Bad umping vs. bad bats - who gets the blame?
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| Photo from author |
Conor Frederick (@ConorJF1016)
Contributing Writer
Hint: It's not Joe West. I was at last night's game, and as much as I would love to put the blame squarely on the shoulders of Joe West, that is not the case. Look, you get 27 outs in a game and if 17 of those outs are strikeouts, then it's not the umpire's fault for calling a bad strike zone, per se, but the offense needs to adjust to a bad strike zone. The blame for last night's game falls 100% on the offense. It was frustrating to watch Red Sox hitters work walks and get runners on base, but not take advantage. Bad calls aside, there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for that in the postseason. I thought coming into the series that this would be a pitching match up, but I thought the Red Sox offense would come up with some big hits.
I thought Jon Lester pitched a solid game against a dangerous Detroit Tiger lineup, and he suffered from "Lackey-itis," also known as "No Run Support Syndrome." The bullpen after him picked him up and held the Tigers, including Craig Breslow pitching into and out of a bases loaded jam. Koji Uehara came in and did what he does best, despite giving up a couple hits. The problem? Yep, the OFFENSE. They were no-hit until the 9th. That's not acceptable when you're the best offense in the league and you have World Series aspirations.
Watching last night's game live was one of the most frustrating games I've been to in my 16 years of being a Red Sox fan. The offense could not get anything going and they get the blame for last night's loss in my mind. But the series is far from over, and we can't get caught up in one game. Let me know what you think on Twitter (@ConorJF1016) or leave a comment.
Contributing Writer
Hint: It's not Joe West. I was at last night's game, and as much as I would love to put the blame squarely on the shoulders of Joe West, that is not the case. Look, you get 27 outs in a game and if 17 of those outs are strikeouts, then it's not the umpire's fault for calling a bad strike zone, per se, but the offense needs to adjust to a bad strike zone. The blame for last night's game falls 100% on the offense. It was frustrating to watch Red Sox hitters work walks and get runners on base, but not take advantage. Bad calls aside, there is absolutely NO EXCUSE for that in the postseason. I thought coming into the series that this would be a pitching match up, but I thought the Red Sox offense would come up with some big hits.
I thought Jon Lester pitched a solid game against a dangerous Detroit Tiger lineup, and he suffered from "Lackey-itis," also known as "No Run Support Syndrome." The bullpen after him picked him up and held the Tigers, including Craig Breslow pitching into and out of a bases loaded jam. Koji Uehara came in and did what he does best, despite giving up a couple hits. The problem? Yep, the OFFENSE. They were no-hit until the 9th. That's not acceptable when you're the best offense in the league and you have World Series aspirations.
Watching last night's game live was one of the most frustrating games I've been to in my 16 years of being a Red Sox fan. The offense could not get anything going and they get the blame for last night's loss in my mind. But the series is far from over, and we can't get caught up in one game. Let me know what you think on Twitter (@ConorJF1016) or leave a comment.
