Editor’s Note: All my graphics going forward will come directly from my new website, Stat Soldier. Go check it out by clicking here.
Overall Takeaway
Just have to talk about this to start. I cannot believe how toxic Red Sox fans were on Twitter over the last five days. I genuinely could not believe how you could be that negative after one of the best runs in not only Red Sox history, but MLB history. I unfollowed what felt like 35 accounts.
I am a 162’er like many. I write about every series and ride the roller coaster that is a baseball season. I can be critical; I can be negative, but you will never see me fly off the rails like what we have seen this year. To me, it seems like everyone is trying to emulate a specific Red Sox personality. Just makes for a bad vibe all around.
Watching five losses in a row was not fun, but the panic button was never close to being hit. Unless this team falls 3.0 GB of the Wild Card, I am calm as a butterfly.
Game 1: Toronto 2-1
Game 2: Toronto 5-3
Game 3: Toronto 6-4
Game 4: Red Sox 7-0
What I Loved
Caleb Durbin GRAND SLAM
12th homer of the year, but let’s talk about what led to it. Runners on first and second with Willson Contreras at the plate. Most teams, including the Red Sox under Cora, are swinging for the fences. Nope, Contreras bunts and moves the runners over. Blue Jays walk Yoshida to try and set up a double play, and then BANG, Durbin to left field. That is the type of baseball Chad Tracy has brought to the team.
Ranger Suarez Rebound
Game 3 was the best start from Suarez in over a month. It was not great; it was fine. But when you only give up one run, you get some love from me. Ranger threw only 81 pitches, so we are still building towards him being able to consistently go deeper into games.
Willson Contreras Calling Out Trolls
1. Tied career high in home runs. 2. Called out the people who booed him and spoke poorly about him for not running out a grounder the other day.
I was shocked to see fans boo and the Twitter personalities go after him. He has been the lifeblood of the team from day one. So happy to see him address it.
Fighting To Stay Alive
This is more of a testament to the pitching over the course of the season, but in all the losses from the last week, Boston was alive going into the 9th. Felt like every game they were able to get the tying run to the plate. Now, nothing came from it, but at least they weren’t being blown out.
Sonny Gray Game 1 Start
Gray tossed another quality start on Monday and kept the team in the game. The offense responded with one run.
Payton Tolle
Payton seemingly used all his strikeouts in his last start. Second time this season Payton has gone 8 innings. Absolute gem.
What I Was ‘Mid’ About
Masataka Yoshida
1-11 the first three games, but went 2-3 with a walk on Thursday.
What I Didn’t Love
Losing (Obviously)
Two series losses in a row and a five-game losing streak were not fun.
Defense
Errors in the first three games of the series. The most glaring mistake came in the bottom of the 8th inning on Wednesday. Willson Contreras dropped a routine pop-up in foul territory. It extended Kazuma Okamoto’s at-bat and led to the go-ahead RBI. The inning fell apart after that.
Who Got Screwed
Jarren Duran’s Hater
If you did not see Jarren Duran’s Instagram story from last night. Go check it out. Not sure I am okay with doxxing, but I think the guy had it coming.
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