Red Sox 3, Braves 10: Marcell Ozuna unloads on MLB’s worst pitching staff

Braves 10, Red Sox 3

This one was embarrassing.

So tonight, there aren’t three takeaways. There’s only one. Here it is:

1. The Red Sox are pathetic from the pitcher’s mound

Sure, that’s harsh. It really is. Pathetic is a word that needs to be saved for moments when absolutely necessary. This is a game, afterall. It’s supposed to be fun.

But what the Red Sox have done on the pitcher’s mound this year, over and over and over again, deserves a harsh word.

They entered Tuesday with an MLB-worst 6.03 ERA on the year. Ryan Weber managed to survive with basically two pitches in this game, neither of which were thrown harder than 89 mph. But when the Red Sox were tied, 2-2, in the sixth inning and turned the game over to Robert Stock, a waiver claim who has shown little promise in his five appearances thus far, heads must’ve been shaking all over New England.

The game was tied and that’s the best pitcher the Red Sox have to keep their team in it?

Stock gave up two runs while recording two outs. Austin Brice bailed him out to finish the sixth inning. And then, in a 4-2 game, the Red Sox turned it over to Kyle Hart.

Put that into perspective for a second. Hart entered the day having allowed 15 runs, 13 earned, in nine innings this season, his first in the big leagues. He throws with well-below average velocity from the left side. His 13.00 ERA is the highest of anyone in baseball with at least nine innings this year.

The Red Sox were down two runs. They have an elite offense. They were in this game. And Hart was the pitcher of choice to help them record the final nine outs.

Marcell Ozuna, who had homered earlier off Weber, must’ve been licking his lips. He actually looked visibly upset with Hart, who threw three pitches out of the zone to start a seventh-inning at-bat. Ozuna was screaming, at himself or Hart, it’s unclear, after the third pitch, a non-competitive slider.

The fourth pitch was a hanging slider up in the zone and Ozuna unloaded, demolishing it over everything in left field. Goodbye. Not even close.

Marcell Ozuna screaming at himself, or Kyle Hart, like a crazy person. Next pitch, loses it. pic.twitter.com/RLAY3daRh7

— Julian McWilliams (@byJulianMack) September 2, 2020

 

In the eighth, the Braves scored two more off Hart when Ozuna stepped up again. The first pitch was an 89-mph fastball, dead-center, chest-high. Ozuna hit a missile that flew over the center-field wall and might’ve put a dent in the back-wall behind the bleachers.

It was Ozuna’s third homer of the night, gave him six RBIs and left the NESN broadcasters flabbergasted.

The game was close. The Red Sox have so few pitchers who are certifiably big leaguers that manager Ron Roenicke decided Stock and Hart were the chosen ones to keep them in the game.

In Roenicke’s defense, he doesn’t have many options.

Chaim Bloom has talked about creating a competitive environment at Fenway Park. How are the Red Sox, especially the position players, supposed to feel like this is a competitive environment?

There are 24 games remaining. The Red Sox, 12-24, are tied with the Angels for most losses in the big leagues. It’s going to be really difficult to promote competitiveness with the pitchers Bloom has given this team to work with.

Alex Verdugo continues to look like a gem. He’s hitting everybody, left- or right-handed, veteran or rookie. He added two more hits to push his average to .310.

What else is there to feel good about if you’re a Red Sox fan right now?

Tuesday night’s game was difficult to watch. And unfortunately, it wasn’t unlike most games in the last three weeks.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3bfFSnS