On Sunday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford performed well for five innings against the Orioles but faltered in the sixth and was removed after a finish similar to his last start.
Crawford threw over 60 pitches through five innings but struggled with his control in the sixth. He began the inning with two strikes against leadoff hitter Ramon Urias but then walked him on four consecutive balls. Red Sox manager Alex Cora commented after the game, “The red flag was the walk. The command was off, I felt.”
Bailey Horn replaced Crawford with one out in the sixth and immediately allowed a two-run home run to Adley Rutschman. Crawford expressed his frustration, noting, “The leadoff walk was the issue. I was ahead, and I couldn’t finish him off. In a situation like that, I can’t afford to walk him.”
Crawford found it “annoying” and “frustrating” not to complete the sixth inning, feeling his command was solid for the first five innings but deteriorated in the sixth.
As the regular season nears its end and the playoffs approach, many players and coaches claim they’re only focused on their own performance, despite natural curiosity about their opponents. However, Red Sox manager Alex Cora was candid after Boston’s 5-4 loss to Houston on Monday, which left the team 4.5 games behind the final American League wild-card spot.
“I look at the standings all the time,” Cora admitted, according to The Boston Globe. “I look at the scoreboard all the time. I know Kansas City won. I watch.”
Cora acknowledges the significant challenge facing his team as September approaches.
