BOSTON - It's hard to discuss Monday's 8-2 loss to the Indians without addressing the elephant in the room, or in this case, the elephant in left field.
Yes, Hanley Ramirez is back out there. No, he doesn't look any more comfortable.
It's even harder to ignore when you take a look at the other two starting outfielders on this Red Sox team, Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr., and see the types of catches they're making -- or at least putting a good attempt at making.
Take for instance the catch Betts made in the fifth inning. Indians slugger Michael Brantley ripped a line drive to center field that was tailing away from the streaking Betts. But he laid out for it and took away what should have been a double. (WATCH)
Betts just made the switch to center last year. He's made a bunch of catches just like this in his first full season as the team's center fielder.
Now let's go one inning further, when Lonnie Chisenhall hit a Heath Hembree pitch into the Indians bullpen. The ball was simply hit too far for any outfielder to possibly make a play on it, but that didn't stop Bradley from trying. As Bradley raced back towards the wall in right field, he timed his leap up onto the Fenway Park wall to position himself for a circus catch. Had the ball been hit a little shallower, Bradley may have had a play on it that we'd be talking about forever. (WATCH)
It's something he says that he's worked on in batting practice, and in fact has all the detailed rules on as he expects to make a catch like that someday.
"Kind of bounded onto the wall to see if I could get a better angle at it," Bradley said. "It was still out of my reach so I just went on and jumped over."
Ho hum. No big deal to Bradley, who has already shown the ability to make highlight-worthy catches at all three outfield positions.
Not that Ramirez ever has to worry about jumping onto the Green Monster, he can't even seem to get out to the base of it when need be.
Before Betts' catch and Bradley's attempt, Ramirez misplayed yet another ball in left field.
With the bases loaded in the fourth inning of a 1-1 game, Chisenhall roped a line drive to left field that hit the Monster about head-high. Ramirez, back-pedaling to the ball that was hit on a rope, tried to get a glove on it to no avail before the ball flew past him, ricocheted off the wall and away from him. Betts picked it up and fired it in, but the Indians had scored two runs on the hit to take a 3-1 lead they'd never look back from.
Make no mistake about it, Bradley makes that catch if he's in left. Rusney Castillo or Alejandro De Aza probably make it, too.
John Farrell has defended Ramirez's play for most of the season, and now it's Torey Lovullo's turn.
"Hanley is a work in progress. He's made improvements in the outfield," Lovullo said, echoing what GM Ben Cherington has said all year. "That was a tough play tonight. I think as we continue moving forward with Hanley I think that's going to be a play that he'll feel comfortable making, but we have to understand where he's come from and where he's at right now. He's missed a number of games. I think all things being said it was a tough play. We do have three really talented, gifted outfielders but we wanted Hanley in that lineup tonight. He was a guy that was going to potentially change the game for us. That was the decision and unfortunately it didn't work out."
Ramirez did have one of six Red Sox hits, a double in the seventh inning, but on this night his trouble in left field hurt the Sox more than his bat helped.
We'd be remiss not to mention that Bradley made a bit of an uncharacteristic play in right field three batters before Ramirez's flub.
He hesitated on a line drive with top spin on it and instead of charging it and attempting a diving catch, he held up and let the ball fall in front. After the game, Lovullo, perhaps not wanting to throw his player under the bus, said he didn't think Bradley could have made that play. Bradley thought he could.
The fact that it's up for debate tells the real story: Bradley is good enough where he's expected to catch just about everything that comes his way. Ditto for Betts.
And that just won't ever be the case for Ramirez.