It’s all on the players
Now we really need someone to blame.
As if losing three out of four to the Yankees wasn’t bad enough, the Red Sox came home to Fenway Park and proverbially vomited all over themselves, losing to a Blue Jays team that has about as much life as your local Blockbuster Video, then submitting an uninspiring performance last night — at least until walking off with a 3-2 win in 19 innings.
Now that the sign-stealing Apple Watches have been put away, the Sox’ offense has disappeared.
So here come the pitchforks. And for those who want to point them at John Farrell, there’s only one reason why that might be reasonable: He took out Christian Vazquez in the ninth inning and replaced him with Rafael Devers.
Vazquez is leading the team with a .350 average since Aug. 1. Devers hadn’t played since Sunday. It was his second career pinchhitting appearance and it ended the same his first one did: In a strikeout.
In-game managerial decisions are always going to be questioned. Maybe Farrell will cost his team a game with some bizarre moves. He probably already has. He’s probably won some, too.
But when it comes to lineup decisions, when it comes to roles, when it comes to starting rotation decisions, what is Farrell to do right now?
You could say this team has been doomed since the start. There’s still a David Ortiz-sized hole in the lineup and there isn’t a player on this team who would even graze the wall while passing through it.
That one is on Dave Dombrowski. He also traded Travis Shaw for Tyler Thornburg. Don’t forget that.
But Dombrowski came up aces in June, July and August, when he claimed Doug Fister off waivers, promoted Devers, traded for Eduardo Nunez and Addison Reed at the deadline, then added some elite speed in Rajai Davis for an extra kick.
He’s off the hook right now. He can sit back, put his feet up and tell his team to stop being so sloppy in their attempt to cheat.
Farrell, too, has done about all he can, short from benching Mookie Betts, which would cause Sparky Anderson, Casey Stengel and Connie Mack to roll over in their graves.
And please, stop calling for Bryce Brentz, a career .262 hitter with a .325 onbase percentage — in the minor leagues.
So he hit 31 homers in the International League this year. He also struck out 109 times in 494 plate appearances and had just a .334 on-base percentage.
Farrell has already pulled out all the stops.
Bench Xander Bogaerts for a few days? Check.
Find a way to get Hanley Ramirez to first base so Mitch Moreland doesn’t have to play against lefties anymore? Check.
Move Ramirez down in the order until his bat heats up? Check.
With a losing record against lefties, switch things up? Move Chris Young down in the order and start Sam Travis (.406 average, 1.063 OPS vs. lefties) at first base and Deven Marrero (.313 average, .963 OPS vs. lefties) at second base? Check.
Give more playing time to Vazquez, who has significantly out-hit Sandy Leon in the second half? Check.
Here’s what Farrell can’t do: He can’t take a 92-mph dead-red fastball from the Blue Jays closer and drive it out of the park. That’s what Betts should’ve done with that pitch against Roberto Osuna in the ninth inning last night. He hit a soft liner for a double instead. Not a bad result, but one that shows that Betts is far from locked in.
Farrell has made his fair share of mistakes this year. He’ll make more. But as the Red Sox either stumble or surge in their last 23 games, his pencil will only have so much power. It’s done about all it can do.
Players got to play. Hitters got to hit.
Maybe somebody will throw a chair after one of these ugly losses.