|
 |
|
JOSE BAUTISTA |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
The
Blue Jays whack five HRs
in a romp over the Red Sox
May 12, 2013 ...
After his team was beat up by the Blue Jays at Fenway Park on route to a 12-4 defeat, its eighth loss in the last 10 games, manager John Farrell thinks the Sox have used up all of their luck.
The Red Sox, who held at least a share of the top record in the Majors as recently as May 8, have dropped three straight series and fallen to 22-16 on the season. Being swept by the Rangers, who entered Sunday tied for the best record in the Majors, seemed like a
blip on the radar. Losing the next two series -- to a Toronto team with a struggling pitching staff and free-swinging offense and a Minnesota team that strikes out fewer batters than anyone in the Majors -- might seem more like a radar-jammer.
The key in this series was supposed to be keeping the ball down in the strike zone. The Blue Jays, who lead the Majors in homers, with 51, also rank in the bottom third in batting average, at .237. Between starters Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, the Red Sox
didn't allow one ball to leave the yard. Between Junichi Tazawa giving up the eventual game-winning shot on Saturday, todays starter Ryan Dempster allowing three homers and relievers Andrew Miller and Clayton Mortensen each serving one up later in the game, the Blue Jays hit six
homers in the last 10 innings of the series.
Dempster, who hadn't allowed more than one home run in a game all season, posted his worst start in a Red Sox uniform. He lasted just five innings, allowing six runs on seven hits and a walk. Because he is one of the softer throwers in the Majors, Dempster's
location and pitch mix become that much more important. His first miss came in the third inning, when Jose Bautista took an 89-mph inside fastball and jacked it over everything in left field. Then, in the fourth, Emilio Bonifacio, who had just one homer over his previous two Major
League seasons, launched a hanging slider into the right-field bullpen. Dempster's final mistake came in the fifth inning, when he uncharacteristically left a splitter, his signature pitch, high in the zone. Edwin Encarnacion replied with a booming swing that put the Blue Jays on top,
6-1.
It should be easy to forget one bad start from Dempster, who is striking out more batters than ever -- fanning 11.44 per nine innings -- and has a 3.75 ERA.
At the plate it was more of the same for an offense that's been outscored, 62-33, over the past 10 games. Toronto starter Chad Jenkins, who entered Sunday having pitched just once this year, a five-inning start for Double-A New Hampshire, held the Red Sox to
two runs over five innings. The Red Sox are hitting .163 with runners in scoring position over the last 10 games, a span in which they've left 86 on base.
Half of the offense on Sunday came from Mike Napoli, who hit his seventh home run of the season, and Pedro Ciriaco, who came off the bench to play first base -- the seventh position he's played in his Major League career -- and contribute his first homer of the year.
Shane Victorino chased Emilio Bonifacio's two-run, fourth-inning home run Sunday until he ran out of ground and ran full-sprint into the short fence in right field. He crumbled onto the warning track, grabbing his midsection and grimacing. As he laid on his back,
Jacoby Ellsbury ran over from center field. Dustin Pedroia ran out from second base, and manager John Farrell and trainer Brad Pearson came from the dugout. Victorino remained in the game but left in the seventh inning. After the Red Sox' 12-4 loss, Victorino went to the hospital for
evaluation. He had missed seven games this season with lower back stiffness.
Shortly before the first pitch, the Sox announced that catcher David Ross was placed on the seven-day concussion disabled list. He took a couple of foul balls off the mask in Saturday's loss to the Jays. Andrew Bailey likely will throw off a mound Tuesday and
possibly in a simulated game or batting practice shortly thereafter. Dustin Pedroia is hitting .469 in his last eight games with two doubles, a home run, and three RBIs. He's reached base in 22 of 23 home games. |
