Baseball is funny. Last night I sat in the Pavillion Box and laughed at the constant slips and slides of the Red Sox outfielders across the field as they tried to catch ground balls, catch flies and make double plays. Tonight they performed a masterpiece of defense. In the first inning, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. was struck down at second base while attempting a single. In the second inning, Joey Loperfido was ejected after a well-executed relay from Duran to Rafaela at the plate.
Later, Wilyer Abreu caught a fly ball and prevented a run with a full hit.
And that doesn’t even mention the clever 6-4-3 double play of Ceddane Rafaela and David Hamilton.
Yesterday, those outs weren’t made. There were a lot more routine outs that weren’t made than those. There were times when I wasn’t convinced a strikeout would result in an out. I guess that’s what happens when you play with inexperienced players all over the field.
Aside from the defense’s performance, there are two ways to look at this game. First, you believe that the pitching is a serious problem, that the bullpen will continue to give up leads, and that none of this really matters beyond moral victories and not finishing in last place. Based on the last few weeks, the injuries announced today, and the general mood, this is probably the most likely scenario.
If you’re an eternal optimist like me, you’re currently watching the Braves try to score a win over the Twins to close the deficit to four games. The Twins just scored the tying run on second base, damn it. If you’re like me, you think a win for the team with Cooper Criswell, Greg Weissert and Brennan Bernardino could be the jump start they need. Remember, while they’re currently 4.5 games behind, they still have a three-game set with the Twins on the schedule. knowledge You’re a little crazy because you still believe in it, but you have no other hobbies and need something to hold on to. You paid $100 for a general admission ticket for the month of September and you damn well want some bang for your buck. Maybe I’m just projecting, but there must be at least one person like me out there.
All in all, tonight’s win is a good thing. The way they’ve played the last few weeks has left them out of control of their destiny, but they’re not quite dead yet. They’ll need the Twins, the Royals or the Guardians to have their own problems, but there’s still an underdog chance. Rasiel Iglesias just had to allow the tying point in the eighth inning. We’re nine days away from the start of the NFL season, so let’s stay three games behind the Twins, keep an eye on the Sox, and wait until week six to find out how the ridiculous new kickoff rule works.
Three bolts
Wilyer Abreu
With the deficit growing and the chances of a playoff spot looking less likely of late, there has been a lot of talk about the future makeup of the roster. There is a potential bottleneck in the outfield due to the impending promotion of Roman Anthony as well as a surplus of left-handed hitters in the system.
While some creativity might be needed to balance the roster, moving Wilyer Abreu would be a huge mistake. Abreu’s game isn’t as spectacular as Jarren Duran or Rafael Devers, but he’s a successful baseball player. He controls the strike zone, hits with power, handles right field excellently, and has an arm like a cannon. He also has no regard for his own well-being when playing to the wall, which I find endearing. Tonight alone, he doubled a couple runs, hit a single, and threw out a runner at the plate on a tag-up attempt. “Keep good players on your roster” sounds like simple advice, but with some outfielders potentially having to be swapped out for pitchers, I hope Abreu isn’t that guy.
Triston Casas
Triston Casas can really hit the baseball. Plus, he’s a crazy guy.
Greg Weissert
How about Weissert comes in for some big outs? Wiler Abreu gets the assist for putting out the runner at the plate, but Weissert made the pitch to get the pop-up after taking two runners on. That’s how it goes, Greg.
Two duds
Tyler O’Neill
He is a changeable batsman, and at the moment he is Ice cold. Let’s hope he gets back in shape soon to balance the lineup.
Jesse Chavez
He allowed three runs with a four-run lead, giving the Twins life. What’s up with that, Jesse?
Me
I considered live blogging the end of this Twins game, but I know I’ll end up upset. Sorry for not letting you in my brain as I react to Jhoan Duran throwing 105 mph and crushing my delusional hopes of a wild card spot.
