The Red Sox couldn’t muster much offense in the season’s penultimate game, and now Sunday’s finale will determine whether or not the club finishes with a losing record.
In the end, the Red Sox will have something to play for on the final day of the season after all.
The Red Sox lost their penultimate game 7-2 to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, dropping them to 80-81 with one game to play. The Red Sox and Rays now go into the final day tied in the standings, so Sunday’s winner will determine which club finishes third in the AL East, which finishes an even .500 and which winds up with a losing record.
It may not be as significant as a spot in the playoffs, but those are the cards Boston’s been dealt.
From the Red Sox perspective, Saturday was about as “blah” as it gets. The lineup could only muster two runs on five hits against the Rays pitching staff, and Kutter Crawford endured a rocky finish to what has otherwise been a successful season.
“His command was off today, he didn’t have feel for the four-seamer, so a lot of cutters,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “He’s very efficient, he attacks the zone, today he was erratic.”
Crawford battled through a slog of a first inning, needing 27 pitches to make it through what ultimately wound up being a scoreless frame. He walked two and saw a man reach on an error, loading the bases with one out, but was able to escape after forcing a fly out and striking out Josh Lowe to end the inning.
