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THE ROGERS CENTRE |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
Peavy pitches great for
seven
innings before
falling apart
August 15, 2013 ...
The Red Sox will return to Fenway Park still in first place in the American League East, but bruised up. Missed opportunities with runners on base proved to be costly in a 2-1 loss to the
Blue Jays. Jake Peavy tried his best to carry Boston on getaway night of this 10-game, three-city road trip. Over six-plus innings, the righty gave up five hits and two runs, walking none and striking out four.
The Boston bats, however, went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 12 on base.
It was a fitting end to a frustrating 4-6 road trip. The Red Sox, who have lost four of their last five, head home for a three-game rivalry series against the Yankees leading Tampa Bay by two games.
Peavy went into the seventh inning working on a two-hit shutout. He had retired 18 of the 20 batters he faced but was working with no margin for error given the 1-0 lead. In a span of 10 pitches to three batters, Peavy's outing was over and the Red Sox had
lost the lead. Everything seemed to change as Jose Bautista hit a hard grounder that went off the glove of third baseman Will Middlebrooks. It was originally ruled an error, but later changed to a hit. Edwin Encarnacion followed with a single to center.
Brett Lawrie's lined single up the middle brought home Bautista to tie the game. That was all for Peavy. On came lefty Crag Breslow, and he gave up a go-ahead sacrifice fly to deep
center by pinch-hitter Mark DeRosa.
In the top of the sixth, the Sox had a golden opportunity to increase their lead when singles by Stephen Drew and
Ryan Lavarnway put runners at the corners with nobody out. Buehrle buckled down at that point, striking out Daniel Nava and Middlebrooks, and getting
Jacoby Ellsbury on a grounder to third.
There was another chance for Boston in the eighth, as Daniel Nava (double) and Middlebrooks (walk) started a two-out rally. But Darren Oliver, the crafty veteran, struck out Ellsbury on a
pitch in the dirt. Perhaps the tone of utter frustration was set early for the Red Sox, as Pedroia was thrown out the plate by Kevin Pillar in the top of the first, trying to score on a single to left by Jonny Gomes. Pedroia, fooled by catcher J.P. Arencibia's positioning, never slid.
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DANIEL NAVA |
When the Red Sox broke the scoreless stalemate between Peavy and Buehrle, it was on a fielder's choice grounder by Ellsbury that drove Nava in from third in the top of the fourth. The Red Sox had 10 hits through the first seven innings, but had just the 1-0
lead to show for it. Almost predictably, it wasn't enough. The Sox were 6 of 34 (.176) with runners in scoring position for the series, scoring eight runs total. When Nava singled in the second, it marked the 28th consecutive start he reached
base safely. Nava has reached in 79 of his 91 starts this season. He went into the game with a .370 on-base percentage .
Major League Baseball has come full circle and is ready for expanded replay for the 2014 season. A plan outlined by a replay committee and endorsed by commissioner Bud Selig received positive reaction at the quarterly owners' meetings in Cooperstown, N.Y., the
past two days. |
