Throughout June and July, the Boston Red Sox were one of the hottest teams in MLB, playing .620 ball (31-19) over those two months. Only the Milwaukee Brewers (33-16, .673) and Toronto Blue Jays (34-18, .654) were better. But August has been a different story — and a decision by Alex Cora may have cost the Red Sox their third loss in a row on Tuesday.
Needless to say, Red Sox fans are not happy about it.
Rare 3-Game Home Losing Streak
The Red Sox started the month of August promisingly enough, winning their first five games. Since then, however, Boston has dropped seven of their last 12 games, with two three-game losing streaks, including their first three-game skid at Fenway Park since May 3, 4 and 6 when they dropped two to the Minnesota Twins and another to the Texas Rangers.
The Red Sox have not lost more than three straight at home all season.
On Tuesday, the Red Sox were facing the Baltimore Orioles to conclude a brief, two-game series. Boston lost Monday’s opener thanks in part to bullpen pitchers Jovani Morán and Jordan Hicks combining to give up four runs in three innings, as the Red Sox fell 6-3.
Red Sox Leave Bases Loaded 3 Times
The second game was even more frustrating. After new acquisition Nathaniel Lowe, in his first appearance in a Red Sox uniform, belted a two-run, game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, Boston loaded the bases on three straight walks by Baltimore righty Yaramil Hiraldo before shortstop Trevor Story grounded out to send the game to extra innings.
The Red Sox again loaded the bases in the bottom of the 10th, but first-baseman Abraham Toro squelched the threat by grounding into a double play.
Boston had also loaded the bases in the eighth inning, this time with nobody out. But Orioles reliever Rico Garcia then struck out Jarren Duran, Story and Masataka Yoshida to stamp out that promising inning as well.
Game-Costing Decision in 11th Inning
So the Red Sox had plenty of chances to win Tuesday’s game. But the bottom of the 11th was particularly vexing.
The Red Sox fell behind 4-3 heading to that inning, but managed to advance speedy pinch runner Nate Eaton to third base with one out when Roman Anthony hit what looked to be a sacrifice fly to center fielder Colton Cowser.
Though Eaton, whose speed ranks in baseball’s 95th percentile according to Statcast, started toward home, third base coach Kyle Hudson held him up.
Anthony’s fly ball traveled an estimated 265 feet to center fielder Colton Cowser. Eaton, the fastest runner on the team, started for the plate before slamming the brakes,” reported Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. “Cowser’s throw was strong but off target. Had Eaton continued running, he would have scored the tying run.”
“That’s an impact arm in center field,” Cora later explained. “We prepare before the series and we decide who we’re going to challenge or not. So we didn’t challenge it.”
Outrage in Red Sox Nation Over Decision
Red Sox Fans weren’t buying it.
“Cora defending not sending Eaton tells you everything you need to know,” one Red Sox Nation devotee wrote on social media. “He would’ve scored easily. Bye Bye, Cora.”
“Cowser ranks 95th percentile in arm strength, sure,” another posted. “But you’d think Eaton could’ve scored there quite easily. NATE EATON IS 95TH PERCENTILE SPRINT SPEED.
It is true that Statcast ranks Cowser’s arm “strength” in the 95th percentile. But his arm “value,” a more complete measure of his ability to prevent runners from advancing, ranks in only the 76th percentile.
“The thing is, I just read that Cora felt just the opposite. He felt that Cowser’s arm was too good to challenge,” another fan posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Lol give me a break. It was A bull**** decision not to send Eaton. Cora and Hudson should be gone.”
Cora didn’t pinch hit Nate Eaton when he should’ve,” yet one more Red Sox fan wrote. “He then PINCH RUNS him only to literally not USE HIS RUNNING. There is just so much poor decision making on this staff and they get it papered over bc they take credit for the team overachieving.”
The Red Sox now take their three-game losing streak into New York where the face a crucial four-game series against the Yankees, who have now opened up a one-game lead over Boston for the top American League Wild Card spot.
Red Sox Nation Torches Alex Cora After Fateful Decision in ‘Brutal’ Loss