The 2011 season is 11 games in and nothing has gone right for the Boston Red Sox. Last night they were pulverized 16-5 by the Tampa Bay Rays and today the Rays only scored 3 runs but it happened to be enough. Jon Lester (0-1, 3.72 ERA) tossed 7 innings of 3 run ball which normally would be good enough to win. Too bad his counterpart was Rays ace David Price who was even better, tossing 7 2/3 innings of 2 run ball. The Sox took the lead on a Darnell McDonald home run but last night's duo of Johnny Damon and Sam Fuld did it again by leading a 3 run rally in the top of the fifth. The Sox got a run in the bottom of the sixth but Price and the Rays bullpen slammed the door on them. The Sox season is slipping away as they've dropped 9 of their first 11 games including this one 3-2 at Fenway Park.
Lester started off strong in the top of the first as Sam Fuld grounded out to short to start Johnny Damon and BJ Upton both struck out swinging to end the inning. Carl Crawford was plunked to start the bottom of the first but Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging. Crawford got picked off and Gonzalez lined out to a running Fuld to end the inning.
Felipe Lopez led off the top of the second with a base hit to left but Sean Rodriguez banged into a double play. Ben Zobrist walked and stole second but old friend Kelly Shoppach popped up to center to end the inning. Kevin Youkilis led off the bottom of the second with a ground out to third but Jed Lowrie doubled just over the head of Fuld. Mike Cameron popped up to short and Jason Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning.
Lester got Dan Johnson to pop up to third to start the top of the third and Elliot Johnson took strike three on the outside corner. Fuld singled to right and stole second but Damon froze for strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Darnell McDonald mashed his first home run of the season to put Boston on top. Marco Scutaro flied out to right, Crawford grounded out to short and Pedroia lined out to a running Fuld to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
Lester turned up the heat in the top of the fourth as Upton froze for strike three to start. Lopez also watched strike three go by and Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning. Gonzalez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Youkilis missed a home run off the Pesky Pole by 10 feet. Youk ended up getting a base hit to left but Lowrie lined out to third. Cameron grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Rays stormed back with a vengeance in the top of the fifth although Zobrist grounded out to short to start. Shoppach grounded a base hit up the middle and Dan Johnson dumped a base hit to left. Elliot Johnson also dropped a base hit to left to load the bases. Fuld then hit a little roller to first and Gonzalez threw home but Shoppach beat the play to score the run. Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young came out to tell Lester that Janet Jackson sang the song Black Cat and Lester was so disinterested he allowed Damon to get a base hit up the middle to score the Johnsons. Upton banged into a double play to end the inning but the Rays led 3-1.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Varitek popped up to right to start. McDonald lined out to third but Scutaro walked. Crawford struck out swinging to end the inning.
Lester returned for the top of the sixth and Lopez walked to start. Lopez was picked off and Rodriguez took strike three. Zobrist grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox had one last chance to crack Price in the bottom of the sixth and Pedroia doubled into the right field gap to start. Gonzalez lined one off of Price but was thrown out by Zobrist, Pedroia moving to third on the play. Youkilis took strike three but Lowrie lined a double into the right field gap to score Pedroia and cut the lead. With a chance to tie the game....Cameron grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.
Lester came back for the top of the seventh and got Shoppach to pop up but Dan Johnson singled to center. Elliot Johnson bounced into a double play to end the inning. Lester had one bad inning and left after allowing 3 runs in 7 innings of work while striking out 8.
Casey Kotchman took over for Johnson at first to begin the bottom of the seventh. Varitek popped up to short, McDonald grounded out to short and Scutaro flied out to right to end the inning.
Daniel Bard came in for the top of the eighth and Fuld grounded out to second to start. Damon threw his bat on a grounder back to the mound and the ball went by Bard, allowing Damon to beat out the infield single. Damon swiped second and moved to third on the Upton fly ball to right. Lopez grounded out to second to end the inning. Reid Brignac took over for Lopez in the bottom of the eighth and Crawford lined out to left to start. Pedroia walked and moved to second on the Gonzalez grounder before Youk was plunked to put the tying runs on. That was it for Price who was outstanding, tossing 7 2/3 innings of 2 run ball. Joel Peralta came in to face Lowrie batting from the left side and Jed flied out to center to end the inning.
Bobby Jenks came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Lowrie snuffed out a bunt attempt by Rodriguez to start. Zobrist grounded back to the mound and Shoppach struck out swinging to end the inning. Kyle Farnsworth came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Jacoby Ellsbury pinch hit for Cameron. Ellsbury struck out swinging and JD Drew pinch hit for Varitek. Drew also struck out swinging and David Ortiz pinch hit for McDonald and flied out to right to end the game. The Rays had won the close one 3-2.
Jackass of the Night is Carl Crawford. He was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and got picked off after getting plunked in what turned out to be a crucial out in a one run game.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Kevin Youkilis was 1 for 3.
Jed Lowrie was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Darnell McDonald was 1 for 3 with a solo home run.
One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Jon Lester tossed 7 strong innings of 3 run ball, just didn't get any run support.
Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless eighth.
Bobby Jenks pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Bad:
Adrian Gonzalez was 0 for 4.
Mike Cameron was 0 for 3.
Jacoby Ellsbury struck out as a pinch hitter.
Jason Varitek was 0 for 3.
JD Drew stuck out as a pinch hitter.
David Ortiz flied out as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Marco Scutaro was 0 for 2 but walked.
Final Thoughts:
As Casey Stengal once said "I've been in this game a hundred years but I've seen new ways to lose I never knew existed before." The Sox got steamrolled last night and lost a close one tonight. They can't pitch when they hit and they can't hit when they pitch. Its only April but starting the season 2-9 is a huge hole that's going to take weeks to climb out of. Even if they go on a 7 game win streak, they're only going to be 9-9. Still, they better start getting hot or the "best team evah" is going to go down in flames as one of the biggest jokes of all time. Tonight's game was another case of just not being good enough. David Price outpitched Jon Lester and the Sox couldn't get a clutch hit against him, Peralata or Farnsworth. I never blame anyone for failing to pinch hit. Its unfair to expect someone to come off the bench ice cold after sitting all game and hit someone throwing nearly 100 miles an hour. Still, it would have been nice if someone delivered in the ninth. With the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins starting the playoffs soon, the Sox are going to be a very lonely team when it comes to media and fan support if they don't turn the ship around soon. The Sox look to avoid a series sweep tomorrow night when John Lackey (0-2) looks to right himself against Wade Davis of the Rays. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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