Red Sox reactions: Alex Cora ejected in action-packed 11-inning walk-off loss
· Yahoo Sports
CINCINNATI — Instant reactions from the Red Sox‘ 6-5 walk-off loss to the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on Saturday:
1. The Reds walked off the Red Sox and reliever Justin Slaten in the 11th inning. Slaten gave up a walk-off RBI single to Dane Myers with runners at first and second base and one out. It was Myers’ third career walkoff hit.
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2. The Red Sox failed to score in the top of the 10th with the automatic runner at second base. Both Marcelo Mayer and Connor Wong struck out swinging on pitches outside the strike zone, then Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to left field. Garrett Whitlock countered with a scoreless bottom of the 10th inning.
3. The Red Sox again failed to score in the top of the 11th, sending just two men to the plate. Roman Anthony struck out swinging for the first out. Trevor Story then lined out to second baseman Matt McLain who stepped on second base to double off the automatic runner, Rafaela.
In total, the Red Sox left 11 men on base and went 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position in a game they never led.
4. With two outs in the ninth inning, Wilyer Abreu blasted a game-tying solo home run to right field. He connected on a splitter from Reds closer Emilio Pagán. He hit it 360 feet to right field with a 106 mph exit velocity, tying it 5-5. Abreu also had an RBI double in the seventh inning that cut the deficit to 5-4.
5. Manager Alex Cora was ejected for arguing balls and strikes after Story struck out swinging to end the eighth inning. Story believed he checked his swing and was upset that Bucknor made the call himself instead of deferring to first base umpire Adam Beck.
6. Starting pitcher Sonny Gray struggled in his Red Sox debut, throwing 35 pitches in a two-run first inning. He allowed four runs (three earned), six hits and one walk while striking out five. He gave up two extra-base hits, including a 399-foot home run to Sal Stewart. He induced five swings and misses: two with his curveball and one each with his sinker, sweeper and four-seam fastball.
7. Rule 5 Draft pick Ryan Watson had a wild major league debut after replacing reliever Danny Coulombe with two runners on base and two outs in the sixth. Watson walked cleanup hitter Sal Stewart to load the bases.
The 27-year-old righty then got a called third strike on Eugenio Suárez twice but both strike calls were overturned to balls when Suárez used the ABS system to challenge. Watson was especially fired up after the first strike-three call but then had to return to the mound.
Watson finally retired Suárez, getting the power hitter to ground out to second base.
Watson returned for the seventh with the Red Sox down 5-4. He threw a scoreless seventh and eighth inning. He finished with three walks and one strikeout in 2 ⅓ scoreless innings.
8. Home plate umpire CB Bucknor had a difficult day with six strike-ball calls overturned.
9. Story bashed the Red Sox’ first home run of the season to cut the deficit to 3-1 in the third inning. He connected on a 90 mph sinker from Reds starter Brady Singer and sent it 402 feet to left-center field with a 109.6 mph exit velocity. Story went 1-for-5 with four strikeouts.
10.Roman Anthony’s RBI single in the fourth inning cut it to 4-2. Boston then scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 4-3. Three of Anthony’s four hits in the first two games have had an exit velocity over 100 mph: 112.3 mph single, 110.2 mph single, 106.5 mph single.
11. The Red Sox lost their final challenge after Roman Anthony unsuccessfully tried to overturn a strike call in the third inning. Anthony had been successful on a challenge the previous pitch. Catcher Carlos Narváez had also unsuccessfully challenged a ball, trying to get it overturned to a strike.
12. Second baseman Marcelo Mayer doubled (109.1 mph off the bat), giving him three hits in two games so far.
13. The Red Sox and Reds will wrap up their three-game series Sunday. Lefty Connelly Early will start for Boston opposite Cincinnati righty Rhett Lowder.
More Red Sox coverage
- Red Sox’ Sonny Gray explains ‘weird’ play at plate, trying to make diving tag
- Red Sox’ Sonny Gray has forgettable start in an otherwise unforgettable game
- Red Sox’ Roman Anthony takes responsibility: ‘It just can’t happen’
- Red Sox learn the hard way that timing is everything with ABS challenges| Sean McAdam
- Red Sox’ Alex Cora about to get Masataka Yoshida plenty of playing time (in OF?)
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