The Red Sox suffered a 3-2 defeat against the Braves after Mike Yastrzeski hit a walk-off double in the bottom of the 10th. Tyler Samaniego was on the mound when Yastrzeski, the grandson of Red Sox legend Carl, secured the win for the Braves, who now have a 31-14 record. The Red Sox’s record fell to 18-26 after the tightly contested game at Truist Park.
Baserunning Mistakes Costly for Boston
Chad Tracy expressed a desire for his team to be more aggressive on the bases after he took over as interim manager on April 26. On Friday, the Red Sox made three outs on the bases. These mistakes contributed to their loss.
Jarren Duran led off with a walk in the first inning and was nearly picked off by catcher Sandy León. Spencer Strider then picked Duran off at first base, ending the inning with Willson Contreras at the plate. In the fourth inning, Mickey Gasper attempted to steal second base with one out and Contreras batting.
Gasper mistook the sound of the pitch hitting León’s mitt for the sound of the bat. He hesitated before reaching second base and was thrown out. “I thought I heard the crack of the bat and I peeked in to find the ball, and it was the ball hitting the glove,” said Gasper. “So, by the time I got my head back around to second base, it was too late. That can’t happen.”
Ceddanne Rafaela tried to steal third with one out in the fifth inning. He was thrown out, emptying the bases. “It was a perfect throw from Sandy,” said Rafaela. “I’m just trying to take opportunities, and I think in my mind, I had it there, but I was thrown out. I was just playing the game hard and trying to win ballgames.”
The Red Sox have struggled to score runs recently, with just 10 runs in their past six games, losing four of them. Tracy said, “The big thing tonight was careless mistakes on the bases more than anything, which could [have] turned into opportunities.”
Mayer’s Home Run a Potential Turning Point
Marcelo Mayer hit a game-tying solo home run with two outs in the seventh inning. It was his first home run in 98 at-bats, since the home opener on April 3. The Red Sox are hoping Mayer’s swing in the seventh will get him rolling, as they are in need of some hitters to get hot.
“Yeah, I mean, those always feel good,” said Mayer. “You kind of try to ride with that feeing un