Crawford can't pull the ball enough

The Red Sox took a 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals but came very close to winning or at least tying the game in the ninth. Anyway, let's start at the beginning. Josh Beckett threw just like he normally does, giving up just 1 hit in his first 3 innings. In the bottom of the third, Jacoby Ellsbury delivered for the Sox with a two-run single to put them up 2-0. But something goes wrong with Beckett in the fourth. After walking his first two batters, he gave up a three-run bomb to Billy Butler into dead center field. He later gives up an RBI double to Mike Moustakas to go down 4-2. It stayed that way until the eighth, when Dustin Pedroia came up to the plate with a 24-game hitting streak on the line. He nailed a home run into the Monster seats on a pitch that was level with his eyes. Well, at least he extended the streak. I love that Pedroia can consistently hit for the Sox and just keep getting extra-base hits and bombs.

Then in the ninth, with the score 4-3, Carl Crawford pinch-hit for Jason Varitek with a runner on first. Crawford lifted a high, deep fly ball to right field that Jeff Franceour caught just before the wall. Now, I think this could have helped the Sox in many different situations. For instance, Franceour overran the ball at first, then recovered just in time. If he had missed it, then the score is tied with Crawford at least on second. Or, if Crawford had pulled it just a bit more, it would have gone over the wall for a home run and the Sox would have won. Ah well.

Trivia
Crawford already has 3 walk-off hits this year.