Spotlight’s too bright
Farrell’s Sox not ready for prime time
“We just got our (butts) kicked twice. We’ve got to take a step back in the off day and regroup and get after it in Game 3.” — Dustin Pedroia
HOUSTON — That’s a powerful statement by the feisty second baseman, but we need to agree on an unsettling understanding about these 2017
Red Sox: The postseason is too big for them.
It’s too fast, too hot, too complicated.
It’s not that they’re “not good enough,” though they’ve looked pretty lousy in losing the first two games of their Division Series showdown against the Houston Astros, including yesterday’s Groundhog Day 8-2 beatdown at Minute Maid Park.
Statistically, they’re good enough. They won 93 games during the regular season and finished first in the AL East, if just barely. But when the hot lights of October are turned on, that’s when these John Farrell-led Red Sox reveal themselves as not-readyfor-prime-time players.
Which, when you think about it, may explain why the networks haven’t been scheduling this series in prime time. They obviously saw this coming. Accountability John wasted no time going into panic mode for this visit to Houston, rushing an unsteady Eduardo Nunez into the lineup for Game 1 (he took just one swing of the bat before re-injuring his right knee) and then inserting utility man Deven Marrero as his starting third baseman over rookie Rafael Devers in Game 2, the idea being that Marrero’s a righthanded batter and Houston starter Dallas Keuchel is a lefty and all that.
Marrero did save a couple of runs with a nice catch of a Josh Reddick line drive, but he struck out in each of his two at-bats against Keuchel.
And while it wouldn’t be fair to blame Farrell for Sox starter Drew Pomeranz’ horrible outing — he gave up four runs in two-plus innings, including home runs by Carlos Correa and George Springer — it wasn’t a good look for the team when the big lefty started tossing things around the dugout after getting lifted.
“I think you’ll find anyone who comes out of the game earlier than they’d like to is gonna be upset,” Pomeranz said. “Obviously I want to stay in the game as long as I can and give it everything I can. I’m disappointed in a lot of different ways, coming out that early.”
But perhaps not as disappointed as the hundreds of thousands of Red Sox fans who invested emotions and entertainment dollars in this team, only to be faced with seeing said team lose back-to-back 8-2 games.
Look, we get it: Pomeranz is emotional, wants the ball, blah, blah, blah. But he didn’t deserve to stay in this game, and he said, “Honestly I think I made just one bad pitch,” that being to Correa, who hit a two-run first-inning home run.
“I think they hit some pretty good pitches after that off me,” said Pomeranz, who curiously added, “Every time we’ve made a mistake they’ve made us pay for it. Me, personally I need to do a better job today of making better pitches in some of those situations.”
Farrell was not wrong for getting this guy gone. Nor is it Farrell’s fault that Mookie Betts caught a fly to right field by Alex Bregman in the sixth inning and then flubbed the ball trying to make the throw, allowing Marwin Gonzalez to score from third base.
That was some sixth inning by the Astros. They wound up scoring four runs off relievers Eduardo Rodriguez and Addison Reed, which means their names go on the ever-expanding list of players who failed to deliver in this series.
But the Sox don’t look up for this series, and that on Farrell. They’ve looked tired, tight and overwhelmed since the first pitch of the first inning of the first game, and someone will have to be held, well, accountable for that. Usually, it’s the manager.
Farrell supporters — are there any? — will point to the two straight division championships, and to the magical World Series run during the emotional Boston Strong days of 2013.
But the Red Sox have somehow slipped on the postseason sidewalk and twisted themselves into the Cincinnati Bengals: They get to the playoffs and then go out very quickly and quietly. Yesterday’s outcome was their fifth straight Division Series loss dating to last year’s debacle against the Cleveland Indians, with Game 3 starter Doug Fister — yes, it has come to that — hoping to keep the Sox from suffering a second straight first-round sweep.
The only bright spot for the Red Sox yesterday was starter-turned-reliever David Price, who came in after One Bad Pitch Pomeranz and Carson Smith. Price pitched the Sox out of a jam and went on to work 22⁄3 shutout innings.
Team Leader Price was not available after the game. Same with rookie left fielder Andrew Benintendi (0-for-4), who told a reporter, “Gotta go,” when he was approached for comment.
Dustin Pedroia did speak. Volumes.
“They’ve done everything right,” he said. “We haven’t done anything right.”