If that wasn't bad enough, it was announced that Tyler Thornburg would have season ending shoulder surgery. Travis Shaw is having an MVP caliber year in Milwaukee and Thornburg won't even throw a pitch this season. The only sliver of hope is it was NOT Tommy John surgery, so he should be ready by the start of next year. With Carson Smith still not ready, the Sox will need to rely on Matt Barnes, Joe Kelly, Robby Scott and Craig Kimbrel more than ever.
As for the game, talk about the trifecta of bad news. In what's become a recurring theme, the Sox failed to pick up Chris Sale (8-3, 2.82 ERA) who managed to toss a complete game....and lose 1-0. The immortal Nick Pivetta and Pat Nishek shut down the pitiful Boston Red Sox offense and the Philadelphia Phillies avoided a 4 game sweep by defeating the Sox 1-0 at Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. For the umpteenth time, how many runs did the Red Sox score Dean Wormer
From a pitching standpoint, this game was a masterpiece. Nick Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to third. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short and Xander Bogaerts struck out to end the inning. Chris Sale was the hard luck starter in this one although he got Odubel Herrera to strike out to begin the bottom of the first. Howie Kendrick grounded out to third and Aaron Atherr whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox had one of their only scoring chances in the top of the second inning. Mitch Moreland blooped a single to center and Andrew Benintendi walked. Jackie Bradley Jr and Pablo Sandoval both struck out, but Sandy Leon drew a walk. With the bases load.....Sale grounded out to end the inning. Sale almost cruised in the bottom of the second inning. Tommy Joseph struck out but Maikel Franco doubled. Daniel Nava struck out but Freddie Galvis popped up to end the inning.
Pivetta cruised in the top of the third inning. Mr. Mookie lined out, Pedroia whiffed and Bogaerts lined out to end the inning. Sale matched Nick in the bottom of the third as Andrew Knapp and Pivetta struck out before Herrera popped up to end the inning.
Pivetta dazzled in the top of the fourth inning. Moreland popped up to third, Benny The Kid struck out and JBJ lined out to left to end the inning. Sale almost matched Pivetta in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kendrick whiffed and Altherr flied out but Joseph singled. Franco whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox blew their second chance big time in the top of the fifth. Sandoval grounded to third but Leon singled and took second on a wild pitch. Sale whiffed but Mr. Mookie singled. For some reason third base coach Brian Butterfield decided to send Leon, the slowest runner on the team, home on the play....and was thrown out by a mile to end the inning.
Sale picked up Leon in the bottom of the fifth inning. Nava whiffed, Galvis popped up and Knapp grounded out to end the inning.
The duel continued in the top of the sixth inning. Pedroia flied out then both Bogaerts and Moreland whiffed to end the inning. Sale almost had a clean inning in the bottom of the sixth inning. Pivetta grounded back to the mound and Herrera lined out to left, but Kendrick walked. Altherr flied out to end the inning.
The Sox still couldn't hit Pivetta in the top of the seventh inning. Benny The Kid whiffed but JBJ singled. Sandoval flied out and Leon lined out to end the inning, 7 innings of shut out ball by Pivetta, what a pathetic offensive display. Sale did the best he could in the bottom of the seventh inning. Joseph flied to center, Franco grounded out to second and Nava whiffed to end the inning. Sale had thrown 7 innings of shut out ball and had nothing to show for it.
The Sox then blew their last chance in a fitting fashion in the top of the eighth with Pat Neshek on the mound. Sale himself doubled into the gap to lead off the inning, then SMILING for the first time in years at second. If the Sox were going to take the lead, this would be it...instead Sale was stranded. Mr. Mookie lined out but at least Sale went to third. With the go-ahead run 90 feet away, Pedroia whiffed. Bogaerts popped up to end the inning. What a waste.
Sale returned for the bottom of the eighth where he was greeted by a rude surprise. Galvis flied out but Knapp singled. Ty Kelly pinch hit for Neshek and doubled home Knapp with the game's only run. Herrera lined out and Kendrick popped up, but the Phillies had taken a 1-0 lead. Sale had tossed a complete game 4 hitter....and would lose.
The Sox had one last shot to pick up Sale in the top of the ninth against closer Hector Neris but went quietly. Moreland grounded out and Benny The Kid struck out again, but JBJ walked to put the tying run on. Sandoval then embarrassed the organization by swinging at 3 pitches not even close INTENTIONALLY. Literally he took 3 half hearted swings at balls in the dirt or way outside. The Phillies had won it 1-0.
Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I gotta go with Dustin Pedroia. He was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts including failing with Sale on third in the top of the eighth inning.
The Good:
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Sandy Leon was 1 for 2 with a walk.
Rarely does the losing pitcher make the good list but Chris Sale was outstanding in defeat. He threw a complete game 4 hitter giving up just the 1 run while striking out 10. He also doubled at the plate in the top of the eighth.
The Bad:
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4.
Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4.
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts, but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Only the Red Sox could take 3 out of 4 and have the fans completely pissed off afterwards. Its frightening just how bad the Red Sox offense is against mediocre starting pitching. Masahiro Tanaka shut them out on 87 pitches and has looked like crap since, Pine Tar Pineda and 97 year old CC Sabathia shut them down and have been in a slump otherwise, They didn't do much against Ben Lively or Nick Pivetta either. For all intents and purposes, the Sox just faced the league's worst team and 3 out of the 4 games were decided by one run. That's pathetic. How are the Red Sox supposed to compete with the upper echelon teams in baseball if they have to struggle to beat the Phillies? Not only that, how the hell does Pablo Sandoval have a job? He literally walked up to the plate lookibg to strike out, do the Sox really need that? Want even more bad news? The Red Sox now travel to Houston to play the best team in baseball, the Astros. Dallas Keuchel is out but that won't seem to matter with this offense. The Sox are now 37-29 and still 2 games back of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Drew Pomeranz goes for the Sox opposite Mike Fiers in Game 1 tomorrow night at 7:15 PM.
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