Post by CP_Jon_GoSox on Apr 16, 2021 3:22:06 GMT -5
A lot of strange things happened on the way to the Red Sox’ winning streak ending
By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated April 15, 2021, 6:23 p.m.
MINNEAPOLIS — Then there was the time the Red Sox were trying to win their 10th game in a row and the fifth inning was delayed by a siren.
It happened Thursday afternoon at Target Field. There was a four-minute pause because of a citywide test of the tornado warning system.
The umpires finally decided to resume playing, and when Hunter Renfroe stepped back in the box, the noise stopped.
That wasn’t even the strangest thing that happened in a 4-3 walkoff loss against the Minnesota Twins. Not even close.
Consider that the Sox were held to two hits over seven innings, then scored three runs in the eighth inning, only to lose in the ninth when Max Kepler’s tissue-soft single into center field drove in the winning run.
For the first time since April 4, the Sox lost.
Tough game, eh, Alex Cora?
“I don’t think it was a tough game at all, to be honest with you,” said the Red Sox manager. “We came back. We were down, 3-0, and we did everything possible to win the game.”
It went back to what hitting coach Tim Hyers said before the game about hearing conversations in the clubhouse that reminded him of the 2018 team and its sense of purpose.
So even though it was indeed a tough loss, there was no reason to pout.
“We ended up losing a game with a jam shot to center field,” said Cora, who was ejected in the eighth inning and still a little feisty afterward. “That’s not bad. That’s the way I feel.
“We just beat the American League Central champions three out of four.”
Cora had almost no choice but to get tossed when plate umpire Jordan Baker called a foul tip on a clear swing and miss by Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers on a changeup from Matt Andriese.
Replays showed the bat never came close to the ball. Cora suggested to Baker that he ask the other umpires for help. He rejected that idea at first before the crew huddled and imperiously decided the blown call would stand.
Cora was ejected and Andriese struck out Jeffers on the next pitch.
The umpires had quite a day.
Christian Vázquez was seemingly hit by a pitch in the second inning, rubbing his hand on the way to first. Cora and assistant athletic trainer Masai Takahashi came out to check on him.
Baker stopped play, but it was decided via replay that the ball had hit the knob of Vázquez’s bat. Because shortstop JT Riddle had picked the ball up and flipped it to first, Vázquez was called out on a dead ball.
“Our guy stopped because they called it a hit by pitch,” Cora said. “I don’t know. It’s just … whatever.”
Bobby Dalbec had his own mental mistake in the second inning, turning down an easy out at first base to make a throw to second that pulled Rafael Devers off the bag.
That error led to two runs.
In the third inning, Xander Bogaerts fielded a fairly routine ground ball and made a throw that somehow bounced twice — twice! — on its way to first and got past Dalbec.
It all started out so well, too. Kiké Hernández led off the game with a sharp single to center. But the Sox didn’t get another hit off Michael Pineda until the seventh inning when Bogaerts singled.
But Pineda got Vázquez to ground into a double play. The ball definitely hit his bat that time.
The Sox, trailing 3-0, loaded the bases with a hit batter and two walks in the eighth. With two outs, Alex Verdugo doubled in three runs on the 10th pitch he saw from Taylor Rogers. It was a tremendous, highly disciplined at-bat.
“Kind of locked it in and got real hitterish,” Verdugo said. “Stayed short to the ball.”
The Twins intentionally walked Bogaerts to get to Devers, who struck out. Adam Ottavino, shaky thus far in his Sox tenure, then retired only one of four hitters he faced in the ninth.
Verdugo was a consolation prize in the Mookie Betts trade, a player the Dodgers happily gave up to swing the deal. But he’s catching on with Sox fans, as are his teammates.
There was no mourning the dearly departed win streak.
“Another one starts tomorrow,” Verdugo said.
By Peter Abraham Globe Staff,Updated April 15, 2021, 6:23 p.m.
MINNEAPOLIS — Then there was the time the Red Sox were trying to win their 10th game in a row and the fifth inning was delayed by a siren.
It happened Thursday afternoon at Target Field. There was a four-minute pause because of a citywide test of the tornado warning system.
The umpires finally decided to resume playing, and when Hunter Renfroe stepped back in the box, the noise stopped.
That wasn’t even the strangest thing that happened in a 4-3 walkoff loss against the Minnesota Twins. Not even close.
Consider that the Sox were held to two hits over seven innings, then scored three runs in the eighth inning, only to lose in the ninth when Max Kepler’s tissue-soft single into center field drove in the winning run.
For the first time since April 4, the Sox lost.
Tough game, eh, Alex Cora?
“I don’t think it was a tough game at all, to be honest with you,” said the Red Sox manager. “We came back. We were down, 3-0, and we did everything possible to win the game.”
It went back to what hitting coach Tim Hyers said before the game about hearing conversations in the clubhouse that reminded him of the 2018 team and its sense of purpose.
So even though it was indeed a tough loss, there was no reason to pout.
“We ended up losing a game with a jam shot to center field,” said Cora, who was ejected in the eighth inning and still a little feisty afterward. “That’s not bad. That’s the way I feel.
“We just beat the American League Central champions three out of four.”
Cora had almost no choice but to get tossed when plate umpire Jordan Baker called a foul tip on a clear swing and miss by Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers on a changeup from Matt Andriese.
Replays showed the bat never came close to the ball. Cora suggested to Baker that he ask the other umpires for help. He rejected that idea at first before the crew huddled and imperiously decided the blown call would stand.
Cora was ejected and Andriese struck out Jeffers on the next pitch.
The umpires had quite a day.
Christian Vázquez was seemingly hit by a pitch in the second inning, rubbing his hand on the way to first. Cora and assistant athletic trainer Masai Takahashi came out to check on him.
Baker stopped play, but it was decided via replay that the ball had hit the knob of Vázquez’s bat. Because shortstop JT Riddle had picked the ball up and flipped it to first, Vázquez was called out on a dead ball.
“Our guy stopped because they called it a hit by pitch,” Cora said. “I don’t know. It’s just … whatever.”
Bobby Dalbec had his own mental mistake in the second inning, turning down an easy out at first base to make a throw to second that pulled Rafael Devers off the bag.
That error led to two runs.
In the third inning, Xander Bogaerts fielded a fairly routine ground ball and made a throw that somehow bounced twice — twice! — on its way to first and got past Dalbec.
It all started out so well, too. Kiké Hernández led off the game with a sharp single to center. But the Sox didn’t get another hit off Michael Pineda until the seventh inning when Bogaerts singled.
But Pineda got Vázquez to ground into a double play. The ball definitely hit his bat that time.
The Sox, trailing 3-0, loaded the bases with a hit batter and two walks in the eighth. With two outs, Alex Verdugo doubled in three runs on the 10th pitch he saw from Taylor Rogers. It was a tremendous, highly disciplined at-bat.
“Kind of locked it in and got real hitterish,” Verdugo said. “Stayed short to the ball.”
The Twins intentionally walked Bogaerts to get to Devers, who struck out. Adam Ottavino, shaky thus far in his Sox tenure, then retired only one of four hitters he faced in the ninth.
Verdugo was a consolation prize in the Mookie Betts trade, a player the Dodgers happily gave up to swing the deal. But he’s catching on with Sox fans, as are his teammates.
There was no mourning the dearly departed win streak.
“Another one starts tomorrow,” Verdugo said.