It's not exactly a secret that the Boston Red Sox haven't been playing their best baseball lately. A promising stretch before the All-Star break has turned into fighting for life back at .500 with 22 games remaining.
There are a few common denominators that have cost the Sox games during their postseason push. Rough relief pitching and high strikeout totals for Boston are factors, but Alex Cora's managerial philosophy seems to have changed in recent weeks. The skipper managed a great first half for the Red Sox, but the second half has raised questions about his methods.
Cora opted to pull Cooper Criswell from a tight matchup against the Tigers while he was throwing a perfect game. Rich Hill entered the game in the fifth inning, which led to two runs scoring, which became the death knell for the Sox as they lost both the game and the series.
However, what was overshadowed by the Criswell decision was a defensive deployment that Cora made. Danny Jansen pinch hit for Wilyer Abreu during the game and remained in the game behind the plate. Needing an outfielder, Cora chose Connor Wong. Yes, that Connor Wong.
Masataka Yoshida has been one of Boston's best hitters since the All-Star break
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Alex Cora's choices with Masataka Yoshida are questionable during the Red Sox's wild card push
Wong has been used in multiple different positions this year in addition to catcher as the Red Sox try to increase his versatility. He played some first base when Triston Casas was still injured and has also seen some time at second base. Left field is a brand new venture, as Wong hadn't played the position professionally before Sunday.
What makes the decision even stranger is the fact that Cora could've gone to a few different options that would make more sense. Romy González has already played the outfield this season, and Nick Sogard has done it in Triple-A. Then, we get to Masataka Yoshida.
Cora's apparent fear to play him in the outfield in any circumstance is mind boggling. He's only played one inning in the outfield this season, and it was in April against the Baltimore Orioles after Cora had already emptied his entire bench and just needed a body out there.
Now, Yoshida wasn't exactly a good defender in left field last year. He was below average in pretty much every aspect. But he can play the outfield and look competent doing so. He's already publicly stated that he misses playing the outfield, and a sudden position shift at this point in his career is probably a reason why he struggled to open the season.
With how well Yoshida has been performing at the plate in the past month, the Red Sox should be doing everything they can to get his hot bat in the lineup, especially when they're struggling for production in the batter's box. The excuses for him not playing every day are running out.