Eduardo Rodriguez (4-2, 3.54 ERA) seems to be snakebit when it comes to injuries. First he falls down last year and never got out of the box, this year he randomly falls in the bullpen and the Baltimore Orioles clobbered him for 4 home runs. The more pressing matter is the Boston Red Sox offense continues to struggle against mediocre starting pitching. Tonight they got shut down by WADE MILEY of all people. The Sox woke up late but it was too late to salvage the game as the Baltimore Orioles had won it 7-5 at Camden Yards.
Artist's rendition of Eduardo Rodriguez in the bullpen
Old pal Wade Miley got the start for the O's in the top of the first and Adam Jones robbed Mr. Mookie Betts of a lead-off homer, climbing the wall for the out. Chris Young lined out to JJ Hardy as NESN cameras caught Eduardo Rodriguez falling down in the bullpen. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning. Was Rodriguez okay in the bottom of the first? Joey Rickard popped up to center to start. Adam Jones grounded out softly to second but the struggling Manny Machado singled up the middle. Mark Trumbo then blasted a 2 run bomb to left to give the O's the lead. Rodriguez recovered to strike out Chris Davis but the damage was done, 2-0 O's.
"This sucks" - Rodriguez
The Sox struck back in the top of the second. Hanley Ramirez popped up to second but Sam Travis got lucky when Chris Davis airmailed a throw to Miley covering first, allowing Travis to reach second on the error. Josh Rutledge grounded out but Christian Vazquez blooped a single to center to score Travis to cut the lead. Jackie Bradley Jr singled Vazquez to third but Deven Marrero grounded out to end the inning with the Sox now down 2-1.
Rodriguez ran into trouble to start the bottom of the second. Trey Mancini nearly homered off the wall in right but settled for a double. Sox analyst Jerry Remy says Rodriguez' delivery didn't look right as Jonathan Schoop popped up. Hardy also popped up to shallow center and Caleb Joseph struck out to end the inning.
Miley held the Sox at bay in the top of the third inning as Mr. Mookie popped up to start. Young singled but foolishly was thrown out at second trying to steal after a pitch bounced in front of Joseph. Bogaerts flied out to end the inning. Rodriguez did what he could in the bottom of the third, getting Rickard to ground out to start. Jones popped up to Betts on the first pitch and Machado grounded out to end the inning.
Miley stayed hot in the top of the fourth inning as Ramirez looked at strike three to start. Somehow Travis blooped a single but Rutledge whiffed badly on a slider in the dirt. Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning, The O's iced the game in the bottom of the fourth. Trumbo grounded out but Davis mashed a solo home run to right to increase the lead. Mancini grounded out to third and Schoop watched strike three go by to end the inning but the O's were up 3-1.
Davis makes it 3-1
3-1 may as well have been 300-1 because there was no touching Miley in the top of the fifth. JBJ grounded out, Marrero grounded out and Mr. Mookie grounded out to end the inning. Rodriguez returned for the bottom of the fifth and got Hardy to ground out to second. Joseph and Rickard whiffed to end the inning,
Miley cruised in the top of the sixth inning as well. Young grounded out, Bogaerts grounded out and Ramirez grounded out. That's 7 straight ground ball outs by Miley who normally walks the ballpark. Pathetic. Meanwhile the O's couldn't miss as Jones smacked a leadoff line drive home run to left in the bottom of the sixth. Machado and Trumbo stroked back to back singles. Somehow Rodriguez struck out Davis and erased Trumbo at second on the force by Mancini. Schoop put the game out of the reach with a 3 run blast to left to make it 7-1. That's 4 homers allowed by Rodriguez and that was it for him. Whatever he did before the game made him just ineffective enough for Baltimore to pounce on him.
"Wow, I suck." - Rodriguez
Blaine Boyer replaced Rodriguez and got Hardy to fly out to end the inning.
Sam Travis singled to lead off the top of the seventh inning but was erased on the Rutledge force. Vazquez lined out and JBJ struck out to end the inning. 7 innings of 1 run ball thrown by Miley with no walks, they made him look like Randy Johnson tonight. Boyer came back for the bottom of the seventh and got Joseph to ground out at the start. Rickard grounded out and Jones grounded out to end the inning.
The Sox mustered nothing against Mike Wright in the top of the eighth inning as well. Pablo Sandoval pinch hit for Marrero and grounded out. Mr. Mookie struck out and Andrew Benintendi pinch hit for Young only to fly out to end the inning. Fernando Abad got the call in the bottom of the eighth and got Machado to fly out. Trumbo singled but Davis flied out. Mancini singled but Schoop struck out to end the inning.
Seth Smith took over in right field as Mike Wright came back for the ninth. Bogaerts struck out but Ramirez singled. Travis watched strike three go by but Rutledge and Vazquez stroked back to back singles to score Ramirez and increase the torture. Somehow JBJ smashed a 3 run bomb to dead center to make it a 2 run game. How big was the Schoop homer now?
JBJ makes a game of it
Sandoval grounded out to end the game. The O's had won it 7-5.
Sandoval grounded out to end the game. The O's had won it 7-5.
Jackass of the Night is an easy one. Eduardo Rodriguez got lit up for 7 runs off four home runs in just 5 2/3 innings.
Rodriguez: Jackass
The Good:
Chris Young was 1 for 3.
Sam Travis was 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbi's.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with a big 3 run home run.
Blaine Boyer tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.
Fernando Abad pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Andrew Benintendi flied out as a pinch hitter.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Deven Marrero was 0 for 2.
Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 2 after coming in for Marrero.
The Ugly:
Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Josh Rutledge was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
Forget the horrid start by Rodriguez, that's yet another mediocre starting pitcher that has shut down the Red Sox offense. We're not talking ace pitchers here, we're talking Mike Pelfrey, Wade Miley and some of the bums they played previously. Rodriguez was due for a stinker but holy moly their offense is BAD. The Sox need to get Ramirez the hell out of there because they have no many holes in the lineup in key spots, Betts and Benintendi are slumping and it looks like there is no end in sight. After all, if bums like Miley and Pelfrey are shutting them down...what are the likes of Chris Tillman, Masahiro Tanaka and CC Sabbathia going to do to them? The season continues to spiral down the drain as the loss drops the Sox to 29-24, 3 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox get shut down by Alec Asher while Rick Porcello (3-6, 4.21 ERA) will get zero run support and lose again at 7:10 PM.
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