As for the game, once again the Boston Red Sox were stymied by the Toronto Blue Jays although the Sox made it interesting at the end. Marco Estrada held the Sox in check all game but they pounced on the bullpen for four runs, but ultimately it wasn't enough as the Jays took the game 5-4 and the series at Fenway Park.
Eduardo Rodriguez (1-1, 4.50 ERA) pooped himself right out of the gate, allowing a leadoff home run to Jose Bautista off the top of the Monster 4 pitches into the game. Josh Donaldson grounded out to third, Edwin Encarnacion flied out to center and Russell Martin also grounded out to third to end the inning but the Jays were up 1-0.
The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the first against Estrada although Mr. Mookie Betts worked a walk to start the inning before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Dustin Pedroia walked but Xander Bogaerts forced Mr. Mookie at third with a terrible bunt that had both Sox analysts Dennis Eckersley and "Psycho" Steve Lyons scratching their heads. David Ortiz lined out to a running Kevin Pillar in center and Travis Shaw was rung up on a check swing to end the inning. What a waste.
Rodriguez was all over the plate in the top of the second inning although he got Michael Saunders to pop up to the warning track in left to start the inning. Devon Travis popped up to short and Pillar popped up to second to end the inning. Hanley Ramirez led off the bottom of the second by drawing a walk but Jackie Bradley Jr popped up to third. Psycho Steve said Hanley deserves a gold glove at first although Eck told him to pump the brakes. Chris Young popped up to first and Christian Vazquez grounded out to end the inning.
The Jays took control in the top of the third inning although Matt Dominguez flied out to right to begin. Darwin Barney golfed a home run into the Monster seats to increase the lead. Rodriguez got Bautista to pop up to right although Donaldson walked. Encarnacion blasted a two run home run off a flat fastball right down the middle much to Eck's chagrin. Lyons wondered when Vazquez would start to overrule E-Rod on his pitch selection. Martin walked as Sox pitching coach Carl Willis made a mad dash to the mound to remind him they're serving free hot dogs in the dugout. Rodriguez got so excited he got Saunders to fly out to center to end the inning with the Jays ahead 4-0.
The Sox once again failed to respond in the bottom of the third inning. Mr. Mookie popped up to third, Pedroia grounded out to third and Bogaerts popped up to third to end the inning.
Pedroia made a great play to rob Travis of a hit to begin the top of the fourth inning. Pillar popped up to center and Dominguez hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning. The Sox couldnt even get a hit off Estrada in the bottom of the fourth inning as Ortiz went down hacking to begin. Shaw gave one a ride but Pillar caught it at the centerfield wall. Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning.
Rodriguez walked Barney to start the top of the fifth but Bautista banged into a double play. Donaldson grounded out to third to end the inning. Once again the Sox went hitless in the bottom of the fifth as JBJ whiffed to begin the inning. Young lined out to left and Vazquez whiffed to end the inning. The Sox still didn't have a hit yet.
The Jays iced the game in the top of the sixth although Encarnarcion grounded out to second to start Then Martin lined a straight fastball into the Monster Seats to put the Jays up for good. JBJ had to run down a line shot by Saunders and Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough. He lifted the incompetent Rodriguez after giving up 4 home runs and 5 runs in just 5 2/3 innings while throwing 99 pitches. Not his best stuff at all.
Heath Hembree came in and punched out Travis to end the inning but the Jays were up 5-0. The Sox still couldn't hit Estrada in the bottom of the sixth. Mr. Mookie flied out to center and Pedroia lined out to third before Bogaerts popped up a mile high to first to end the inning.
Hembree came back for the top of the seventh and got Pillar to pop up to first to begin the inning. Bogaerts made a sensational grab and throw to nail Dominguez at first but Barney walked. Bautista swung at air to end the inning. Estrada returned for the bottom of the seventh and Ortiz popped up to right, Shaw lined out to center and Bautista ran down a line drive by Ramirez to end the inning. Estrada was 6 outs away from a no-hitter.
Hembree whiffed Donaldson to start the top of the eighth and Encarnacion hit a comebacker to the mound. Martin whiffed to end the inning. Hembree really stepped up after Rodriguez faltered.
The no-hitter appeared to be in sight when JBJ popped up to third to begin the bottom of the eighth but Young ruined it with a solo home run to left and actually got booed by a few fans. Bautista made a running catch to rob Vazquez of a bloop single and Mr. Mookie whiffed to end the inning, but the Sox had ended the no-no and trailed 5-1.
Clay Buchholz of all people was brought in to pitch the top of the ninth inning and he made quick work of the Jays. Saunders grounded out to third, Travis watched strike three go by and Pillar grounded out to third to end the inning. Estrada came back to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth and the Sox made him pay. Pedroia lined a double into the left field corner and Jays manager John Gibbons waddled to the mound to bring in closer Roberto Osuna. Bogaerts popped up as Sox announcer Dave O'Brien said there were only 6 hits in the game total. Lyons "Most of them ended up in the street." Ortiz pounded a double into the gap in right to score Pedroia to wake the crowd up. Rusney Castillo pinch ran for Ortiz but Shaw whiffed to put the Sox down to their last out. Ramirez lashed a 420 foot double off the centerfield wall to score Castillo and bring the tying run to the plate. JBJ lined a single to right to score Ramirez and put the tying run on.Young singled and the Sox had gone from 5 outs away from being no hit from a base hit away from tying the game. For whatever reason Sox manager John Farrell sent in ice cold Marco Hernandez to pinch hit for Vazquez. Naturally Hernandez whiffed after being up 3-0 in the count to end the game. The rally fell short and the Jays had won it 5-4.
Jackass of the Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. He lasted just 5 2/3 innings and gave up FOUR home runs. He didn't trust his breaking stuff and it showed as the Jays sat on his fastballs all game.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Rusney Castillo pinch ran for David Ortiz and scored.
Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.
Chris Young was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.
Heath Hembree tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
Clay Buchholz pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4.
Travis Shaw was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Marco Hernandez struck out to end the game.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but walked.
David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was an rbi double.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but with an rbi.
Final Thoughts:
Quite simply Rodriguez sucked today. He didn't trust his breaking stuff and you cannot beat a dead fastball hitting team with straight fastballs. He hee-haw'd around and threw 100 pitches in less than 6 innings while giving up 4 bombs. That's not gonna cut it. On the other side the Sox had their chance to get to Estrada early but Bogaerts made the idiotic decision to bunt when Marco had walked the first two hitters. After that Estrada was virtually unhittable. The late rally at the end was fun but the horrid pitching of Rodriguez was too much to overcome. The loss dropped the Sox to 33-24, tied for first place in the AL East with the Baltimore Orioles. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox go back to work Tuesday night in San Fransisco for an interleague series with the Giants. "Slick" Rick Porcello (7-2, 4.00 ERA) takes the ball opposite Albert Suarez. The game begins at 10:15 PM at AT&T Park.
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