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Why didn’t Red Sox put contact play on during scoreless game in 6th inning?
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- Why didn’t Red Sox put contact play on during scoreless game in 6th inning?
BOSTON — The Red Sox went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base in their 3-1 loss to the Phillies on Thursday.
One of their squandered chances came with the game scoreless in the sixth inning.
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Andruw Monasterio hit a leadoff double and moved to third base on Wilyer Abreu ’s groundout to second base.
Philadelphia played the infield in with the runner at third base and just one out. The Red Sox , meanwhile, chose not to use the contact play.
Willson Contreras grounded out to shortstop and Monasterio stayed put at third base. Phillies lefty starter Jesús Luzardo then escaped by getting Ceddanne Rafaela to ground out to shortstop.
Interim manager Chad Tracy called it a “tough” call to decide whether to have Monasterio running on contact there.
“Because if you go and it’s right at somebody, in those 0-0 games, it might be your only opportunity to score,” Tracy said. “So if you just take off on a groundball and you’re out by 10 feet at home — it’s a spot where with him (Contreras) and Rafa, like let’s take two shots."
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In other words, Tracy wanted two chances to score rather than the Red Sox risking their only opportunity on one play.
Contreras made hard contact with a 97.9 mph exit velocity. Shortstop Trea Turner made a diving stop to field it. He looked Monasterio back to third base and then fired across the diamond for the second out.
“I think the ball’s hit hard enough and Turner makes the play, he has a chance to get up and throw him (Monasterio) out,” Tracy said. “But he is still on a read where if you read high chopper, you can go. But hit hard in the infield, you potentially run yourself right out of the opportunity and don’t give Rafa a shot. So it’s a tough call, but when you’re trying to get one, you give yourselves two shots.”
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