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3 Reasons why the Red Sox are not going to the World Series

By James Scotti

ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 30: Manager Alex Cora #13 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 30, 2021 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - JULY 30: Manager Alex Cora #13 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during the third inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on July 30, 2021 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /
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Red Sox manager Alex Cora
BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 19: Manager Alex Cora of the Boston Red Sox argues with umpire Laz Diaz after he is called out on strikes during the third inning of game four of the 2021 American League Championship Series against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park on October 19, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) /

Red Sox had their issues with umpires

We could all practically taste it. The Sox were in the driver’s seat. They had stolen a game in Houston, won Game 3 at Fenway, and were tied 2-2 at home entering the 9th inning of Game 4.  They were just three outs and one run away from taking a commanding 3-1 series lead. While taking such a lead would not have guaranteed the Red Sox a trip to the World Series, just ask the 2007 Cleveland Indians, it certainly would’ve given the Red Sox the upper hand in the series and made it a lot harder for the Astros to comeback.

But alas, this did not happen, as it would all fall apart in large part due to home plate umpire Laz Diaz. Let us set the scene. Nathan Eovaldi, who was pitching in relief for the Red Sox in the 9th, had given up a lead off double to Carlos Correa, but had retired the next two batters and was up 1-2 in the count on Jason Castro.

Diaz had a horrible night behind the plate. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com, Diaz had missed 23 ball-strikes calls up to that point, but had been relatively consistent as 12 of the missed calls had been in favor of the Red Sox and the other 11 were in favor of the Astros.

The next few pitches would not only break that tie, but have a dramatic effect on the game and ultimately the series. Eovaldi threw a 1-2 curveball that very clearly nipped the outside corner of the strike zone, but was called a ball by Diaz.

Two pitches later Castro would give the Astros the lead with a single to center. The Astros would go on to score seven runs in the inning putting the game away before the Red Sox even had a chance to hit in the bottom of the 9th.

Had Diaz made the correct call, Eovaldi would have been out of the inning and the Red Sox would have entered the bottom of the 9th tied 2-2 with the chance to walk off game 4 and take a 3-1 series lead.

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