ATLANTA -- In recent days, scoring runs has practically vanished for the Red Sox.
So when Marcelo Mayer belted an equalizing solo shot with two outs in the seventh, it looked like a momentum-changing hit could finally be in the air for a team that needs a jolt of momentum.
Instead, it was a mere tease as Mike Yastrzeski -- the grandson of Red Sox legend Carl -- belted a walk-off double in the bottom of the 10th against lefty Tyler Samaniego that allowed the 31-14 Braves to hand a 3-2 defeat to Boston (18-26).
Here are three takeaways from a tightly contested game at Truist Park.
1. Baserunning blunders
When Chad Tracy took over as interim manager on April 26, he expressed a desire for his team to be more aggressive on the bases. For the most part, it has worked. However, the Sox pushed the envelope a little too much on Friday, making three outs on the bases that helped lead to the loss.
In the first inning, Jarren Duran led off with a walk and was nearly thrown out on a backpick by catcher Sandy León. Later in the inning, the Braves were successful in that mission as Spencer Strider picked him off at first base and the frame abruptly ended with the bat being taken out of the hands of cleanup man Willson Contreras.
In the fourth, Mickey Gasper attempted a straight steal of second base with one out and Contreras again at the plate. Gasper mistook the sound of the pitch popping into the mitt of León for the crack of the bat and stopped in his tracks before reaching second base. It was just enough for him to get thrown out.
“I thought I heard the crack of the bat and I peeked in to find the ball, and it was the ball hitting the glove,” said Gasper, who thinks he would have been safe if not for the hesitation. “So, by the time I got my head back around to second base, it was too late. That can't happen.”
An inning later, Ceddanne Rafaela short-circuited another rally when he tried to steal third with one out. Instead, he was thrown out for the second out, emptying the bases.
“It was a perfect throw from Sandy,” said Rafaela. “I’m just trying to take opportunities, and I think in my mind, I had it there, but I was thrown out. I was just playing the game hard and trying to win ballgames.”
It’s understandable that the Red Sox -- who have scored just 10 runs in their past six games, losing four of them -- are trying to force the action, perhaps to a fault at times.
“The big thing tonight was careless mistakes on the bases more than anything, which could [have] turned into opportunities,” said Tracy.
2. Momentum for Mayer?
Mayer had gone 98 at-bats without a homer before striking for what looked to be a big one on Friday night. His game-tying shot represented the first time he cleared the fence since the home opener on April 3.
At a time the Red Sox are desperate for some hitters to get hot, perhaps Mayer’s swing in the seventh will get him rolling.
“Yeah, I mean, those always feel good,” said Mayer. “You kind of try to ride with that feeing until it goes away, but yeah, you take those and run with those as best you can.”
3. Another step forward for Early
Though this wasn’t the best start of the season for Red Sox rookie lefty Connelly Early, it was nonetheless an impressive one, given the Braves lead the Majors with 240 runs.
Over five innings and 86 pitches, Early held Atlanta to two runs (both on solo homers) on five hits while walking none and striking out six. He pleaded with Tracy to let him pitch the sixth, but to no avail. That type of competitiveness is what the Sox have come to love about Early.
Part of Tracy’s thinking is that Early will be pitching on four days of rest in his next start in Kansas City on Wednesday. The Sox prefer to get their starters an extra day when possible.
“Just wanted to be able to go six, as deep as I can into the game, help the bullpen. So, I was trying to stay in there,” Early said. “He had his reasons and completely understand those, and I’m going on a five-day this week. So he’s just trying to keep me as fresh as possible for the next start."
Early has allowed two runs or fewer in seven of his nine starts.