When playing a team like the 2024 Oakland Athletics, there is only one thing you can do. TCB.
The Red Sox did just that. With a three-game sweep over Oakland, Boston now sits at 5-2 on the year. There isn’t much to take away from a series where you sweep a team well on their way to 100 losses. But let’s do our best.
Brayan Bello’s house of horrors
Much like most Athletics fans these days, Brayan Bello doesn’t like the site of the Oakland Coliseum. Last July, Bello pitched in Oakland and gave up 6 ER, including 3 HR. Tuesday night, he allowed two more home runs and four runs total. 10 ER over 9 IP in his last two appearances (10.00 ERA). Spooky! Look at the chart below. When Bello missed over the middle of the plate, he got crushed.
The A’s barrelled 7 of Bello’s pitches (contact that is 98+ mph off the bat). These included three hits over 105 mph. Those three hits resulted in a single, a double, and a home run. The other home run was a mere 102 mph.
All this said, Bello still escaped with a no-decision, and the Red Sox won the game in 11 innings.
That Jarren Duran is so hot right now
I am not sure I can remember a turnaround like Durran’s. It was only in 2022 that he was asking the media if they had ever tried to catch a flyball at twilight. He also struggled at the plate. It was last year he broke out before an injury to his toe shelved him for the year. This year, Duran is picking up right where he left off. In this series, he went 5-8 with three runs scored, 2 RBI, and four steals. The thing I like most about him is his running style. He doesn’t run, he hauls.
Nick Pivetta is…nails?
Since Pivetta was moved to the bullpen last year, he has quietly been lights out. From May 21st through today, Pivetta has a 2.96 ERA while striking out 12.2 batters per nine innings. He added a sweeper last year, which it has paid big time. His pitch mix is relatively even, but the sweeper adds a different look. For almost a year now, he has been an elite-level pitcher. It’s just that no one is talking about it.
Thursday the Red Sox have a day off, which acts as a day of rest for fans trying to stay up late. They then go on to play the Angels, who are coming off a sweep of their own, winning three against the Marlins. Anaheim isn’t supposed to contend, but they still have that guy in Centerfield who can hit the ball out of stadiums.
Photo by @RedSox
The Never Weres 
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