All you need to know, in quickie fashion, about the Red Sox' loss to the Braves, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Yet another walkoff loss: If this one looked familiar, it's because it was. Late in the game, on the road, and the Red Sox suffer a walk-off defeat in the home team's final at-bat. In 31 games, it's already happened five times -- four in extra innings, and Wednesday night, in the bottom of the ninth. The Sox and Braves were tied 3-3 in the bottom of the ninth. With Ryan Brasier on for the Sox, Ozzie Albies led with a single before Brasier got Adam Duvall to fly out to center. Next up was Orlando Arcia — who got ahead 2-0, then drilled a fastball just over the wall in left field for a game-winning, two-run homer. It seems inconceivable to have five walk-off losses in the first 31 games, but that's where the Red Sox are. Ordinarily, losing close games in the late innings is either a byproduct of bullpen failure or offensive ineptitude; for the Red Sox, it's been a little bit of both.
Story finally goes deep: It took almost five weeks, but Trevor Story finally connected for his first homer in a Red Sox uniform. One night after he had a couple of hits and drove in two runs, Story came to the plate in the second inning and hammered a pitch from starter Ian Anderson to straightaway center field. The ball traveled 422 feet, with an exit velocity of 106 mph and ended the infielder's long homerless drought. Red Sox teammates, in addition to providing him with his inaugural trip in the homer cart in the dugout, also showered him with confetti. It will be interesting to see if the last two games result in Story starting to take off at the plate, or, whether it's a matter of isolated success that doesn't translate to anything long-term.
Tough call comes back to haunt Boston: Kevin Plawecki was at the plate with the bases loaded and two outs, facing Braves reliever Collin McHugh in the top of the sixth. With the count full, McHigh threw a pitch that was quite obviously several inches below the bottom of the strike zone, but Adam Beck rung up Plawecki. In a matter of minutes, Plawecki was ejected for arguing and manager Alex Cora soon followed. Had the pitch been called correctly, the Red Sox would have a run in, a one-run lead, and the bases still full. Instead, the Braves were out of the inning and the Red Sox were without a run, to say nothing of their catcher and manager.
TURNING POINT
In the fifth inning, Kevin Plawecki stroked a double to left-center to lead off the inning. He represented the potential go-ahead run at second base, but the Red Sox couldn't get him to third, much less drive him home. Jackie Bradley Jr. struck out for the first out, then Kike Hernandez flew to center and Rafael Devers rolled out to second. It could be argued that with the No. 9 hitter, Bradley, struggling, the Sox would have been better off having him bunt Plawecki to third, from where he could score on a flyball. But whatever strategy they chose, the Red Sox didn't get the job done.
TWO UP
Alex Verdugo: Slumping with the bat of late, Verdugo had a double in the second, a run scored, a walk in the sixth and a terrific sliding catch in the first to take a base hit away from Dansby Swanson.
Matt Strahm: Strahm took over for Eovaldi in the seventh and quickly recorded two strikeouts to strand a runner, then came back out and retired the first hitter he faced in the eighth, too.
TWO DOWN
Kike Hernandez: In the leadoff spot, Hernandez was hitless over the five plate appearances and is now without a hit in his last 20 at-bats.
Xander Bogaerts: It was a rare off night for Bogaers, who was 0-for-3 (with a walk) offensively and also booted a ball hit right to him, though it was generously ruled a base hit.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Terrible, it stinks....I'm not going to say it cost us the game, but it cost us a run and changed the trajectory of the game.'' -- Kevin Plawecki on the called third strike against him with the bases loaded in the sixth inning.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Nate Eovaldi has allowed nine homers already this season. A year ago at this time, he hadn't allowed a single home run.
* Rafael Devers doubled in the third to extend his hitting streak to six games.
* J.D. Martinez had two singles to stretch his hitting streak to 13 games. He's reached base in all 24 games in which he's played this season.
* Alex Cora's ejection was his second in the last four games.
UP NEXT: After a day off on the schedule Thursday, the Red Sox will begin a three-game series against the Texas Rangers in Arlington. It will be RHP Nick Pivetta vs. TBA.