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Friday, July 22, 2022

Blue Jays score franchise-record 28 runs after Red Sox blunder leads to inside-the-park grand slam

The Boston Red Sox saw what should have been a simple flyout turn into bedlam on Friday against the Toronto Blue Jays, when center fielder Jarren Duran responded to a fly ball from Raimel Tapia with the kind of confused stare fans dread to see. Things would only get worse from there, on both the play and the game.

Tapia’s ball was so clearly an out that Tapia paused to hang his head before jogging toward first base, but Duran appeared to completely lose it in the lights. As he tentatively shuffled forward, Duran could only look back and see the ball land at the warning track behind him.

Duran didn’t even bother running to the wall to get the ball, as left fielder Alex Verdugo was already running to corral the ball. Unfortunately, the misplay gave the speedy Tapia enough time for an inside-the-park grand slam.

RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 22, 2022 at 11:30 PM | 32 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: blue jays, red sox

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1. vortex of dissipation Posted: July 22, 2022 at 11:54 PM (#6087917)

Duran didn’t even bother running to the wall to get the ball, as left fielder Alex Verdugo was already running to corral the ball.

I realize that in the great scheme of things it made no difference, but that looked really bad that he made no effort at all to go after the ball. Totally giving up while a ball is still in play should not happen.

2. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: July 23, 2022 at 12:06 AM (#6087925)

I was wondering if either he saw the LF streaking in, or if he thought it went over the fence and bounced back. But yea, at first glance it looks bad.

3. Tom Nawrocki Posted: July 23, 2022 at 12:31 AM (#6087930)

According to MLB Network, Duran thought the ball was a homer that had bounded back onto the field.

4. /muteself 57i66135 Posted: July 23, 2022 at 02:16 AM (#6087938)

Austin Krell @NBAKrell
The Sox gave up 27? And Nick Pivetta hasn’t even pitched??

5. the Hugh Jorgan returns Posted: July 23, 2022 at 03:05 AM (#6087939)

28 runs! 29 hits! 2 very badly misplayed balls; embarrassing level of play. The Red Sox organisation should be ashamed of such a dreadful display in a game that actually had some level of importance. As a fan I can only assume some players are least feeling like the steaming pile of turd us fans had to witness on display last night.

6. ERROR---Jolly Old St. Nick

Posted: July 23, 2022 at 08:43 AM (#6087942)

At least they didn't match the 1950 St. Louis Browns' record of giving up 56 runs in 3 games.

7. TJ Posted: July 23, 2022 at 08:59 AM (#6087943)

Here’s a link to the Boston Herald story on the play… https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/07/23/red-sox-jarren-duran-explains-losing-fly-ball-on-inside-the-park-grand-slam-most-helpless-feeling/

We had a chat some time ago about MLB implementing a mercy rule. It is games like this why I am against that. When a team of well-paid professionals play in such a bumbling fashion that it leads to something like this, then they should be required to stay out there the full nine innings so their fans who spend money on tickets can heckle them as long as possible.

8. mathesond Posted: July 23, 2022 at 09:35 AM (#6087944)

""I just lost it in the twilight," Duran said. "It happens. [Verdugo] was right there. Obviously, I should have taken a step or two. He was already going to beat me to the ball. I just didn't want to get in his way. ... Next time, I know to take one or two steps.""

Maybe taking those one or two steps will help sell some jeans?

9. SoSH U at work Posted: July 23, 2022 at 09:40 AM (#6087945)

""I just lost it in the twilight," Duran said. "It happens. [Verdugo] was right there. Obviously, I should have taken a step or two. He was already going to beat me to the ball. I just didn't want to get in his way. ... Next time, I know to take one or two steps.""

Maybe taking those one or two steps will help sell some jeans?

It's impossible to tell from the video, but it doesn't look like Verdugo was going to beat him to the ball if Duran took off as soon as he saw it. Then again, Verdugo probably should have been much closer to the ball given it was obvious Duran never had any sense of where the ball was.

10. Tin Angel Posted: July 23, 2022 at 09:55 AM (#6087946)

https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/07/23/red-sox-jarren-duran-explains-losing-fly-ball-on-inside-the-park-grand-slam-most-helpless-feeling/

According to the comments, this is ultimately the result of the Red Sox owner being woke.

11. sunday silence (again) Posted: July 23, 2022 at 10:06 AM (#6087947)

in the video Duran throws up his hands and turns around at the 8 sec. mark and Verdugo gets there at 14, perhaps a tad before that. I would guess Duran is less than 100 feet from where the ball lands. You'd think he'd get there before Verdugo even if only jogging but its hard to know when he sees it. He flat out puts his head down so I guess he just gave up.

12. ERROR---Jolly Old St. Nick

Posted: July 23, 2022 at 10:39 AM (#6087949)

CHRISTIAN ARROYO SAYS HI

13. SandyRiver Posted: July 23, 2022 at 10:54 AM (#6087952)

28 runs! 29 hits! 2 very badly misplayed balls; embarrassing level of play.

And yet another errant throw by the pitcher, though unlike the next inning's popup comedy, that throw only cost 4 runs. At least this time it was a reasonably difficult play, though a good toss gets the batter by a step or 2 and ends the inning. IIRC, that's 3 wild throws to bases by pitchers this month, once to(ward) 3rd and twice at 1st. Three Little League type goofs, 18 extra runs.

14. Textbook Editor Posted: July 23, 2022 at 12:29 PM (#6087957)

I'm in the "sell and play kids" mindset from here on in. They got incredibly lucky with their starting pitching the first 3 months of the season, but injuries (Wacha, Hill, Whitlock) and reversion to mean (Pivetta) made that unsustainable, and the guys who were supposed to show up and help in the 2nd half (Sale, Paxton) are either hurt again or still hurt. They would be much better off sorting through their starter options for next year now than chasing a WC spot that likely won't happen.

And, of course, given the $ coming off the books for 2023, they should also be extending X and Devers but this doesn't seem like something they're willing to do (which is insane and annoying but I can't change that).

15. The Anthony Kennedy of BBTF (Scott) Posted: July 23, 2022 at 07:17 PM (#6088001)

May the Red Sox not win a World Series for another 83 years. May they suck for most of that time.

16. Textbook Editor Posted: July 23, 2022 at 07:47 PM (#6088011)

All righty then.

17. The Anthony Kennedy of BBTF (Scott) Posted: July 23, 2022 at 08:21 PM (#6088022)

I am never forgiving the sale of Mookie Betts for what amounts to a few million more dollars in the owners pockets.

18. Ithaca2323 Posted: July 23, 2022 at 08:33 PM (#6088026)

Thought:

If you're an OF who has lost the ball in the lights, why would you not drift backwards, rather than forwards? Moving forward just decreases the likelihood you'll see it when it lands — since you're increasing the amount of space behind you — and I feel like runners are less likely to want to take another extra base on you if you're charging in on the ball, getting your momentum behind it, and lining up a throw, rather than needing to go back and do the slide/pop up thing.

19. McCoy Posted: July 23, 2022 at 08:38 PM (#6088027)

Probably because you lost the damn ball and have no idea where it is.

20. Ithaca2323 Posted: July 24, 2022 at 05:03 AM (#6088054)

Right, that’s my point.

If you don’t know where it is at all, assume that you won’t catch it. So when it comes to chasing it down after it lands, would you rather have to charge in on it, or have to turn around to chase and then turn around again (or slide around it) to throw it in?

21. McCoy Posted: July 24, 2022 at 08:16 AM (#6088059)

Yes and my point is the fielder at that point is confused and isn't thinking about what to do after the ball lands. He's still trying to find it.

22. TomH Posted: July 24, 2022 at 08:53 AM (#6088062)

if someone had a record of the distribution (behind vs in front) of where a ball lands when a fielder loses a fly, at least there would be a good principle to tell fielders; if it's more than 60/40 split, for example. But there may not be anything to it. Anecdotally, it seems like more land behind the fielder. It happened to me, 35ish yrs ago :)

23. McCoy Posted: July 24, 2022 at 09:01 AM (#6088064)

I would think most lost balls wind up behind the fielder. It's generally hard hit high arcing balls that get lost. Not soft liners.

24. SoSH U at work Posted: July 24, 2022 at 09:27 AM (#6088066)

I suspect most do land behind them, but I agree with McCoy. While it would be smart to back up if you can't find it, the infrequency with which it happens to a given fielder, and the panic when it does, makes it difficult to expect them to be able to tell themselves, 'I should back up', particularly when moving forward is the more natural route.

25. McCoy Posted: July 24, 2022 at 09:41 AM (#6088067)

One other thing to note though is that balls lost that fall short probably get caught more often than balls lost that fall behind. Fielder loses the ball in the air but finds it before it lands and adjusts.

26. sunday silence (again) Posted: July 24, 2022 at 03:40 PM (#6088090)

I think another aspect is that if the ball is going to land short then one of the infielders should be out there looking for that. There is no backup for OFers, so I agree with Ithaca that makes sense.

27. Starring Bradley Scotchman as RMc Posted: July 25, 2022 at 10:01 AM (#6088145)

According to my All Sports Database (available on request), this is the worst Red Sox home loss in history (previous: June 19, 2000, NYY 22-1 BOS) and the second-worst rout ever in Fenway Park (June 8, 1950: BOS 29-1 St Louis Browns). Only two games in Fenway have seen more runs scored (Aug 12, 2008: BOS 19-17 TEX and May 31, 1970: CWS 22-13 BOS).

EDIT: And just to be a smart-ass, I'll point out Boston's worst-ever losses at Fenway Park: Nov 21, 1948, Chicago Bears 51-17 Boston Yanks (NFL) and Oct 22, 1967, Oakland Raiders 48-14 Boston Patriots (AFL).

28. Biscuit_pants Posted: July 25, 2022 at 10:58 AM (#6088159)

If you're an OF who has lost the ball in the lights, why would you not drift backwards, rather than forwards?

I have obviously never had this happen to me in a MLB lighted park but I have had it happen in minor league stadiums. The thing about losing the ball in the lights is you usually have a feel for how hard it was hit and the scary/good things is that if you are covering the lights with your glove and do not see the ball odds are it will hit your glove (or graze your glove and hit you in the face). I have caught balls I never saw in the lights by knowing it would probably hit my glove, it usually involves a double catch of some sort.

If I did not know how hard the ball was hit my instinct was always to run at an angle to the lights with my best guess of if it was hit hard or not deciding whether or not to go up or back.

29. The Yankee Clapper Posted: July 25, 2022 at 02:12 PM (#6088199)

The Red Sox margin of loss over their last 5 games, 54 runs, is unmatched since the 1899 Cleveland Spiders. That’s remarkable when you consider teams, such as the Browns, Senators, Phillies or Cubs, that amassed decades of futility, couldn’t top that.

30. willcarrolldoesnotsuk Posted: July 25, 2022 at 07:41 PM (#6088238)

At least they didn't match the 1950 St. Louis Browns' record of giving up 56 runs in 3 games.

Not yet.

31. NaOH Posted: July 28, 2022 at 09:58 PM (#6088818)

Josh Lowe of the Rays drifted back instead of in on a ball he lost in the sun and had the misfortune to have it hit off his cheek. Seriously: Ouch.

Trey Mancini Inside the Park HR

32. SoSH U at work Posted: July 29, 2022 at 11:23 AM (#6088870)

Josh Lowe of the Rays drifted back instead of in on a ball he lost in the sun and had the misfortune to have it hit off his cheek. Seriously: Ouch.

I can't believe the Rays' centerfielder made it that close. He was the anti-Verdugo.

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Friday, July 22, 2022

Blue Jays score franchise-record 28 runs after Red Sox blunder leads to inside-the-park grand slam

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