If The Red Sox Fall To 2nd In The AL East, A Large Part of It Will Because of John Farrell

So right now the Red Sox sit in a rain delay down in Cleveland and Doug Fister is supposed to take the mound. High key praying for a rain out so Fisty doesn’t need to start for Boston and they can skip right ahead to Pomeranz tomorrow. Can’t believe I trust Pomeranz. What is life?

But last night shook me a little bit about this team and its chances to advance to the playoffs with the ability to have at least home field advantage in the divisional round. Honestly, I even fear the possibility of the Sox falling to second place int he division. We’ve seen what the New York Yankees can do this season. I’ve been saying it since Spring Training. If they get hot, look out because that is a lineup that can mash.

Regardless, the largest factor to the Red Sox advancing to the playoffs atop the AL East is obviously based on how the team performs. Can they stay hot? Can the pitching hold up, especially with the very authentic possibility that David Price could miss the remainder of the season?

Clearly the team’s success is based largely on individual performance. But what I fear is that John Farrell’s ability to manage his team, especially the bullpen, could have an adverse effect on the team’s chances at reaching the post season, and winning the AL East.

The reason I fear this is because of last night’s severe blunder by the team’s leader in the 8th inning. It almost gives me flashbacks like I fought in Vietnam. But my Vietnam is watching this giant faced manager attempt to manage a bullpen during the 2016 season.

Let’s be honest, last night’s call to the bullpen should not have been a question. You’re going toe to toe with one of the American League’s most powerful offensive teams, and you have a solid 8th inning man you brought to this team specifically to pitch in tight, 8th inning situations. And who does he go with? Matt Barnes.

Barnes has been a joke this season and it’s become pretty clear to Red Sox nation that on the road, he is absolute mess who can’t be trusted. And this is who you throw in there? Are you kidding me? At home Barnes holds an ERA under 2.00… but on the road he currently is throwing a 5.53. And you are up by a single run in a high leverage situation, with Reed in the pen, and you think that is the correct move. That’s a joke, right? Please for the love of God, Farrell, look at the God damn numbers for one time in your managerial career PLEASE.

I’ll reiterate, Addison Reed was brought here in a trade for yet another attempt at a Red Sox 8th inning guy. That is it, and that’s how you go about it?

It’s these kind of moves that make me fear for the Red Sox lives coming down the stretch. Because as August ends and September begins, we are approaching the point in the season where every game, and every inning matters.

It just isn’t a question to me anymore. Farrell can’t manage a bullpen. Sure, maybe he tricked us earlier in the season when almost everybody in the pen was pitching well. But now that you need to be selective and hold crucial decision making skills in high leverage situations, I just don’t think Farrell can do that.

And I’ll be honest, it burns my ass to see Torey Lovullo down in Arizona as the manager. Because that guy could have been at the helm of this team, and if not at least brought them to the point that they are at now, maybe even slightly further.

Written By: Nick Quaglia (@NickQuag)