How Fenway Park cost Red Sox, Wilyer Abreu their biggest swing Tuesday vs. Phillies ace
BOSTON — The Red Sox were the victim of an opposing ace — and then their own ballpark — in a 2-1 loss to the Phillies on Tuesday night. Boston got little going against Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler through six innings, then almost had a chance to beat (or at least tie) him before the park elements came into play late in a fast-moving series opener. With the Phillies leading, 2-0, in the bottom of the seventh and Wheeler cruising, new No.
2 hitter Mickey Gasper laced a 104 mph single to get on with no one out. Wilyer Abreu then pulled a 3-2 sweeper to deep right at 105. 6 mph, but right fielder Adolis Garcia caught it 374 feet away from home plate on the warning track.
The blast would have been a homer in every other (29/30, other than Fenway) major league park. The NESN camera shot surely made it look like the ball was headed for the seats , and Abreu and his teammates thought the game would be tied, too. “Me, and everybody thought that was out,” Abreu said postgame.
“There’s nothing I can say about that. It was a really good hit and just didn’t go out. ” Abreu’s fly-out preceded a Red Sox mini-rally in the seventh in which Trevor Story singled Gasper to second and Ceddanne Rafaela flared an RBI hit to right field.
With runners on the corners and two outs, Marcelo Mayer smoked a 106. 2 mph ground out to shortstop Trea Turner. Before that inning, the Red Sox did little against Wheeler, a perennial Cy Young candidate and three-time All-Star.