The Boston Red Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3 on Tuesday night, and Red Sox broadcaster Dennis Eckersley was not impressed with what he saw from the opposition.
With Boston out to an early 5-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning, the Hall of Famer took the chance to rip the Pirates for their poor roster construction.
“You talk about a no-name lineup. There’s no team like this,” Eckersley said. “This is a hodgepodge of nothingness. It’s ridiculous. It really is.”
Eckersley also said that another struggling team in the Kansas City Royals, whom the Red Sox played recently, at least had some serious prospects in their lineup.
While the Pirates have been among the worst teams in MLB this season with a 45-71 record, they do have some talent in their lineup.
Center fielder Bryan Reynolds, although hitting just .259 with 17 home runs and 40 RBI in 99 games entering Tuesday, is a former All-Star. Shortstop Oneil Cruz has flashed some signs of his potential, including having one of the hardest throws of the season by an infielder (see video here). He had hit .200 with nine home runs and 29 RBI in 46 games prior to Tuesday.
But the team as a whole has struggled mightily at the plate this year. The Pirates had the second-lowest team batting average entering Tuesday (.221), the third-most strikeouts (1,073) and the third-fewest RBI (387).
Eckersley’s comments may have been pretty harsh, but given his status in the Red Sox booth for next season, he probably does not have to worry about burning any bridges.
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