BOSTON -- Mike Napoli got the pitch he wanted. He just couldn't do anything with it. That's the way it's going for him right now.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth inning, the Red Sox No. 5 hitter in the order stepped to the plate with an opportunity to tie the Blue Jays on Friday night. He just missed the first pitch, a fastball up, and sent it foul. Two pitches later, Toronto reliever Brett Cecil struck him out to end the threat.
Napoli's at-bat was the best chance the Red Sox had to get back into a game that they once led 8-1. Instead, he finished the inning with his head down as he unstrapped his shin guard at home plate, and the Red Sox eventually fell 13-10 for their fourth consecutive loss.
"I can leave the park in one swing," Napoli said after the game. "I could’ve tied that ballgame up or hit a ball in the gap. That was my mindset going up there. I got a fastball first pitch and I fouled it off. When I’m going good, I don’t foul that off. My mindset was going up there and trying to drive something, do some damage and keep the inning going. It didn’t happen."
Not much has happened at the plate for Napoli lately. With that strikeout in the eighth, his third of the game, he had one hit in his last 20 at bats with 10 strikeouts.
"It’s frustrating," he said. "I’m gonna keep working, keep grinding every day. I’m out here early, hitting early BP, doing my cage work, trying to keep going. Obviously I don’t look comfortable up there. I’m not feeling too comfortable. Just working to that at-bat where I can find it and I can be in that position where I can do something."
Napoli's lack of confidence seemed to be affecting him in the field as well on Friday. He missed a Jose Reyes ground ball while moving to his backhand in the Toronto nine-run seventh inning that ended up in right field and scored a run. He also missed a tag at first base when it appeared as though catcher Blake Swihart had Josh Donaldson dead to rights as Donaldson shuffled off the bag for his lead.
Boston Red Sox
"It was a good throw," Napoli said. "In that situation it’s tough . . . He made a good slide, he went to the inside of the bag, it should’ve been an out. Blake made a good throw."
But it's what's happening to Napoli at the plate that is most bothersome. On the season, he's hitting .205 with a .304 on-base percentage and a .390 slugging percentage. That's down from the .254/.356/.485 slash line he's put together over the course of his 10-year career. He's homered once and he has just four extra-base hits in 57 at-bats since May 25.
"It’s frustrating," Napoli said. "I want to do my part, contribute to this offense. I come here everyday thinking it’s the day I’m gonna come through. Tomorrow’s a new day, I’m gonna wake up, come here and work and get out there and try to stick to a plan and do something."