Berrios gets the cold (bat) shoulder

Red Sox 2
Twins 0

Twins game #4 for the year featured arguably one of the very best performances of Jose Berrios's career.

And he got the loss.

The Twins lineup has spent most of this season being the reason for wins, not the reason for losses. But they are in the homestretch of a bad homestand, and tonight was the most thorough failure.

Now, at least here they were shut down by a real pitcher. Rick Porcello's numbers are not great this year, but he does have a recent Cy Young award. It's not like the mutts for Seattle and KC that have made the Twins lineup look mortal this last week.

But they had NOTHING tonight. Porcello was averaging about 10 pitches per inning til the 7th.

Then they finally at least had a tiny threat. It started with bad luck. CJ Cron hit a ball about as far as you can hit it at Target Field and have it NOT be a homerun. It wound up a double and then Sano of all people coaxed a walk. But instead of letting Garver hit for Castro, our far less dangerous bat flew out to end the hopes. The RISP gods continue to laugh.

But at least that inning took Porcello out. And the 8th was setting up perfectly. The Sox bring in a reliever with a plus-4 ERA, who immediately gives up a single to Schoop and walks Kepler. Then Polanco lays down a perfect sac bunt. I had no issue with them bunting. Yeah Jorge is leading the league in hitting, but with Cruz and Rosario up next it made logical sense.

Problem is Cruz has an atrocious at bat, hitting a weak little grounder, which forced Schoop (and the less said about Kepler running BACK to 2nd on the rundown the better). Then Rosario grounds out weakly himself and that's that. 2nd game in a row where just a sac fly is needed and they can't do it.

Just to irritate us all more, Blake "Automatic Run" Parker comes in for the 9th, and surrenders a run scoring double on an 0-2 pitch. I never want to see this clown pitch again. He is treated like a legit late inning reliever, but his ERA is 4 1/2.

Berrios deserved so much better. He gave up 3 straight hits to open the game, but after that didn't allow another baserunner til the 7th. No walks. Struck out 10. He was every bit the ace. And his badly slumping lineup completely screwed him.

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