You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to spot the primary weakness of the 2019 Boston Red Sox -- especially if you watched Tuesday night's game.
The Red Sox saw a three-run lead over the Cleveland Indians evaporate in a disastrous showing from the bullpen, which allowed five runs total in the ninth inning en route to Boston's 7-5 loss.
The bullpen implosion resurfaced the Red Sox's questionable decision to not replace Craig Kimbrel after the All-Star closer walked in free agency this offseason, opting for a piecemeal, closer-by-committee approach featuring the likes of Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier, who was responsible for three of those five runs Tuesday.
So, are the Sox missing a ninth-inning man in their bullpen? Manager Alex Cora held his ground Wednesday during an interview with WEEI's "Ordway, Merloni & Fauria."
"It doesn’t feel that way in the dugout or in the clubhouse. It looks that way probably from the outside," Cora said, via WEEI.com. "The luxury that we have is our starters, they go six innings, six or seven. That is the beauty of our guys when they are going right. We mix and match and we have guys that we trust. There are a few guys that have to step up. Heath Hembree has been amazing in May. [Marcus] Walden, obviously, has been consistent.
" ... I think stuff-wise we’re in a good place. It just didn’t happen (Tuesday)."
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Cora's faith in the bullpen isn't totally unfounded. Barnes, Hembree and Brandon Workman have all pitched well for the most part, and the Red Sox's 3.92 bullpen ERA is the eight-lowest in baseball.
But there's no denying the lack of a ninth-inning door-slammer is hurting Boston: Sox relievers are converting just 57 percent of their save opportunities this season (nine blown saves in 21 opportunities), fourth-worst in the American League behind Kansas City, Baltimore and Oakland.
Adding an elite closer mid-season is easier said than done, of course, but there are some options out there for the Red Sox if president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski doesn't share Cora's confidence.
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