Red Sox Show Why They Aren't A Playoff Team In Latest Sloppy Performance

It would have been frustrating enough for the Boston Red Sox to play like they did Monday night in a vacuum. But the most frustrating part was how expected it's become.

Boston dropped a 9-5 series opener to the Los Angeles Angels that they should have won five different ways. They took a 3-0 lead in the first, but from that ponit forward, it was mayhem.

Starting pitcher Walker Buehler surrendered a career-high seven walks. The pitching staff walked 11 in total, and four of the Angels' runs crossed the plate either on bases-loaded walks or hit-by-pitches.

The offense, you ask? Well, the Red Sox made three boneheaded outs on the basepaths. Wilyer Abreu tried to take second base on a first-inning RBI single and was thrown out, which limited the Red Sox to three runs despite five straight hits in the inning.

Then, in the fifth inning, the play of the game. Jarren Duran was caught in a rundown between second and third base, breaking a cardinal rule of baserunning by trying to get to third on a non-force play on a ground ball in front of him. Then, after Duran was tagged out, the batter, Abraham Toro, was thrown out by 15 feet at second base.

The play resulted in manager Alex Cora getting ejected, as he argued Luis Rengifo's knee was blocking second base. But the reality was the play never should have unfolded to begin with, and it was the kind of play that only happens to the Red Sox.

Then, as a final knife in their own side, the Red Sox committed their only error of the night in the bottom of the eighth inning, as catcher Connor Wong skipped his throw into center field on LaMonte Wade Jr.'s steal attempt. It was Boston's league-leading 69th error of the year, and it put the winning run on third base with no outs.

We've been watching this same Red Sox game for the last four years. It's an undisciplined, unfocused team that makes mistakes amateurs usually know not to make. And it's why despite all their talent, the Red Sox haven't been a playoff team in that span, nor will they be this year.