Beckett Blues
The Red Sox fell behind early behind Josh Beckett’s tepid pitching performance. Beckett was booed but his performance wasn’t the only reason last night’s game ended in defeat for the local nine. Offensively the Boston bats fell silent with no extra base hits and collectively they were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. To add the home squad’s shortcomings home plate umpire Sam Holbrook missed a key call at home, but even without the ill-gotten run Toronto’s offensive outplayed the opposition.
Cody Ross’s misplay of Colby Rasmus’s liner off the right field wall with one down in the first turned a double into a triple. Rasmus dashed home on Edwin Encarnacion’s grounder to Will Middlebrooks. The third baseman threw perfectly to Kelly Shoppach, who immaculately blocked the dish from any incursion by Rasmus. After a moment’s hesitation Holbrook called Rasmus safe. Bobby Valentine popped out of the dugout to question the call, and rightfully so as replays showed the Blue Jays outfielder didn’t touch home.
While Ross had a part to play in the Rasmus debacle he ended the visitors’ half of the ninth nimbly. With runners at first and second and a run already in Ross charged Rasmus’s liner for the second out. Ross snared the ball just before it grazed the turf and then fired to Mike Aviles for the final out.
Aviles was also part of a nifty twin killing in the eighth. Dustin Pedroia nabbed Kelly Johnson’s grounder and flipped it directly from his glove to Aviles’s.
Unfortunately Alfredo Aceves doesn’t provide Gatorade showers for defensive gems.
| Game 94: July 20, 2012 | ||
 Toronto Blue Jays46-47 |
6 |
W: Aaron Laffey (2-1) |
| 2B: Yunel Escobar (11), Colby Rasmus (19), Travis Snider (1), Yan Gomes (2) 3B: Rasmus (4) | ||
| Boston Red Sox 48-46 |
1 |
L: Josh Beckett (5-8) |
| No extra base hits | ||
