The Streak Ends at Fenway
The Red Sox had a perfect shot to win their 10th straight series on Sunday. They held a 3-2 lead with four outs to go. That dream died when the bullpen let the team down. Per MLB.com Red Sox, the Sox lost 4-3 to the Athletics after two dominant relievers failed in the late innings. This marks the first time the team has lost a series since late June.
Garrett Whitlock gave up a game-tying RBI double to Jonah Heim in the eighth. Things looked tight again in the ninth. Aroldis Chapman was one out away from saving the day. Off the Green Monster, Max Muncy then hit a go-ahead RBI double. The nine straight wins had put Boston just two away from tying the 1912 franchise record. Now that chance is gone.
Bullpen Plan Backfired
Interim manager Chad Tracy wanted to rest his starters for the long run. He used a bullpen game by design. The plan worked for seven innings. Erik Miller started as an opener and did fine despite a throwing error. Brayan Bello was solid in relief. He allowed three hits and one run over four innings. He walked no one and struck out four batters.
Everything went to script until the eighth and ninth. Whitlock and Chapman had their hiccups when it mattered most. The team could not hold the lead they built. This is a tough lesson for a squad that was on a roll. The Red Sox were up 3-2 with four outs to get. They let it slip away on Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park.
Small Ball Can’t Save the Day
There was some good news for the fans. The team showed they can still score with old-school small ball. In the fifth inning, Eli White put down a bunt. Jake Rogers followed with a hit-and-run single. White reached third base. Nick Sogard bunted again. The throw home was wide, and White scored. Abreu then hit a sacrifice fly to right field to give Boston the lead.
Eli White also stepped up big in right field. He made his first three hits for the new team. Wilyer Abreu moved to DH so White could start. This move worked out well for the Sox. But one good inning and a few hits cannot fix a late-inning collapse. The team needs their stars to close out games. They need to stop giving away leads in the ninth.
Will the Red Sox bounce back from this loss? Or will this slip in the ninth cost them more down the stretch?
