Boston Red Sox: Moments where ALDS Game 1 was lost
A closely contested playoff game can often come down to one deciding moment. Here are five where the Boston Red Sox lost Game 1 of the ALDS.
The Boston Red Sox fumbled away home-field advantage in the American League Division Series, forcing them to open the postseason in Cleveland. Not only did this spoil any momentum built by an eleven-game winning streak that clinched the AL East, it also gave an Indians team that plays as well as anyone in their own ballpark an edge.
That advantage has already proven costly, as the Red Sox dropped Game 1. Rick Porcello, our Cy Young hopeful who has pitched brilliantly at Fenway Park this season, reverted back to his 2015 form. Surely the results would have been different had the series started in Boston, but unless manager John Farrell turns to him on short rest for Game 4, we’ll never know.
It seemed entering the contest that the Red Sox had a massive pitching advantage with Porcello on the mound against the struggling Trevor Bauer, yet that’s not how it panned out. Still, we can’t place the blame of a one-run loss solely on the shoulders of the starting pitcher.
Game 1 was lost in a number of different ways. Flip the results of any one of these moments and we may be reveling in the Red Sox stealing home-field in the series.
The Brockstar thrown out at home
Boston drew first blood in the top of the first inning when Hanley Ramirez doubled to drive in Dustin Pedroia.
Brock Holt was waved around third base, attempting to score from first on the play. Catcher Roberto Perez received the throw from the outfield a few steps down the third base line and whipped around to make the tag as Holt was sliding into home. Initially the umpire ruled him safe, but Terry Francona challenged the call, which was overturned on reply.
Instead of leading 2-0 with a runner in scoring position, the Red Sox settled for one as the inning came to an end.
This isn’t to say the loss can be blamed on Holt, who would have received player of the game consideration if the Red Sox had won after he fell a triple short of the cycle. Sending Holt around third may have been aggressive, but with two outs it was the right move. It took a good throw and a great play by the catcher to nail Holt at the plate – and even then it took a manager’s challenge to rule him out.
I saw a lot of commentary on Twitter complaining that Perez blocked the plate, so Holt should have been safe regardless of if the tag was on time. This rule was implemented a few years ago to cut down on dangerous collisions, but that’s not what happened here. Catchers are allowed to move into the runner’s path in order to receive the throw and Holt was able to slide past Perez without incident. On a close play like that you can’t fault the catcher, who was trying to make a play rather than block Holt from reaching the plate.
Porcello blasted in the third
In the opening frame we saw the Rick Porcello that was arguably the best pitcher in the league this season, as he struck out the side in a shutdown inning after his offense had handed him a lead. Even after he allowed Cleveland to tie the game with a pair of hits to open the second, Porcello settled down to limit the damage and remain in control.
Then the third inning happened.
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Porcello coughed up three home runs in the inning, including a lead-off shot by Perez and back-to-back homers by Jason Kipnis and Francisco Lindor with one out. Mike Napoli followed with a moon shot that was crushed further than any of them, but luckily was pulled foul.
Porcello allowed three home runs in a game only twice all season, but never in his career had he allowed three in one inning.
If it’s any consolation, at least all three were of the solo variety. The ball was flying out of Progressive Field last night, with each team smashing three home runs, none of which came with runners on base. The damage could have been worse given that Porcello was essentially serving batting practice in the third inning, but it proved to be enough to put Cleveland ahead for good.
For the first time this season, Porcello failed to make it through five innings, surrendering a season-high five earned runs in the process. It’s been an amazing bounce-back season that surpassed all of our expectations, but if Porcello doesn’t end up getting another start this postseason he’ll have saved his worst performance for last.
Unconventional closer
Call it the anti-Buck move.
Francona managed his bullpen in a way that most managers wouldn’t dare to do, bringing his stud closer into the fifth inning instead of preserving him for a save situation that may never present itself.
Boston was threatening in the top of the fifth after Sandy Leon‘s home run pulled them to within a run. With the heart of the Red Sox order coming up, Francona took no chances. He summoned left-hander Andrew Miller from the bullpen to face the No. 2 through 4 hitters in the lineup, which included a pair of lefties.
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Farrell surprisingly refused to pinch-hit for Holt, who hit a putrid .103 against lefties this season and was being tasked to face arguably the toughest southpaw in the game. The Brockstar rewarded his manager’s faith with a double, while adding a homer later in the game, so the decision to leave him in the game paid off to some extent.
Except Holt’s double was wasted in that inning. Miller walked Mookie Betts to setup a left-on-left match-up with David Ortiz, who struck out to end the inning. Crisis averted for Cleveland.
Miller would remain in the game to retire the next five batters before being lifted with two outs in the seventh inning. After Bauer failed to make it out of the fifth, Miller was able to pick him up with two shutdown innings of relief. It wasn’t the glorified ninth inning role, but it was Miller who really saved the game for the Indians when the game was in danger of unraveling.
The team’s best reliever should be utilized when the game is on the line, which isn’t always the ninth inning. If Cleveland kept Bauer in the game or turned to a less accomplished reliever they would have increased the risk of blowing the lead, in which case Miller would be kept waiting for a save situation that never materializes.
The only silver lining for the Red Sox is that they forced both Miller and Cody Allen, who ultimately was awarded the “save,” to throw 40 pitches last night, which could limit their availability for Game 2.
Check swings
Two outs, bottom of the ninth, down a run with Pedroia at the plate and a runner on first. The stage is set for a dramatic finish, only to end on… a check swing?
Is there a more deflating way to end a postseason game than having the umpire call the batter out on an accidental swing? When does that ever happen? Pedroia and Farrell both vehemently disagreed with the call, but their complaints would be for naught as the game ended in infuriating fashion.
Did Pedey swing? That’s debatable. There are a number of factors that umpires are expected to consider when calling a strike on a check swing. The first is if the head of the bat crossed the plate. If Pedroia’s did then it was ever so slightly, but it was borderline at best. Another factor would be if the hitter’s wrists break as he turns into the ball. In my opinion, Pedroia’s did not, but again, it’s a close call. Lastly, the umpire has to attempt to determine intent on the batter’s part. While this is open to a lot of interpretation, I don’t see how anyone outside of Cleveland watches that final pitch thinking that Pedroia wasn’t trying to hold up his swing.
This wasn’t the only time that borderline check swings went against the Red Sox, but it was the most significant. Boston batters struck out on several check swings among the 14 K’s piled up by Indians pitchers. Even more frustrating for Red Sox fans is that home plate umpire Brian Knight didn’t even bother to ask for help from his crew on a couple of those calls.
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A questionable umpire decision didn’t cost the Red Sox Game 1, especially since we don’t necessarily know that Holt would have delivered if Pedroia had been granted ball four. However, he should have at least been given the opportunity, as calling a batter out on a borderline check swing to end a playoff game is more questionable than the “swing” itself.