BOSTON — The Pink Sox had no downside scoring runs within the collection opener in opposition to the division rival Baltimore Orioles as they put up a 12-spot in a win.
However whereas the Pink Sox put collectively that breakout efficiency, a standard thought ran by way of the crew given their offensive struggles within the second half of the season.
“It received to the purpose (Monday) we had been within the dugout type of saying, ‘Alright, let’s avoid wasting for tomorrow’ type of factor,” Triston Casas stated. “Yesterday was a barrage, for positive.”
The Pink Sox certainly wished they may have had a couple of of these runs for Tuesday evening’s sport in opposition to the Orioles. Boston tried to scrape collectively an offense, however largely got here up empty in a 5-3 loss at Fenway Park.
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It is an offensive efficiency that has grow to be too widespread as of late for the Pink Sox. They’ve scored three runs or much less in 10 out of their final 13 video games and have gone 2-8 in video games after they have that sort of manufacturing.
After scorching offensive stretches in June and July, the offense going flat late within the season comes as a shock to Pink Sox supervisor Alex Cora, and he does not suppose he is alone.
“I believe everyone is (shocked),” Cora stated. “We’re an offensive membership and at one level we had been the perfect offense in baseball. It felt like at any time when we confronted a righty, we had probability of scoring a whole lot of runs. And we have not carried out that the final month, month-and-a-half.
The Pink Sox solely manufactured one run over six innings off Orioles right-hander Albert Suárez, who totaled a career-high eight strikeouts within the win. And so they scored twice within the eighth inning, however one run was gifted to Boston because of a balk from Yennier Cano.
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It felt just like the Pink Sox might carry the momentum of a giant offensive evening, by which Tyler O’Neill and Rob Refsnyder hit back-to-back homers twice, all through the collection with the Orioles. However Boston’s offense is nothing however inconsistent and that outburst is extra of an outlier than the norm.
“I believe we’re all slumping collectively,” Cora stated. “Should you check out it. Once we had been scorching, everyone was hitting the ball far and wide. And it simply occurred that everyone is struggling on the identical time.”
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Listed here are extra notes from Tuesday’s Pink Sox-Orioles sport:
— Kutter Crawford deserved a greater destiny as he is now 0-5 in his final 5 begins. He recorded a top quality begin by tossing 6 1/3 innings by which he allowed three runs on seven hits whereas he walked one and struck out six. It was additionally the thirtieth begin of the season for Crawford, who joined Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Seth Lugo as the one American League pitchers to notch that feat to this point this season.
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“First full 12 months beginning that is my purpose is to attempt to keep wholesome and attempt to make no less than 30 begins and throw 170, 180 innings,” Crawford stated. “So yeah, it is a good feeling, however we nonetheless received a couple of extra (begins) and two, three weeks left within the season, so nonetheless received to maintain going.”
— Luis Guerrero, who made his MLB debut Sunday, had a lowlight by permitting two inherited runners to attain within the prime of the seventh. He evened out his displaying by notching the primary massive league strikeouts of his profession. He punched out each Coby Mayo and Jackson Vacation.
— Talking of strikeouts, the Pink Sox have carried out loads of it this season. In truth, the Pink Sox set a franchise file in strikeouts this season and have fanned greater than 1,400 occasions, in line with Boston Sports activities Data.
“It has been the entire season,” Cora stated. “It is the personnel that we have now, however we have now good hitters. We’re not strolling so much recently and that is a nasty mixture, a whole lot of strikeouts and no walks.”
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— STANDINGS WATCH: The Pink Sox did not get any assist because the Detroit Tigers and Minnesota Twins each gained. Boston is now 4 video games behind Minnesota for the third and ultimate AL wild-card spot whereas Detroit is three video games again.
— The Pink Sox will hand the ball to Nick Pivetta within the rubber match of their three-game set with the Orioles on Wednesday. First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you’ll watch the sport, plus an hour of pregame protection, on NESN.
