Red Sox 2, Marlins 6: Can I Get Off This Ride?

The 2023 Boston Red Sox are falling apart in front of our eyes. In the most pivotal two weeks of the season leading up to the trade deadline, where they know they have to win every single ball game—or as many as they can—in order to foster faith from the fanbase and the front office to buy in and get them to invest, they're doing absolutely nothing. They're doing everything wrong. Mistakes are going against them and they are getting punished at every turn. For every guy who turns hot, there are three guys who go cold. It's not fun baseball to watch. It's fun to root for individual players at this point, guys who have been consistent all year long, or guys who are showing a lot of promise, but the team as a whole just isn't working.

The Marlins are oddly good this year. You would think that they'd be able to steal one game against this team though. They didn't even look like they showed up to the park. Rafael Devers looks like he showed up and that's about it. Maybe Nick Pivetta. What was once a hopeful starting rotation has now mostly become injured and so we're relying on scrap pieces to get things done. Not that I dislike the use of prospects, but either admit this team is a bust and use the prospects or make trades NOW (yes, you can trade BEFORE the deadline) and salvage every game you can and not let this hot mess of a team lose more games.

I kinda wish the rain washed this one out. It might have been more bearable than watching what happened after it went away.

FanGraphs

Three Studs

Nick Pivetta (.118 WPA, 3.1 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)

Pivetta has really found a strong role in the bullpen. I actually hate seeing those earned runs on his box score because he didn’t earn them after a lengthy rain delay and not taking back over.

Rafael Devers (.090 WPA, 2-for-4, 2 runs, 1 HR, 1 RBI)

Devers slaughtered his home run and is hopefully taking steps to find a more consistent groove again. He knows he’s not at his true potential, even being 4th in the Majors in RBI.

Jarren Duran (.073 WPA, 2-for-2, 1 RBI)

Coming in after the delay and adding a garbage-time RBI single? Make the most of your opportunities!

Three Duds

Josh Winckowski (-.290 WPA, 0.1 IP, 1 HR 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)

Oh, Josh. That was BRUTAL. I don’t envy coming into a game after a rain delay in a jam. I also have no idea what an error is if that’s what David Hamilton didn’t do on the “single”. The wild pitch is on you, my man.

Kiké Hernandez (-.079 WPA, 0-for-3, 1 K)

The Kiké Hernandez experience is not a fun one anymore. I feel a little bad because he used actually to contribute on the field as well as off, but he’s a liability, and it’s a shame Bloom didn’t actually address the shortstop issue with Story hurt and relying on someone who’s been an outfielder for years now (not Mookie Betts).

Alex Verdugo (-.074 WPA, 0-for-4, 1 K)

Just a quiet night for Dugey. He gets a pass.

Play of the Game

By WPA, it’s Jean Segura’s two-run single in the sixth inning. For the Sox, it’s Devers’ solo shot in the 4th.