Still waiting for our offense to kick in. But it will.
Despite a number of singles and walks, and even a double by Wilyer Abreu, the Sox had trouble crossing home plate. Though the game was never out of reach in terms of the score, it sure felt that way for most of the game because the Sox could hardly bring anyone home. Devers did, when he drew a walk that forced in a run, but the Sox waited until the 8th to do it again, when Carlos Narváez knocked in a big run to bring the Sox within one.
Kristian Campbell put on a show, both in left field and producing at the plate. He made a terrific, diving almost-catch but the ball bumped out of his glove at the last second, after seeming to nestle in there. Bummer, but a great effort. He also notched his first MLB homer and double.
There were some nifty defensive plays: a pickoff by Narváez, a great double play by David Hamilton, and some pro moves by Bregman. I was never pro-Bregman but even I have to admit that it’s nice to see consistently smooth plays coming out of the hot corner.
In other notable moments, Triston Casas got his first hit.
This was disappointing, but it’s still early.
Three Studs
Kristian Campbell
Solo HR—his first in the majors—to tie the game. He might look like a lanky high schooler, but boy did he muscle that out. Great attempt on a catch that looked like it simply couldn’t be made. He made it, but lost it at the last second. Love that effort. 2-2, 1R, 1 RBI, 1BB.
Wilyer Abreu
He continues his dominance in this young season, as well as over the Rangers’ home field, where he is en fuego. 2B, 1 BB, 2R.
The Bullpen
Despite our fears, they hardly even hiccupped.
Honorable Mentions
March of Time
The horse that Bregman and Buehler both own. We’re going to hear a lot about this horse over the course of the season.
Walker Buehler’s Sense of Humor
He said he chose 0 for his uniform number because he thinks it makes him look slimmer. Ha!
Duds
Buehler
He didn’t make many mistakes, but the ones he did make really counted. Adolis García in particular made him pay. 4.1 IP, 7H, 4 ER, 1 HR, 3K, 0 BB, 1 HBP
The Offense
It’s hard to single out individual hitters because there are issues throughout the lineup, in particular with the big guys. But let’s keep it simple: the Sox were 1-12 with runners in scoring position. Devers is still looking for his first hit of the season and struck out three times. Casas struck out three times too. Devers, Duran, and Story were all 0-4. The Sox couldn’t seem to get it done, no matter how many times they managed to set the table early.
Play of the Game
Kristian Campbell’s first MLB home run, of course.