Boston Red Sox
Boston was 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and struck out 12 times.
COMMENTARY
In a game that meant significantly more for the Guardians than it did for the Red Sox, Boston nearly dented Cleveland’s odds of claiming the American League Central but couldn’t quite play the role of spoiler.
The Guardians found a way to prevail, 3-2, at Fenway Park Tuesday night in the opener of the penultimate regular-season series. The Red Sox (84-73) were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position, left nine on base, and struck out 12 times.
Cleveland (82-75) wasn’t much better, finishing 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and leaving 15 on base, yet the Guardians did just enough to escape with a win.
Here are five takeaways from a matchup between two relatively even teams that could have gone either way:
Tolle time
After allowing one total run in 12 innings and fanning 19 in his last two starts, Payton Tolle wasn’t quite as dominant but gave the Red Sox a chance Tuesday.
He allowed two earned runs in the second inning, then settled in and grew stronger as the game progressed. Tolle gave up eight hits and struck out five on 91 pitches (63 strikes) in 5 ⅔ solid but not spectacular innings.
If this is it for him in the regular season, he’ll finish with a 3.03 ERA. He allowed two or fewer runs in 16 starts this year, including in each of his last three starts, becoming the seventh pitcher in Red Sox history age 23 or younger to have at least 16 such starts in a season and the most since Dennis Eckersley in 1978 (18).
That’s all you can ask for, especially from such a young guy in his first full season in the Majors. Tolle will have a prime opportunity to deliver on a grand stage in The Bronx. He’ll be ready.
Raking Rutschman
Adley Rutschman finished 3 for 4 with two doubles and scored the Red Sox’ initial run. He did damage from both sides and looked exactly like the guy they hoped they were acquiring.
He has now hit safely in four straight games, and nine of his last 13 hits have gone for extra bases.
Rutschman doesn’t need to be Barry Bonds (leave that to Mickey Gasper). He needs to consistently use all parts of the field in key spots and give his team a chance. He did just that against the Guardians.
Slick Mick
Who else? When the Red Sox really needed an answer, Gasper delivered a tying home run in the bottom of the eighth. It was his fifth first-pitch home run this season. Sometimes coming into an at-bat with an attack mind-set yields the best results, and that approach has worked awfully well for the league’s true Silver Slugger.
Gasper has been an absolute terror from the left side of the plate, and his most valuable role in the postseason may be as a pinch hitter. Picture it now: He enters in the ninth inning of Game 3, blasts a go-ahead solo shot, and silences the crowd at Yankee Stadium.
He is hitting .284 with 10 home runs and 23 RBIs against righties, compared to .087 with no homers against lefties. It’s not complicated. Until further notice, he should be in the lineup exclusively when the matchup is in his favor.
Regardless, this was another timely swing in the clutch that electrified the crowd. He’s had quite a few of those this season.
Not so fast
The Red Sox had momentum heading into the ninth, but the inning didn’t go as planned.
Erik Miller hit the first batter and allowed a single, and a misplayed ball from Wilyer Abreu led to the runner advancing to third. Cleveland took the lead on a Nathaniel Lowe sacrifice fly that plated Chase DeLauter. Miller then gave up another single and walked a batter to load the bases before finding a way to limit the damage.
For whatever reason, Miller has had more success on the road (2.31 ERA) than at home (3.67). Perhaps that will bode well if he takes the mound in a clutch situation against the Yankees.
The Guardians took a 3-2 edge into the bottom of the ninth. Jarren Duran walked and advanced to second, but Nick Sogard grounded out to end it.
Missing magic
The Guardians are 31-0 when leading entering the seventh inning on the road. The Red Sox nearly ended that streak, yet couldn’t quite come through in the clutch.
Boston hasn’t scored more than five runs since Sept. 3 and is averaging 2.4 per game in its last seven contests. The Red Sox are now 4-8 when tied after the eighth inning. A question mark is drifting toward a concern as the playoffs near.
The late-game magic that defined a good chunk of this Red Sox season is noticeably absent of late. No, they don’t have their full squad out there, and no, what happens now doesn’t ultimately matter a whole lot.
While momentum matters a bit less in baseball than other sports, it still matters to some degree. Going, say, 3-2, in these final five games would be beneficial for a club that has lost three straight, five of seven, and eight of 12.
Time will tell if their summer magic returns when it matters most or if that was simply a moment in time that can’t be replicated.
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