Get Out The Brooms!

If there weren't so many bonehead plays and bad decisions it would be easier to be totally psyched right now.  I am still very excited because we can do so much better and we still swept the Red Sox.

Some Notes:

• ARod did a nice job of predicting a changeup (at first he did say off-speed) after Montgomery missed with a FB high, but outside of that, he was pretty off in the game.  First, I am so tired of everyone saying there was nothing Sanchez could do to block a ball when he failed to turn his body toward home plate on the block and this is why the ball ricocheted to his left and became a wild pitch.  ARod did say that because he is on one knee that causes less movement and he is right. Then, why go down on one knee with someone on base?  His reactions are very slow.  
• ARod also was talking about how Montgomery should come out for the 6th inning because he is a big guy and he needs to learn how to pitch through and develop in times like this???  What?  Times like this, this is basically a playoff series and his stuff was pedestrian, his breaking pitches were non-existent,  he couldn't spot his fastball and he was getting hit very hard.  We were lucky to get out of the 5th inning so taking him out for Clay Holmes was the correct move.
• Clay Holmes was actually dominant.  Throwing a 99 MPH running fastball inside to righties and having an excellent slider he was spotting perfectly.  Sounds like Louisiga doesn't it?   He struck out the side in 11 pitches and it was the meat of the order.  So of course, he would come out for the 7th inning as well in a 2-1 game in Fenway...right?  Well he did, but after announcing a batting change to Shaw a lefty who is a mediocre hitter who is a little better against righties, Boone must have forgotten how great Holmes looked and also that bringing in Joely Rodriguez was for 3 batters.  I was not happy and it got worse after a single and a bunt single where Torres for the 2nd time in the game ran to cover first instead of charging for the ball (he and Rizzo need to talk).  Then, after the wild pitch that there was "nothing Sanchez could have done" Boston had 2nd and 3rd with nobody out and they didn't need to bunt again.  A medium sac fly allowed the run to score but shockingly Verdugo didn't take 3rd on the throw.  
• Green Came in after the 3rd batter Rodriguez faced and he struck out Hernandez.  He then got Schwarber to pop out to end the inning tied up...except DJ dropped the popup, shockingly.  Green got Schwarber to hit a high short fly ball to LF to end the inning in a tie...but Gallo this time dropped it and that gave Boston a 3-2 lead into the 8th.  We did get out of the inning when Schwarber tried to go to 2nd on the Gallo drop and we threw him out.
• So after gifting the Red Sox two runs, Urshela walked and on a 3-1 count wade took off for 2nd and DJ took the pitch and Wade for some reason slowed up and then didn't slide and was just out.  Shaking my head at the idiocy here.  First, I did;t love stealing on a 3-1 count, but sometimes it is OK, but I am not sure if he was deaked or what but you don't slow up and you slide into the base.  Another bonehead move, but DJ walked and Rizzo crushed a single to the wall and was lucky they didn't throw to 2nd base after the cut or he would have been out.  It went as a double, but we were lucky.  With 2nd and 3rd and one out Judge was up and last game he failed in this spot with bases loaded.  This time they brought Ottavino in and he had Judge jammed on the fastball and waving at the slider.  Judge popped to 1B and their first baseman Dalbac was afraid of the fence and never reached the ball - he did the same thing in the previous game and it was surprisingly bad.  Another big break.  Then Judge foul-tipped strike 3 into Vazquez' glove and it barely hung on into the end of his webbing and quickly Vazquez reached for the ball and it popped out.  This should have been strike 3 as it was in the exchange like a middle infielder but it happened fast and catchers usually don't make the exchange with nobody running.  (Pretty sloppy game).  Judge took advantage and got a fastball over the middle of the plate and drilled it to LC scoring 2 runs and giving us a lead.  On the play he slid safely into 2nd and jammed his pinky on his left hand (it looked crooked).  This could have an impact moving forward.
• Stanton then came up and after taking a slider got a hanging one and drilled it another 450 feet out of the stadium for a 3 run lead.  Stanton can look awful waving at pitches not even close, but man, when he connects it is amazing.
• Green worked out of a leadoff double and Chapman only allowed a walk and we got the sweep!!!
• Two other notes:  ERod for Boston pitched a really good game.  He spotted his pitches really well and he was the reason we didn't score early on.  2) Gallo made a bonehead play trying to throw ll the way home on a medium sac fly.  he allowed the runner from 1st to get into scoring position with one out.

This is a hard team to figure out, but we have the talent to beat anyone...and the inconsistency to lose to anyone as well.  Let's enjoy the sweep but right back at it against Toronto!