As for the game, another unmitigated disaster by the Boston Red Sox. After getting blanked last night by the Toronto Blue Jays, the Sox didn't do much better tonight. Drew Hutchison lasted just 5 innings but held the anemic bats to just 1 run. Liam Hendriks and Roberto Osuna threw 4 shutout innings to keep the Sox off the board. Meanwhile Joe Kelly (1-2, 6.35 ERA) got hammered again, this time for 6 runs before getting knocked out in the sixth inning. Matt Barnes allowed a run of his own and the sliding Sox dropped another one, 7-1 at the Skydome.
Hutchison got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to Ryan Goins to start. Dustin Pedroia lined out to left and David Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning. The Jays wasted no time getting to Kelly in the bottom of the first as Devon Travis grounded out to third to start. Josh Donaldson got a base hit to right and took second when Kelly threw the pickoff throw away. Jose Bautista walked and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Edwin Encarnacion walked to load the bases and Sox manager John Farrell had to storm out of the dugout as the acting pitching coach to tell Kelly to shut up and pitch. Russell Martin hit a fly ball to right that scored Donaldson, moved Bautista to third and put the Jays on top. Encarnacion swiped second and Kevin Pillar walked to reload the bases. Michael Saunders grounded out to third to end the inning with Toronto on top 1-0.
Hanley Ramirez led off the top of the second with a grounder to Donaldson who threw low to Encarnacion for an error. It looked like Pablo Sandoval hit into a double play but Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Sandoval was safe. The umps overturned the call but Mike Napoli struck out swinging. Allen Craig also went down hacking to end the inning. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the second as Chris Colabello walked to start. Ryan Goins flied out to left but Kelly ran into Travis on his way to first on a grounder to first for an interference call. Naturally Donaldson singled to left to score Colabello to increase the lead. Bautista flied out to deep center to move Travis to third and Encarnacion walked. Martin struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 2-0.
The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Xander Bogaerts singled to right to start. Swihart popped up to third in foul territory but Mr. Mookie got a base hit to center. Pedroia struck out swinging and Ortiz flied out to left to end the inning. Pillar grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third before Saunders lined out to right. Colabello grounded out to short to end the inning.
Ramirez took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Sandoval ripped a base hit to left. Napoli doubled to right but Craig lined out to short. Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning. The Jays iced the game in the bottom of the fourth although Sox analyst "Psycho" Steve Lyons told a hilarious story of when he came to the Skydome with the Chicago White Sox, he threw a ball through the glass window in centerfield thinking it was bulletproof, having to pay $1,200 for repairs months later after he was traded back to Boston. Goins struck out swinging but Travis walked. Donaldson flied out to right but Bautista walked. Both runners pulled off a double steal but it was moot when Encarnacion hit a home run all the way to Quebec to ice the game. Martin grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Jays up 5-1.
Yeah that'll do it
The Sox fought back in the top of the fifth as Swihart took strike three to start. Mr. Mookie doubled to left and Pedroia dumped a base hit to right to score Betts. Ortiz got an opposite field base hit but Ramirez flied out to right. Sandoval walked to load the bases but Napoli flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.
Pillar flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Saunders grounded out to short. Colabello took strike three to end the inning.
Liam Hendriks came in to pitch the top of the sixth as Craig was frozen for strike three to start. Bogaerts grounded out to short and Swihart flied out to center to end the inning. The Jays finished off Kelly in the bottom of the sixth as Goins grounded back to the mound to start. Travis lined out to center but Donaldson beat out an infield single to short to end Kelly's day. He allowed 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 4 hits and SEVEN walks. Matt Barnes came in and poured gas on the fire as he uncorked a wild pitch to move Donaldson to second. Bautista got a base hit to center to score Donaldson and close the book on Kelly. Encarnacion singled to right but Martin popped up to second to end the inning with the Jays up 6-1.
Another bad start for Kelly
Ezequiel Carrera came in for Colabello to start the top of the seventh and Mr. Mookie grounded out to first to start. Pedroia grounded out to second and Ortiz popped up to third to end the inning. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Pillar popped up to third to start. Sox analyst Steve Lyons quipped that when the Montreal Expos were winning a game, nobody cared because no goals were scored. Saunders grounded out to second but Carrera blooped a double just in front of Craig. Goins drew a walk and Travis dumped a base hit to center to score Carrera. Donaldson struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 7-1 Jays
Ramirez grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth before Sandoval got a base hit to left. Napoli and Craig both struck out swinging to end the inning. Tommy Layne came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Bautista grounded out to short to start. Encarnacion took strike three but Martin singled in the hole at short. Pillar forced Martin at second to end the inning.
Justin Smoak came in for Encarnacion and Roberto Osuna came in to close out the top of the ninth. Bogaerts grounded out to third, Swihart struck out swinging and Betts flied out to center to end the game. The Jays had won it 7-1.
Jays win
Get out of the way Jackass!
Jackass of the Night is Joe Kelly. Not that the Sox were doing anything at the plate, but Kelly didn't give them a chance to win by allowing 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings including a dumb interference in the second inning.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Pablo Sandoval was 2 for 3 with a walk.
Tommy Layne pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Allen Craig was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Blake Swihart was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Matt Barnes allowed an insurance run and one of his own in 1 1/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4
Final Thoughts:
Another no-show by the Boston bats but it looks like help is on the way. Shane Victorino is almost through with his rehab in Portland and Hanley Ramirez should get his wind back soon. Still, it doesn't matter if you can't pitch and the Sox starters are struggling big time. Kelly couldn't find the plate so he left a meatball for Encarnacion to hit a mile. Farrell running around as the pitching coach and manager thankfully ended because new pitching coach Carl Willis will take over tomorrow. Baseball fans remember Willis as a top set-up man for the 1991 World Series Champion Minnesota Twins. Hopefully he can help some of the starters out because they're pitching like crap. The key to the game was the top of fourth when the Sox had second and third but couldn't get anyone in when the game was only 2-0. Had Craig or Bogaerts done something, things might have turned out different. The Sox can't hit or pitch right now and everything stinks. The loss dropped the Sox to 13-17, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when Clay Buchholz (1-4, 6.03 ERA) takes on RA Dickey of Toronto.
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