CLEVELANDIn a season where there hasnt been a ton to feel good about, Pedro Ciriaco has been a great story.
The middle infielder rapped out two more hits in Wednesday nights 5-3 loss to the Indians at Progressive Field, and is hitting .341.349.482 in 28 games with the Sox in what can only be termed a surprise performance.
But Ciriaco was also in the middle of a crucial play that went against the Sox in their loss to the Tribe after hed started off the top of the seventh inning by rapping a double down the right field line. Carl Crawford followed a Jacoby Ellsbury strikeout with a ground ball to shortstop that Asdrubal Cabrera was able to field cleanly with the play developing right in front of Ciriaco.
It was a hard-hit ball and a split-second decision for the speedy Ciriaco, who chose to be aggressive trying to make something happen in a one-run game and was caught in a rundown between second and third. Instead of making something good happen, Ciriaco and Crawford were both gunned down in a 6-5-6-4 double play that ended the potential game-tying rally.
Pedro was a little over-aggressive. The ball was hit really hard and his first move was to score, and it went right to the shortstop, said Bobby Valentine. I thought the worst we would have in that situation was Pedroia hitting with two outs, and he would get him in. But a lot of things didnt work out the way we thought they would tonight and well go get them tomorrow.
Ciriaco appeared to be taking it to heart following the loss, and willingly accepted blame for the base-running miscue. Its one of the few times this season thats been involved in a negative play for Boston.
I thought the ball was going to pass him, so I went and he made a nice play, said Ciriaco. I should have waited to see if it went through. I made a mistake.
Boston Red Sox
The loss was another example of the Sox finding a new way to lose a close game against an able-bodied opponent, and unfortunately Ciriaco was one of the guys explaining how it all went wrong afterward.