Check the date. Right it’s May Fifth and the Red Sox are mired in fourth place, five games under .500 and eight games behind the got damn Yankees. In my ongoing 2021 series ( How Chaim Bloom sucks ) we take a look at his bullpen. Not yours. I refuse to call this Boston’s bullpen. Because quite frankly you all would have done a better job putting one together. We take a look at this mess and see if we can fix it.
More 🔥🔥 from Garrett Whitlock. pic.twitter.com/dPfYZfriHG — Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 4, 2022
Garret Whitlock pitched another gem last night giving up two runs on two hits, he struck out nine and walked no one. In fact he had a perfecto going until those two hits in the sixth. The Sox of course lost 10-6 because the wheels once again came off at the back end of the game.
Garrett Whitlock was fantastic tonight. 5 IP – 78 Pitches/50 Strikes 2 Hits Allowed 2 ER/R 9 K 0 BB Max Stassi jumped him at the end, but he continues to prove his impact in the rotation.#RedSox | #DirtyWaterpic.twitter.com/nqfnN1Jlqc — Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) May 5, 2022
Whitlock is slaying his opportunity as a starter. In 21.2 innings pitched he has given up just three earned runs and walked just three batters. He also has whiffed twenty nine opponents. As I tweeted last night, it’s a bit facist but hey. It is what it is and what it is, Is phenomenal. But let’s digress. The pen once again coughed up a 3-2 then a 4-3 lead.
Whitlock needs to induce some groundballs , " Strikeouts are fascist " Crash Davis pic.twitter.com/sAitBgwHWK — Murph (@TMurph207) May 5, 2022
Austin Davis did a good job in the sixth sitting down the side on strikes including all world Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani to lead off the seventh. Then BOOM. Anthony Rendon tied it up with a blast over the wall in left. Matt Straham got the Sox through the eighth and the Sox took the lead back riding the hot hands of Xander Bogaerts when he went yard. Sox up 4-3 with just three outs in need. Of course that didn’t happen.
Hansel Robles got a quick out and then walked both Trout and Othani, after Rendon flew out to right Cora pulled Robles for Dikemen. The Lefty couldn’t get it done. Walsh ripped a single off him and plated Trout after the free pass to first. 4-4 . the sox couldn’t get it done in the bottom half of the ninth .Then the softball game broke out
ICYMI: The Angels (+123) tied the game in the ninth, then put up a SIX run 10th inning to put away the Red Sox last night. LA has won 9 of their last 12 games!#GamblingTwitter #MLB #GoHalos pic.twitter.com/9X66HP5G7T — SportsGridTV (@SportsGridTV) May 5, 2022
Matt Barnes gave up a dinger to Taylor Ward plating the “ ghost runner “ 6-4 Angels. He then put two more on allowing Rendon to knock in the seventh run before Walsh would send a three run shot off Sawamura out of the confines. Just an ugly performance all around by this “Pen” 10-5 LA.
The Angels have scored 6 runs in the 10th!!! (via @Angels)pic.twitter.com/TA9MfGT9ir — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 5, 2022
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However you want to chop this up there is no one in this pen trustworthy enough to go to in the late inning . The Sox have blown four save opportunities to date. In a perfect world Both Whitlock and Tanner Houck would be coming out of the pen. With the way things are in the rotation it’s almost impossible to move both but one could be moved out to handle the eighth and or ninth. I would prefer Houck. Hell call up Seabold and insert him into the back end of the rotation. A move needs to be made and it needs to be made today. Bloom can’t wait for Sale or Paxton. It’s now or never.
As always you can follow/give me grief on Twitter @Tmurph207