps hate calling strikes on balls like that.
“The least possible speed they can ever have on the base paths” Dave says on the radio, and it’s true: but it’s mostly a good sign the Sox are generally very speedy.
Roman whiffs, alas, we’re still down two going to the last third of the game.
Uberstine looks great, retiring the side in order. The Sox get a two out rally — Abreu doubles against a lefty — and then AC decides to leave Yoshida in, and Masa doubles in two runs! Another line hugging special, but AC gets a Genius Point for not pinch hitting for Yoshida (but then pinch running for him, although Cedanne kind of spoils it by running into an out on the left side of the diamond on a play right in front of him, getting into a run down when his job as to stay on second and make the Padres make a play across the infield on the batter). 6-6 going to the top of the 8th.
This is the most runs the Sox have scored all year.
I wonder if Chapman is available? He pitched Friday and Saturday. Uberstine is still in there! Why not? He’s got Machado on deck though so I suspect this will be his last guy (Jackson Merrill).
OK here’s why not. Uberstine gives up a homer over the monster and the Padres are back up 7-6. Pity for the kid. SD win probability up to 72 % from 44 %.
A kid catches it on the fly, by the way, a really good play. An actual kid, maybe 10 or 11. He is allowed to be happy (and his companions are wearing Phillies gear, so if he’s not a Sox fan, he’s allowed to be happy about it.)
And at that they leave Uberstine in and he whiffs Machado, but walks Andujar with one out, prompting a visit from Andrew Bailey. Uberstine taking a very deep breath as he settles back in there….Bogaertz crushes one, and they are able to hold Andujar to third thanks to a timely throw by Cedanne, but it’s second and third with one, a major league rookie on the mound, and they’re leaving him in there. Uberstine induces Ty France, who came in for defense last inning, to hit a fly ball, and he leaves with two outs, responsible for two runners, 2 2/3 IP but on the line for the loss. AC bringing in Coulombe.
The weather has held off thus far, the active rain a few innings ago tapering off. I suppose that means the strategy of bringing Weissert in in the 4th, which didn’t pay off at all, no longer is such a clever strategic move that went wrong.
How dependent are we on Garrett Whitlock to lock down this part of the game? His absence on paternity leave being felt.
This is a huge batter for Coulombe, as a single puts this game nearly out of reach. Mason Miller looming in the bullpen for the 9th means the 8th is going to be the Sox best chance at a two run rally. He gets Cronenworth to pop up on the second pitch, and that’s how we get that done.
We’re now playing “Sweet Caroline” on our home audio. My wife mentions “Hunh, I’m not used to hearing this with…decent audio quality.” To be sure, it’s not the same thing as singing along with 35,000 people. On the other hand we get to listen to the whole song and yell “SO GOOD SO GOOD SO GOOD” at the top of our lungs in the living room three times.
Marcello leading off. It’s go time. Zack Kelly up in the pen, presumably to take the 9th.
Oh Marcello called out on a strike RIGHT DOWN THE PIPE, a hittable 81 mile an hour changeup. That hurts. I’d say a hit is important here to at least bring around the heart of our order in the 9th, but the heart of our order right now consists of Wilyer Abreu batting 5th. He’s a baserunner away from a guaranteed appearance. Narvaez gets some wood on the ball but it’s a liner right at the right fielder, two down, and we’re now in Mason Miller territory. Roman up: if ever we needed a solo shot, here we are. Roman grounds out meekly. He really hasn't gotten solid flyball contact all year except for his solo pinch hit home run in a loss.
REDSOX CODEWORD: Sixoneseven.
Zack Kelly on and he gives up a fly ball that Cedanne should have had: he had to run a long way but Cedanne in 2025 makes that play. He’s off to an odd start in the outfield this season and not at all looking like the potential gold glover. Ground out and a sac fly moves the guy from second to score and it’s 8-6, now making the Mason Miller Mountain about three times as tall.
Duran makes a play going back in left that I don’t think Yoshida would have made, or for that matter Rafaela (not quite tall enough even when he’s playing better) so that was a timely defensive swap. Kelly gets out of it without further damage but I am going to chalk that one up to mediocre defense, at best.
Random old man complaint: WTF are they hyping up the Super Bowl in TV ads in April? Do they think we’ll forget it exists during the football off season.
Enter Miller. I am glad I’m not listening to Padres broadcasts, where they surely reach for “It’s Miller Time” every time he comes in. That is probably what he’s been hearing since T-Ball.
Story strikes out for the 217th time of the season to lead off the inning. Still one batter away from having Abreu up there with the game on the line. Miller is filthy, filthy, filthy and strikes out the side…for the second day in a row.
Takeaways: We lost despite scoring a year-high six runs. It’s a new Worst Loss of the Season, and that’s a category where there's been a lot of competition already. Suarez is scuffling, Weissert is worse, giving up a lead for the third time this season. We could have pressed Walker Buehler, who had a Sox-level start, but failed to do so. Comebacks come only once most games, if that, and we made it back to a tie game and then gave it up again. Boy do we miss Garrett Whitlock. We had some really good two out hitting but really only Abreu and Yoshida are hitting well still, with Mayer at least looking good. Abreu and Yoshida were 6 of the 13 baserunners the Sox had today. Tiny Silver Lining: nice MLB debut by Tyler Uberstine, even if the Sox used him an inning too long.
At one point in this game, I was considering whether Abreu or Yoshida was worthy of Player of the Game.
Sox are 2-7.
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