LOS ANGELES — In most seasons, the first series of the second half of the season can stand as a harbinger of things to come. Have a good showing after the All-Star break, and a series can serve as a springboard for the rest of the year.
In their first two games since reassembling out of the break, the Red Sox were on the precipice of taking wins in both from one of the best clubs in the game. They led the Los Angeles Dodgers 2-1 Friday night with five outs to go and lost. It happened again Saturday, when they were twice on the doorstep of victories: they led by a run heading into the bottom of the ninth, and then again, with two outs to go in the 10th, led by two, only to lose that lead, too, and the game, 7-6, in the 11th.
An argument could be had over which was worse, but that’s an academic exercise. A loss is a loss is a loss.
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These two setbacks don’t derail the Red Sox’ playoff chances, not with better than two months of the regular season. Nor do they necessarily influence the front office’s decision to buy or sell at the upcoming trade deadline. If nothing else, the Red Sox showed toughness in overcoming a one-run deficit in the fifth, then responding with two more in the seventh after the Dodgers had seized the lead for the third time in the game.
That sort of resiliency, a team trademark this season, invites investment, not abandonment, by management. Or at least it should.
Still, there’s no getting away from the lingering disappointment left by these two losses. By any reasonable measure, the Red Sox should have already earned themselves a series win, with a chance for a sweep Sunday night. On the road. Against the Dodgers.
Instead, they’ll need a win to avoid being swept.
“We played our asses off,” said a defiant Alex Cora after Will Smith punched a single over a drawn-in, five-man infield in the bottom of the 11th. “That’s what we ask from these guys….It just didn’t happen. (All losses) are difficult, but we’ll turn the page and be ready for tomorrow.”
If nothing else, the two losses have spotlighted the need for bullpen reinforcements by the end of the month. Without Chris Martin and Justin Slaten, the Red Sox find themselves shorthanded in the late innings. On Friday, they entrusted Zack Kelly and Brennan Bernardino in the late innings, only to have two of their more reliable pitchers trip up.
On Saturday, Kenley Jansen suffered his first blown save since the middle of April. Having gotten an inning each out of Cam Booser and Josh Winckowski leading up to Jansen, Cora has little choice but to stick with Greg Weissert for the final two innings. When Weissert allowed two in the bottom of the 10th, that merely tied the game. When the Red Sox failed to score in the top of the 11th, another run against Weissert in the bottom half of the inning settled things for good.
“Going in, late in the game, we’ve been up (twice),” said Tyler O’Neill, who belted a pair of two-run homers, including one of the 10th inning. “We’ve been right there. We know we’re just a swing of the bat away at all times. Again, the Dodgers are a good team, man, a World Series contender every year. They’re just getting the better of us right now.”
Again, there’s no shame to be had in dropping two one-run games, on the road, against one of the better teams in the game. But there’s an acknowledgement of what almost happened, what could have been accomplished had the Sox held on both times.
The bullpen will, properly, take most of the blame for the two setbacks. But the offense can’t be excuse, not after going a combined 2-for-25 with runners in scoring position in the losses. The Red Sox had one opportunity after another, both nights, to put some distance between themselves and the Dodgers, and claim leads that couldn’t be overcome. They didn’t.
The Sox continue to get little production from second base, first base and DH, further highlighting the need for a righthanded bat that can move around to multiple positions. But that’s a discussion to be had in a week and a half.
For now, the Red Sox can only look forward, hope to salvage a game Sunday night and take out their frustration on the Colorado Rockies starting Monday.
“There’s nothing you can do about it,” said Jansen.
And that’s the lingering sentiment after the Red Sox squandered consecutive opportunities to get off to great start to their second half.
