Alex Cora’s Controversial Lineup Strategy Paying Off For Red Sox
When the Boston Red Sox promoted top prospects Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony earlier in the season, many Red Sox fans wanted them in the lineup every day. Alex Cora has resisted the temptation, however, limiting their at-bats against left-handed pitchers to avoid over-exposing them so early in their careers.
While Cora has faced criticism at times for platooning his young stars and restricting their playing time, the strategy has paid off. Boston’s been one of the best teams in baseball against southpaws this year, ranking first in runs (152) and batting average (.274).
Look no further than last weekend, when the Red Sox swept the Washington Nationals. They dominated the Nationals’ left-handed starters (Mitchell Parker and Shinnosuke Ogasawara) on Saturday and Sunday, pounding them for 13 runs on 17 hits in 8 2/3 innings.
Mayer came off the bench in both games, ceding his starting spot at third base to Nate Eaton. Eaton went 2-for-7 with three runs, improving his season line against lefties to .333/.400/.417.
While Mayer has been decent against righties (.743 OPS), he’s struggled versus lefties, batting just .182/.182/.273 with seven strikeouts in 22 plate appearances against them. He’s only been in the Major Leagues for six weeks, so protecting his confidence during this adjustment period is critical.
On the other hand, Cora kept Anthony in the lineup over the weekend after benching him against lefties in June. Anthony’s been red-hot lately, and he rewarded his manager’s trust by going 3-for-10 with two RBI on Saturday and Sunday.
With Boston losing several of its top hitters (Alex Bregman, Triston Casas, Masataka Yoshida) to injuries and trading Rafael Devers, Cora needs to find offense wherever he can and try to get the most out of his lineup on a daily basis. Eaton, Romy Gonzalez and Rob Refsnyder may not be stars, but they crush lefties and give the Red Sox a better chance to win against them.
Balancing short and long-term goals is always tricky, but Cora’s main focus right now should be on winning games and keeping Boston in the playoff race. If the Red Sox fall out of contention in the second half, then he can afford to give Mayer more playing time against lefties and let him work through any struggles.
But for now, Cora should keep playing the matchups. It may not be the most popular strategy, but the results speak for themselves.