Bill Koch

Monday

Aug 3, 2020 at 3:18 PM


The wastefulness of Sunday night’s Red Sox loss against the Yankees can’t be overstated.


Two homers and 11 total bases from Xander Bogaerts? Not enough.


Two hits and a pair of nice defensive plays from Rafael Devers? Still more required.


Four leads by a combined six runs? Nothing New York couldn’t overcome while pounding out a 9-7 triumph.


Boston was swept in the Bronx in three very different ways. Mistakes and missed opportunities [...]

The wastefulness of Sunday night’s Red Sox loss against the Yankees can’t be overstated.


Two homers and 11 total bases from Xander Bogaerts? Not enough.


Two hits and a pair of nice defensive plays from Rafael Devers? Still more required.


Four leads by a combined six runs? Nothing New York couldn’t overcome while pounding out a 9-7 triumph.


Boston was swept in the Bronx in three very different ways. Mistakes and missed opportunities doomed the Red Sox on Friday night and one swing by Gio Urshela made the difference on Saturday.


But Sunday’s was something different in 2020. This was Boston putting together a strong offensive effort — what figured to be its calling card in this shortened season — and still coming up short.


"Any time you lose when you’re doing that much offensively it’s a tough loss," Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. "It’s tough, too, when you know you have it set up like you want to. You’ve got a lead going to (Matt) Barnes and (Brandon) Workman, and you feel great about that.


"And it didn’t work out."


Barnes ultimately absorbed the brunt of it, roughed up in the bottom of the eighth inning while attempting to protect a 7-6 advantage. Mike Tauchman, batting ninth and only in the lineup as a defensive replacement, drew a two-out walk to turn the lineup. Tauchman stole second, D.J. LeMahieu lined an RBI single to right and Aaron Judge blasted a hanging curveball to the bleachers in left-center.


"Two outs and nobody on and the 9-hole hitter — can’t walk him," Barnes said. "Can’t walk the 9-hole hitter to get to the top of their order. That one’s tough."


Judge’s blast plated the last two of the Yankees’ nine two-out runs. The big right fielder smashed a three-run shot to left in the second, making it five straight games with a homer. Luke Voit added a two-out solo shot in the sixth as the Bombers lived up to their decades-old nickname.


"We ran into Judge, who is pretty much hot," Bogaerts said. "Obviously LeMahieu had a big hit in that inning — he’s obviously smoking the ball all around. But this game was a nice fight from us."


Bogaerts began to take the reins in the Red Sox clubhouse last season. The positive spin is something you might expect from someone who is generally good-natured and attempting to set an example. Boston’s shortstop won’t be the one to bury himself and his teammates as they stare at a 3-7 hole after 10 games.


"He’s become a leader," Roenicke said. "The type of player he is, that’s who you want to be a leader. And the type of guy he is — he comes to the ballpark in a great mood every day. He’s ready to work."


Devers also did his part in what was arguably his most complete game of the season. He crushed a solo homer to the bleachers in right-center and took a hit from Judge with a sparkling stop on the backhand and strong throw across. Devers, like Bogaerts and some other key performers, still couldn’t make the difference.


"We just have to turn the page, honestly," Devers said through translator Bryan Almonte. "We’re trying to stay positive and just continue to battle and give 100 percent.


"Obviously we didn’t get the results we wanted today but we have to just try to continue to play well in order to get the results we’re seeking."


Red Sox pitching on the whole was sub-par yet again. Stranding Bogaerts at second after a leadoff double in the eighth came back to sting. Catching Judge in the middle of this sizzling run is certainly terrible timing.


All the good done by Boston through 8½ innings still couldn’t overcome the bad. That just adds to what is becoming a painful reality for these Red Sox.


bkoch@providencejournal.com


On Twitter: @BillKoch25