Alex Cora Pulls Connelly Early Too Soon in Key Red Sox Loss

BOSTON — Alex Cora walked out to the mound in the sixth inning with the Red Sox headed toward one of their more feel-good victories of the season. Four batters later, he returned after boos rained down. A quick pull after Connelly Early allowed a single to start the frame led to Greg Weissert yielding a double, walk and single that tilted the game toward the Athletics, 2-1, in Boston’s eventual loss.

“We lose that game because I can’t do my job,” Weissert said. “It’s so important to get it to (Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman). We’re fighting all game. Early pitches an unbelievable game and I go in there and do that bullshit. It sucks.”

The Sox squandered a stellar second career start by Early, 5.1 shutout innings before his inherited runner scored, working around hits in five of his six innings with no walks and seven strikeouts. More impressively, he faced the Athletics again, so many of Sacramento’s hitters faced Early for the second time in as many weeks. They finished 10-40 against him, striking out 18 times and managing only that one run across 10.1 innings. Yet the Sox lost on Tuesday, and fell behind Houston into the second wild card by 0.5 games.

Cora pulled Early as four Athletics righties loomed with one out, already planning to turn to Weissert who struck out Brent Rooker, who Boston feared most seeing Early for the third time. Then, the Athletics pinch hit a lefty, Tyler Soderstrom, who scored Jacob Wilson from first base with a double. Brett Harris drove Soderstrom home with a single on an outside slider in what became the game-winning hit.

“That was (Weissert’s) pocket right there,” Cora said. “(Early) did an amazing job. They had some tough righties coming up and we just have to close the deal.”

It hurt Cora that he said before the game that Early entered with no limitations and the ability to reach 90-95 pitches. He finished with 80 and had retired six of the previous eight hitters he faced. Early also held Rooker and Colby Thomas, the next two batters due up in the sixth, to 2-9 with a pair of singles and five strikeouts between the two games. The next batter, Darell Hernaiz, combined to hit 0-4 against Early in their matchups.

The offense let the Sox down most. They stranded 10 runners against A’s starter Jeffrey Springs, who they lit up last week, left the bases loaded in the second inning and finished 0-7 with runners in scoring position. Sacramento’s Mitch Spence managed 3.2 innings and 52 pitches while holding the Sox to 3-15. When he exited, Boston couldn’t even get an at-bat off against Hogan Harris, who picked off Nick Sogard. The Sox scored their only run on Carlos Narváez’ double in the third because Lawrence Butler bobbled the ball in center.

Early’s pull became the defining moment though, drawing the most visceral reaction from fans, and it didn’t help that a similar scene played out weeks prior when Cora removed a scorching Payton Tolle from his MLB debut after a pair of singles and called on Weissert — who blew the game.

“Weissert’s a really good matchup against (Rooker),” Early said. “That’s why we went with that. I struggled a little bit against him the first time, and he saw me pretty well, so I think that’s why we went with it.”

• Wilyer Abreu (calf) took more batting practice on Tuesday after running and feeling some pain during Monday’s Red Sox off day. He felt better after arriving on Tuesday, Cora said, and is day-to-day to begin a week where he’s expected to return from the injured list. Cora added that the pain did not include tightness.
• RHP Payton Tolle and RHP Kyle Harrison will pitch out of the bullpen to begin the week. The Sox haven’t decided how they’ll use them beyond that, though Cora noted that they’ll need to enter by Wednesday’s game to stay in line to start this weekend. RHP Lucas Giolito and RHP Brayan Bello will pitch on shorter rest on Wednesday and Thursday against Sacramento.
• Romy Gonzalez’ (0-5) 14-game hit streak ended on Tuesday, grounding out into a double play with the bases loaded in the second and ending the game with a double play in the ninth.