BOSTON — Had they tried, it’s difficult to imagine the Red Sox having a worst weekend than they did.
Returning from the West Coast for the start of a long homestand, the Red Sox began a weekend series with the Toronto Blue Jays, the team to which they were closest in the wild card standings. They began the series just two games behind; they finished five back, their biggest deficit since mid-June.
“Not much to say,” concluded Alex Cora after the Sox were thumped 13-1 in the series finale Sunday.
That should give you an idea as to what kind of weekend it was.
Some thoughts:
* Alex Verdugo is at a crossroads.
Most modern-day managers are fond of saying, “I only have two rules — play hard and be on time.”
If you’re keeping score at home, Verdugo is 0-for-2 in that regard. Earlier in the year, Verdugo was removed from a game in Cleveland for failing to hustle on the basepaths, then benched the following night, too. On Saturday, he was scratched from the lineup for reporting late to the ballpark.
Verdugo, then, is failing at the most basic tasks.
BetMGM Massachusetts $1,000 FIRST BET OFFER
Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org.
Recall that Verdugo had to be shamed into getting in shape last October when Alex Cora called him out. What does it say about a player in his fifth year in the majors that it requires his manager to publicly challenge him in order to arrive in camp in suitable shape?
By all accounts, Verdugo is not a bad person. He can be an above-average player when he’s invested. But the fact that that’s not always the case is damning in itself. And for whatever reason — focus? boredom? motivation? — he seemingly can’t sustain a high level of play for an extended period. Invariably, bad habits resurface.
- Related: Mobile sports betting is live in Massachusetts on BetMGM. Get started with a $1,000 first-bet offer
Is it any wonder the Red Sox haven’t felt comfortable offering him an extension? The unstated thinking seems to be: If he’s like this on a year-to-year contract, what would he be like with the security of a long-term deal in place?
The Red Sox let other teams know that they would be willing to discuss dealing him at the trade deadline, but a deal didn’t materialize. It’s reasonable to expect that his tardiness and subsequent discipline further depleted his trade value.
- Massachusetts online sports betting is live. Learn more about the top sportsbook operators in Mass. such as FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM to find the best offers available.
In general, the whole weekend drama surrounding Verdugo brought back “Manny being Manny” vibes from Manny Ramirez’s final two seasons with the Sox, full of drama and distractions.
* Accountability is missing for on-field lapses.
Mental lapses have been all-too frequent this season for the Red Sox. Throwing to the wrong base, overthrowing the cut-off man, failing to back up plays, forgetting the number of outs….You name it, and the Red Sox have been guilty of it.
One of the worse transgressions took place in the ninth inning Saturday when Reese McGuire, representing the potential tying run, was doubled off second to end the game. McGuire had mistakenly thought the ball was going to clear the left-field wall for a game-winning, walk-off, two-run homer.
Incredibly, Cora echoed those same thoughts post-game, giving the whole incident a “well-what-are-you-going-to-do?” response. Excuse-making doesn’t become him.
(It’s similar to last season, when Red Sox outfielders seemed to lead the league in losing balls in the sun. Each time, Cora would offer: “There’s nothing you can do.” Of course, that isn’t true.)
But the ball Saturday was caught at the base of the scoreboard by Kevin Kiermaier, who, as McGuire rounded third, merely lobbed the ball back into the infield to double-up McGuire at second and end the game.
McGuire could have played the ball halfway between second and third, and had it clanked off the wall, nearly walked home with the tying run. But taking off and assuming the ball was a gone makes no sense. And Cora could have communicated that by simply saying: “That can’t happen. Reese has to be more aware there under those circumstances.”
No one is expecting managers to publicly embarrass players in the media. But it’s OK — even advisable — to state the obvious. Failure to do so only increases the likelihood that those same mistakes will be made again and again.
* Bullpen games should come to an end.
For the better part of the last month-plus, the Red Sox have been stubbornly clinging to the notion of using openers for bullpen games. That came as a direct result of losing starters Chris Sale, Tanner Houck and Garrett Whitlock to injuries in a brief span. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and all that.
In the interim, the Red Sox signed some reclamation projects to their Worcester roster, including Dinelson Lamet and Kyle Barraclough. Could they do any worse than what the Sox have gotten out of some of these bullpen games?
Failing that, why not give up a low-level prospect for a back-end starter at the deadline?
Even if a journeyman — one from the system or one acquired — got plugged into the rotation and gave up four runs in five innings, it wouldn’t be as disruptive to the staff. On Saturday, the Red Sox used six different pitchers and then, of course had another bullpen game Sunday, with a short staff, resulting in Pablo Reyes, purveyor of the eephus pitch, handling the top of the ninth.
At the very least, wouldn’t it make more sense to break up the bullpen games? Going back-to-back, as the Sox did this weekend, is asking for trouble.
