This Is Really Frustrating!

 I sometimes think that people who DON'T watch the games live and just watch the highlights, if there any, are the smart ones.

Watching the game tonight, the whole game, live, was incredibly exasperating and frustrating.  

Time after time, frustrating ABs and lack of situational hitting:

First inning: Runners on nd and 3rd, one out. Gimenez swinging at the first two pitches, both of which were unhittably inside.  The fact that Bell was beaten again with an inside fastball is beside the point.  The fact that Francona had Gimenez hitting 4th and he failed so miserably was the story here.

Second inning: Two hits produce, 1st and 3rd with no outs.  Naylor gets hit on the foot.  It's obvious on replay but, once again, the pathetic video review team and Francona make the wrong call and we don't challenge the non-call.  Bases loaded with no one out or the other result: Naylor whiffs and we have runners on second and 3rd.  Myles Straw, only having to put the ball in play, strikes out.   Kwan hits one up the middle that almost sneaks through but is thrown out by the SS.  

Third inning: Ramirez walks, Gimenez gets hit on the foot.  Bell Ks and Brennan lines out to the warning track.

Fourth inning: Fry HBP, Naylor lines out to the warning track, Straw walks.  We get a gift when Kwan hits into a double play but Albies drops the ball, getting only out.  But Rosario hits the ball on a line to Acuna.

Fifth inning: Runners on 1st and 2nd with two outs, Fry hits one on the ground towards LF but Riley makes a great diving stop to end the inning.

Add that to terrible pitching and terrible defensive plays by Rosario and Gimenez and you get the result.  It doesn't help that Minnesota swept Kansas City and so is now two games up on us.  

The only saving grace was that we won one game in this series, no thanks to Clase and lots of thanks to David Fry.  

But those first 5 innings were really frustrating.  Their starter was struggling mightily every inning and we did nothing but help him out with bad replay decisions and terrible situational hitting, not to mention just terrible clutch hitting.  

Yes, we are still just 2 games out but my frustration level could not be higher for a single game after watching this disaster tonight.  Also, how can you go a whole game like this and not see Freeman pinch hit.  Plus we have to hope that Gimenez and Ramirez are OK after getting hit by pitches tonight and that Naylor is healthy, not just healthy enough to suit up but healthy and as productive as he has been recently.  Because now that Minnesota has swept KC we need to go the same.  If we do, maybe Baltimore beats Minnesota 2 of 3 and we end up in first place at the all-star break.