BOSTON -- When it's not the pitching, it's the hitting. When it's not the hitting, it's the defense. Add in some poor base-running, too.
There always seems to be something wrong with the Red Sox in a given game, and Thursday's 8-4 loss to the Twins was no exception.
In fact, there were too many things wrong with the Sox on this evening.
It's not that they blew a 4-0 lead, it's how they blew it and failed to re-take it.
Whether it was Pablo Sandoval's two errors, Hanley Ramirez's overall ineptitude in the field and on the basepaths, or the team's over-aggressiveness late in the game, the Sox lost it in every sense of the word.
"The best way I can describe it is we made both physical and mental errors in this one, particularly in the second half of the game," John Farrell said.
Sandoval's first error came in the top of the sixth inning with the Sox leading 4-3. With two outs, Eduardo Escobar grounded to the left of Sandoval. He scooped the grounder and fired to first, but the ball sailed into the Sox dugout. That moved Escobar to second base, and the next batter, Kurt Suzuki, singled him in for the game-tying run.
Now it's time for the Sox' baserunning errors.
The first comes from Ramirez, in an inexcusable fashion.
After singling to start the inning, he moved to second base on David Ortiz's grounder to shortstop. One out, right? Right. Somebody should have told Ramirez that. Napoli grounded to third base in the next at-bat, and with one out and no force at third, Ramirez could have stayed on second base. Instead, he ran to third base, and by the time he turned back it was too late. He was tagged out.
Farrell admitted after the game that Ramirez thought there were two outs.
But one baserunning miscue wasn't all, though the next one wasn't a mindless error like Ramirez's was. With Napoli still on first base, Xander Bogaerts singled to right-center field. Napoli turned on the jets -- as much as he can -- and motored to third, where third-base coach Brian Butterfield gave him the green light to head for home,. Napoli was nailed at the plate by plenty, ending the inning,
Butterfield explained the decision to send Napoli after the game.
"There's two outs [and] not ideal hitting conditions for either team because of the shadows,' Butterfield said. "The shadows weren't as bad during that time, but early on we're usually taking batting practice during that time and it's difficult to see the ball.
"So I've got an outstanding base runner coming at me even though he's not real fast, he's a guy I have trust in. [But] Minnesota, to their credit (made the play). [Center fielder Aaron] Hicks did a good job getting the ball in and [second baseman Brian] Dozier (who made the relay throw home) is a heads-up player. I thought we might be able to steal one there -- didn't work. [Sometimes] you try and anticipate anything that may occur [but] you don't have an eraser, you don't have a DVR where you can redo it. I made my decision and I stuck with it . . . Minnesota, as they do -- because they are such a good franchise -- they executed and they got us."
The Twins would let the Red Sox beat themselves in the 9th inning.
Koji Uehara put the first two batters of the inning on, and Joe Mauer laid down a bunt in hopes to advance them. Blake Swihart picked up the ball in front of the plate and fired a low throw to Sandoval at third base.
Sandoval couldn't handle it as it squirted under his legs and into no-mans land in left field. That scored the go-ahead run, and the Twins wouldn't look back.
"Mauer's bunt is not a surprise," Farrell said. "The ball is right there in front of home plate, we've got a chance to cut down a lead runner at third base on a throw that's not a difficult short hop. Unfortunately it gets through Pablo and gives them the go-ahead run."
Sandoval, who said the ball short-hopped him, was charged with his second error of the game to go along with an 0-for-4 performance.
"It's tough, but you have to keep your head up," Sandoval said. "Tomorrow is another day. It was a tough game."