How about this for an inning of work:
- Walk
- Single
- Walk
- Walk (one run)
- K
- Single (two runs)
- Balk
- Sac fly (one run)
- Infield single, E1 (one run)
- Balk
- E6 (one run)
- Groundout
That was Alfredo Aceves’ third inning in what had been a 0-0 game between Oakland and Boston. What the above doesn’t show is that the infield single was Aceves’ fault. First baseman Mike Napoli made a great diving stop on the ball, but Aceves was late breaking from the mound to cover and Josh Reddick beat him to first base. Aceves then made a half-hearted throw home as the runner from second tried to score and the ball eluded Jarrod Saltalamacchia, giving the A’s their fifth run and putting Reddick on second. Reddick came around to make it 6-0 on a Will Middlebrooks error.
Aceves managed to keep the Red Sox in games in his first two starts in John Lackey’s place, winning one and taking a no-decision in the other. Tonight’s was pretty much a disaster, though, and he’s likely headed back to the pen with Lackey potentially returning Sunday. He’ll need to throw better there or risk being dropped from the roster sometime next month.
