BOSTON -- Roman Anthony’s throwing in left field has been an issue early this season, and the Brewers had it scouted out, using it in their favor to hand the slumping Red Sox (2-8) an 8-6 defeat on Monday night.
It was a night that started with promise for Boston, as manager Alex Cora made some lineup tweaks and his team led 3-0 through three innings.
By the eighth inning, when Garrett Mitchell stepped to the plate with two outs, the game was tied at 5-5. The left-handed hitter lined a 217-foot single to left.
It was the type of hit that generally doesn’t compel a send from the third-base coach at Fenway Park, where left field is notoriously shallow. Baserunner Brice Turang was a step or two short of the third-base bag when Anthony fielded the ball.
But third-base coach Matt Erickson was aggressive, and it paid off. Anthony’s throw bounced and skipped by cutoff man Caleb Durbin toward the backstop. The throwing error by Anthony allowed a second run to score.
And so it goes for the Red Sox, who have been disjointed coming out of the gate in most facets of the game.
To avoid losing four straight series to open the season, Boston will need to beat the Brewers the next two nights at Fenway. Tuesday, fans will be treated to a marquee pitching matchup as Sox ace Garrett Crochet goes against Brewers flame-throwing phenom Jacob Misiorowski.
In what has become a recurring issue for the Red Sox, they once again didn’t get enough length from their starting pitcher. This time, it was Brayan Bello, who labored through 86 pitches while recording just 10 outs. The righty gave up five hits and four runs (three earned) while walking four and striking out five. On the plus side, he generated 17 swings and misses.
The Brewers, almost unfathomably, scored four runs in that fourth frame, but didn’t hit a ball out of the infield.
The Red Sox came back to tie it twice, but Milwaukee seized control for good in that two-run eighth against Garrett Whitlock, who was on his first day back after missing the last three games for paternity leave.