Red Sox vs Orioles: Final thoughts from 12-5 loss at Fenway
By Jon
This was a game all Red Sox fans want to forget. The Red Sox couldn’t continue the momentum from yesterday, resulting in a game that was over in the first inning.
This game was a freaking mess. It all started and ended in the first inning with a horrible performance by Boston Red Sox starter Steven Wright.
Wright went 1 1/3 innings giving up eight earned runs, eight hits, and four homers. He went through the whole lineup in the first, gave up six, and was still back in the game for the second inning. Why the hell would he come back? The damage was already bad enough. Farrell should have just ended it there. Actually Farrell should have taken Wright out after he gave up a three-run bomb to Trey Mancini.
Wright had nothing working right out the gates. He hit the first batter of the game due to an out of control knuckleball and it went downhill faster than you could say Wright. He had no control or grip of the knuckleball and when that happens, Wright just throws meatballs right down the plate. And the Orioles were eating them up. It really sucked too because it was perfect weather for a knuckleballer. It hasn’t happened since 2006 since a Red Sox starter gave up eight runs in one and a third innings. It was Beckett against the Yankees. Wild.
Last time Red Sox starter gave up eight runs in 1 1/3 innings was Beckett vs. NYY, June 6, 2006. Before that it was Burkett, Aug. 1, 2002
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) April 12, 2017
There weren’t many bright spots to talk about in the game. At one point the Sox were only down by four with a crazy opportunity to tie it up by a grand slam in fifth inning, but obviously failed. They scored the four runs from a RBI sacrifice fly by Andrew Benintendi, scoring Chris Young in the third, a Xander Bogaerts RBI single and Pablo Sandoval two-run home run in the fourth, and Bogaerts RBI single in the fifth. That was all for the offensive side of the ball.
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Let’s play a game. Who has the most home runs and RBIs on the Red Sox so far this season? Mookie? Hanley? Bogaerts? Nope, the Panda himself, Pablo Sandoval. He has two home runs and seven RBIs through eight full games. Be honest with yourself, did you ever think Sandoval would be leading this team in those categories. I certainly would have never thought that.
Besides his two-run home run from the left side, Sandoval looked like garbage batting righty today and frankly, so far for the whole season too. Sandoval is 0-for-8 with a walk batting righty this season and is 2-for-49 during his Red Sox career so far. He’s always insisting on being a switch hitter, but he has always sucked hitting right handed in his career.
Sandoval, batting righthanded, pops out to second to end the game. Now 0-for-9 vs LHPs this year with one ball out of the infield.
— Alex Speier (@alexspeier) April 13, 2017
He’s a career .258 hitter batting right handed. In his healthy 2014 season before he signed with the Sox, Sandoval batted .317/.461/.824 with 11 home runs and 54 RBIs from the left side. From the right, he batted .199/.319/.563 with five home runs and 19 RBIs. Those numbers are glaring and it was even when he was playing very well. It’s clear. Pablo Sandoval shouldn’t be hitting right-handed and Farrell needs to tell him that as soon as possible. He either makes the commitment to only bat lefty or sits on the bench. It’s for the team! It’s to win!
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Also, the number is eight. It took until the eighth game to see Fernando Abad pitch in a Red Sox uniform this season. I thought he was dead. There were many opportunities for him to pitch prior then today, but I guess today was the perfect opportunity with a score like it was. He must be last on Farrell’s list. It must suck to be paid $2 million and barely do anything. I certainly don’t wish I was him.
Speaking of people I don’t wish to be (serious this time), Ubaldo Jimenez with a 10.38 ERA. He went four and a third innings for the Orioles giving up five earned runs, eight hits, and one home run and still didn’t get the win. His team had a six run lead in the first, but nope. He blew it. He didn’t pitch the maximum inning requirement to get a win. Sad!
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This game was awful and it’s time to move on. I’ll leave you with something to smile about. The Blue Jays suck and aren’t making the playoffs this year. History isn’t on their side.