THE TOP OF THE LINEUP

One and two are the table setters

I caught the last couple of innings of the Red Sox's loss to the Mariners yesterday afternoon. And the 8th inning was telling as to how opponents want to deal with the top two in the Boston lineup.

Holding a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the 8th, the Mariners brought in lefty Gabe Speier to pitch even though right-handed batter Carlos Narváez was leading off. Carlos led off with a Fenway homer off the Pesky Pole. It was a 334-foot line drive that would be a home run only at Fenway. But the M’s had that run to give up.

With the score now 4-3, Speier faced the top of the Sox lineup. Jarrin Duran and Rafael Devers, both lefties. Speier struck them both out on nine pitches and was done for the day. Yes, he allowed a fluke homer, but he did the job that was expected of him, and it was no surprise. Duran and Devers have been awful against lefties this season, hitting a combined .133 with a .383 OPS.

Lefties aren’t the only problem for the less-than-dynamic duo at the top of the Sox lineup. The Sox 1-2 batters are hitting a combined .227, 24th in the majors. Their .677 OPS is 23rd in the majors. That is not a formula for winning baseball.

THE TEAMS WITH .800+ OPS FOR 1-2 BATTERS WOULD ALL…