Red Sox News: Michael Chavis on Tuesday’s loss, “I lost the game for us”

Red Sox infielder Michael Chavis blames himself for latest loss

Last night didn’t quite go as well for the Red Sox as they tacked on another loss to their record. This one was like the night before though, it never felt like they were in this one late. Early on they were able to fight back and bring the game level but as Ron Roenicke went to the bullpen the train came off the tracks, again. For Michael Chavis, he’s pointing the blame for the loss at one person only, himself.

He played second base last night, which has become his lesser position after having a steady role there in 2019. As a ball was hit in his direction he had to make a choice of taking the easy out at first or trying to make a spectacular play to save a run.

Unfortunately for him and the Red Sox, he chose the hero route and wound up missing his target, allowing Tampa to tack on another run. The scoring wouldn’t end there for the Rays as they’d pile on even more and end the night with an 8-1 victory.

Chavis spoke to the media via Zoom after the game and he didn’t hold anything back as far as his decision and the team’s loss. It’s clear that he knows he made the wrong decision at the time and carries the weight of the loss on his shoulders.

“The ball bounced a little bit higher than I planned on or thought it would,” Chavis said. “When I had to jump for it, it took my momentum and I had to do a jump throw which is where it got messed up. I should have decided to go to first base at that point. That’s on me. I pretty much lost the game for us, honestly. That’s pretty tough.”

It isn’t just on Chavis to eat the blame for the loss as it wasn’t an offensive showcase from the rest of the lineup either. Not to mention, the bullpen once again sucked beyond all belief. Did his play open the door for Tampa to score more runs without sacrificing an out? Absolutely. But he isn’t the only one to blame for Boston dropping yet another miserable game to their opponent.

Both sides had nine hits and yet Tampa was able to capitalize far more on their chances, and the Sox finished with seven left on base. Again, his decision making in the field may have opened the door a crack, but the bullpen gave the Rays the keys to the whole damn house.

“I’m sure there are some guys frustrated with me,” he said. “I’m sure Brice is, as he should be. The team should be upset with me. I lost the game for us. That’s as simple as it is.”

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For Chavis, it wasn’t all doom and gloom, in fact, it was the opposite. He was the only member of the Red Sox to push a run across the plate going 2-4 on the night with a triple and an RBI-single. Personally, I don’t think it’s fair for Chavis to eat all of the blame but when you’re an athlete at that level, it’s hard to ignore it. The thing is, I haven’t seen much if any chatter from anyone other than him pointing the finger at his play.

The Ice Horse started 2020 pretty cold, especially after his rookie campaign. He’s started to heat up as of late though and is sitting with a .265/.286/.529/.815 line while also owning a pair of homers and five RBI. There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding Boston’s infield after this year as both Mitch Moreland and Jose Pereza could become free agents, so Chavis needs to prove he can hang at either base.

“I’ll be honest, I worked my (expletive) off so that I could play second base in the big leagues and I take pride in that. So that happening tonight is pretty (expletive).”

Again, the only person I’m really seeing throw any blame in Chavis’s way is Michael himself. He’s in the lineup tonight but back at his more comfortable position at first base. If he can continue to heat up at the plate and strengthen his defense, then I think he’ll be a key figure for the Red Sox for quite some time. He just turned 25 and won’t see free agency until 2026, plenty of time for Boston to groom him to become a long-tenured infielder at Fenway Park.