Game 50 Thread: Red Sox vs. Royals
…but they’re wearing blue socks tonight.
May 18, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher Connor Wong (12) tags out Kansas City Royals second baseman Michael Massey (19) sliding into home during the fifth inning at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images The Royals are facing one of their biggest adversaries in tonight’s game: a left-hander . Gasp!
The lefties are deadly. If you know one, keep an extra eye on them, because you never know when they’ll kick the teeth into a Royals lineup. To be fair to the Royals, they are trying something different.
Vinnie Pasquantino, who has struggled mightily against lefties over the last few years, moves all the way down to the seventh spot in the lineup. I asked Matt Quatraro before the game why that was and whether it portended anything about Vinnie in the long run. Q was noncomittal about the second part, but he said that Red Sox starting pitcher Ranger Suarez’s more neutral splits were a big part of it.
I don’t know if that makes sense; if Suarez has neutral splits, why isn’t Vinnie in his normal spot on the lineup? But whatever. We’re doing it.