Sean McAdam: Red Sox learn the hard way that timing is everything with ABS challenges
The Red Sox found out the hard way what happens when you use up your ABS challenges too early.
CINCINNATI — Two games into the season, the Red Sox have discovered that the ABS giveth and the ABS taketh away. In Thursday’s opener, a judicious ninth inning challenge from Roman Anthony turned a strikeout into a walk, extended the inning and provided the chance for two critical insurance runs. On Saturday, the system was a factor again, though not in a good way for the Red Sox.
And poor work from home plate umpire C. B. Bucknor merely compounded things.
Unwisely, the Red Sox used their two challenges up early: one by catcher Carlos Narvaez and another by Roman Anthony, using two challenges on successive pitches. That meant that, from the third inning on, the Sox were working without a net — and worse, at the mercy of Bucknor. With no way to challenge Bucknor’s many missed balls and strikes — there were, at minimum, a handful — the Sox were on their own.
“We learned a lot today,” acknowledged Alex Cora, after the Red Sox fell to the Cincinnati Reds, 6-5 in 11 innings . “From my end, there were some calls that we didn’t agree with. But we had no challenges, so we had to live with it until the 10th (when, per the rules, a challenge was awarded).
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