Wow, this team is BAD! After the Boston Red Sox traded for Adrian Gonzalez, signed Bobby Jenks and Carl Crawford...if you told me the Sox would lose 10 of their first 12 games I would have laughed at you. Well the Sox did just that. The Sox dropped to 2-10 on the season with their latest loss to the Toronto Blue Jays. Clay Buchholz lasted just 4 innings and Brett Cecil held the Sox to a 3-3 deadlock through 6 innings but Bobby Jenks (0-1, 8.31 ERA) coughed up the game by allowing 4 runs in the top of the seventh. The Sox fought back with 3 runs in the bottom of the eighth but couldn't finish the comeback. Jon Rauch slammed the door in the ninth inning and the Sox slide continued with a 7-6 defeat at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.
Buchholz took the mound in the top of the first inning and walked Yunel Escobar on four pitches to start. Corey Patterson lined out to a running Jacoby Ellsbury but Jose Bautista walked. Adam Lind looked to have hit a 3 run homer but replays show the ball was foul by about 3 feet. The umpires got together and ruled the ball foul much to the chagrin of Toronto Blue Jays manager John Farrell. Lind eventually moved both runners over with a groundout and Aaron Hill struck out swinging to end the inning.
Cecil cruised in the bottom of the first as Carl Crawford looked to have beat out a grounder to first but was called out. Replays showed Crawford was safe but oh well. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging on a pitch up and away and Adrian Gonzalez popped up to third to end the inning.
Buchholz cruised in the top of the second inning as JP Arencebia struck out swinging to start. Travis Snider grounded out to first and Juan Rivera hit a broken bat grounder to short to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Kevin Youkilis walked to start. David Ortiz popped up to left and JD Drew hit a routine fly to Snider but he almost collided with Patterson, causing Snider to drop the ball for an error. Jarrod Saltalamacchia took strike three but Marco Scutaro walked to load the bases. Ellsbury struck out swinging to end the inning, what a waste.
Jayson Nix led off the top of the third with a ground out to short and Pedroia made a great throw to rob Escobar of an infield hit. Patterson tried to bunt his way on but Buchholz threw him out to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third although Crawford popped up to Nix in foul territory to start. Pedroia then smashed a home run into the Monster seats to give the Sox the lead. Gonzalez walked and Youkilis then smashed a home run to dead center to increase the lead. Ortiz drew a walk but Drew flied out to center. Saltalamacchia popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.
Buchholz kept the lead in the top of the fourth as Bautista grounded out to third to start. Ellsbury banged into the centerfield wall to rob Lind of a triple but Hill beat out an infield single to short. Hill swiped second but Arencebia grounded out to third to end the inning. Scutaro was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start the bottom of the first and Ellsbury popped up to Nix. Crawford grounded out to first to end the inning.
The Jays struck back in the top of the fifth as Snider popped up to third to start. Rivera and Nix drew back to back walks and moved into scoring position on the grounder by Escobar. Patterson then tripled into the right field corner to drive in both runs. Bautista whiffed to end the inning but the Jays were down 3-2.
The Jays struck back in the top of the fifth as Snider popped up to third to start. Rivera and Nix drew back to back walks and moved into scoring position on the grounder by Escobar. Patterson then tripled into the right field corner to drive in both runs. Bautista whiffed to end the inning but the Jays were down 3-2.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Pedroia flied out to left to start. Gonzalez went down hacking and Youkilis popped up to second to end the inning.
The Jays struck back in the top of the sixth as Lind walked to start. Hill dropped a base hit to left and curiously Sox manager Terry Francona pulled Buchholz. Buchholz went just 5 plus innings and would be charged with 3 runs. Alfredo Aceves came in and got Arencebia to bang into a double play but Snider doubled off the scoreboard to score Lind with the tying run. Rivera grounded out to short to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Ortiz lined out to right to start. Drew tried to drop down a bunt but Cecil snuffed it out and Saltalamacchia took strike three to end the inning.
Bobby Jenks came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Nix walked to start. Escobar hit a seeing eye single to left to advance Nix to third but Jenks struck out Patterson swinging. Bautista singled to left to score Nix to give the Jays the lead. Lind singled home Escobar and the boo birds came out. Bautista and Lind pulled off a double steal and Bautista scored on a wild pitch. Hill singled to left to score Lind and chase the incompetent Jenks from the game. Felix Doubrtont came in and got Arencebia to fly out to center, but Hill stole second. Snider grounded out to third to end the inning with the Jays ahead 7-3.
Jason Frasor came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Scutaro grounded out to third to start. Ellsbury hit a pop up that drew three defenders in but no one made the catch for a "single". Ellsbury took off for second and Arencebia threw the ball into center, letting Ellsbury take third on the error. Crawford popped up to shallow left which turned out to be a big out and Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning.
Dan Wheeler came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rivera popped up to second to start. Nix struck out swinging and Escobar took strike three to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth against Mark Rzepczynski although Gonzalez grounded out to first to start. Youkilis and Ortiz drew back to back walks but Drew struck out swinging. Jed Lowrie pinch hit for Saltalmacchia and a wild pitch moved everyone up before Lowrie singled in the hole at third to score Youkilis. Casey Jannsen came in to pitch and Scutaro doubled over the head of Snider to the wall, clearing the bases to cut the lead. With a chance to tie the game...Ellsbury flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 7-6.
Jason Varitek took over behind the plate, Lowrie moved to short and Jonathan Papelbon came in to pitch the top of the ninth. Patterson grounded out to first but Bautista walked. Lind hit a bullet to Youk who doubled off Bautista at first to end the inning. Jon Rauch came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Crawford was booed as he struck out swinging to start. Pedroia grounded out to short and Gonzalez grounded out to first to end the game. The Jays had won it 7-6 and the Sox have lost 10 of their first 12 games.
Jackass of the Night is Bobby Jenks. He allowed 4 runs in the seventh inning to put the Sox in too big a hole to climb out of.
The Good:
Kevin Youkilis was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, a 2 run home run and 2 runs scored.
David Ortiz walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.
Jed Lowrie singled and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.
Marco Scutaro was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 rbis.
Felix Doubront got the final two outs of the seventh inning.
Dan Wheeler pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Jonathan Papelbon tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
JD Drew was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Carl Crawford was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a solo home run.
Adrian Gonzalez was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.
Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 but stole a base.
Clay Buchholz was charged with 3 runs in just 5 plus innings to earn a no-decision.
Alfredo Aceves allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in an inning.
Honorable Mention:
Jason Varitek caught the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
At the end of tonight's game, Sox fans booed the team off the field. Maybe that will send a message to these guys to turn the season around. Who would have ever thought a team that was this aggressive in the off-season would fall flat on their face? Then again, the Seattle Mariners did the exact same thing last year when they loaded up only to implode. I don't see the Sox players fighting with Terry Francona around. Terry's won 2 rings and knows how to handle egos so at least there shouldn't be world war 3 in the dugout....we hope. Tonight's game was just a new way to lose as Jenks got lit up for the first time all year and the Sox fell a run short of tying it. The Sox starters barely going 5 innings has been a problem the first few weeks of the season because it leaves the door for the bullpen to blow it, like tonight. Again, this team is way too talented to suck this badly so they have to come out of it eventually. Josh Beckett (1-1) has been the stopper for the last four years and the Sox will look to him to pull them out of the rut tomorrow afternoon against the Blue Jays. Jo-Jo Reyes goes for the Jays and the game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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