As for the game, Eduardo Rodriguez came off the disabled list and pitched like he still belonged on it. he gave up 3 early runs and failed to get out of the 6th inning. the Toronto Blue Jays pounced on the Sox early and late to edge the offensively challenged Sox 4-3 at Fenway Park.
Rodriguez immediately crapped his pants in the top of the first inning. Jose Bautista looked at strike three but Russell Martin singled. Josh Donaldson whiffed but Justin Smoak walked. Kenrys Morales cleared the bases with a 2 run double to put the Jays up 5 batters into the game. Troy Tulowitzky grounded out to short to end the inning but the Jays were up 2-0 already.
The Sox once again failed to respond in the bottom of the first against Toronto starter Marcus Stroman. Mr. Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia both grounded out to short before Xander Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning.
Steve Pearce gave the Sox even more misery by homering off Rodriguez to open the top of the second inning to increase the lead. Kevin Pillar hit a squibber in front of the mound and Darwin Barney flied out to right. Bautista whiffed again to end the inning with the Jays up 3-0.
The Sox didn't do a damn thing in the bottom of the second although Mitch Moreland singled in the hole at second to start. Hanley Ramirez said that was enough of that as he grounded into a double play. Andrew Benintendi beat out an infield single but Jackie Bradley Jr struck out to end the inning.
Shockingly Rodriguez did NOT give up a run in the top of the third inning. Martin struck out to start but Donaldson walked. Smoak whiffed but Morales singled. Tulowitzky struck out to end the inning but Eduardo's pitch count was rising. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the third inning as Christian Vazquez grounded out to begin. Brock Holt grounded out to third and Mr. Mookie whiffed to end the inning.
Once again Rodriguez couldn't pitch a clean inning in the top of the fourth inning. Pearce popped up to second but Pillar doubled. Barney flied out to center and Baustista earned the hat trick with his third strikeout. Things looked promising when Pedroia walked to begin the bottom of the fourth but Bogaerts flied out. Pedroia moved to second on the groundout by Moreland but Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning.
Rodriguez ran into more trouble in the top of the fifth inning as Martin flied out but Donaldson walked. Smoak singled but Morales banged into a double play to end the inning. As usual the Sox failed to score in the bottom of the fifth inning. Benny The Kid walked but JBJ flied out to left. Vazquez singled but was erased on the force by Holt. Mr. Mookie struck out again to end the inning.
Rodriguez returned for the top of the sixth and struck out Tulowitzky to start but Pearce walked to chase Eduardo. Fernando Abad came in and struck out Pillar. Barney grounded out to end the inning. Rodriguez didn't pitch terribly but 111 pitches in 5 1/3 innings isn't going to cut it.
The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the sixth as Pedroia grounded out to second to start. Bogaerts popped up and Moreland whiffed to end the inning.
Abad returned for the top of the seventh and Bautista earned the golden sombrero with his 4th strikeout of the game. Martin lined out to right and Donaldson hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Suddenly the Sox pounced in the bottom of the seventh inning. Ramirez grounded out but Benny The Kid doubled. JBJ hit a routine pop up to Stroman...AND HE DROPPED IT! Vazquez walked to load the bases and Holt scored Benintendi with a sac fly. Mr. Mookie singled home JBJ and that was it for Stroman. Dominic Leone came in and Pedroia greeted him with a double into the gap. Vazquez scored but Betts was gunned down at the plate to end the inning. That turned out to be a huge out but at this point it was a tie game 3-3.
Just as soon as the Red Sox tied it, Heath Hembree gave it away in the top of the eighth inning. Smoak worked a walk and Morales singled him to third. Ezequiel Carrera pinch ran for Smoak asHembree did get Tulowitzky to pop up, but Pearce singled home Carrera to put Toronto up for good. Ryan Goins ran for Morales but Hembree recovered to strike out Barney and Pillar to end the inning. The Jays had taken the lead 4-3.
Ryan Tepera pitched the bottom of the eighth as the Sox offense was done for the night. Bogaerts grounded out to third, Moreland whiffed and Ramirez lined to third to end the inning.
Matt Barnes came in and dominated the top of the ninth inning. Bautista popped up to short, Martin whiffed and Donaldson grounded out to short to end the inning. Could the Sox rally in the bottom of the ninth against closer Roberto Osuna? Hell no! Benny The Kid whiffed, JBJ lined out to center and Vazquez flied out to left to end the game. The Jays had won it 4-3.
Jackass of The Night is Heath Hembree. The Sox had rallied to tie the game and he gave it away in the top of the eighth inning.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Fernando Abad pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.
Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 but scored a run.
Brock Holt was 0 for 2 but drove in a run.
Eduardo Rodriguez threw 111 pitches in just 5 1/3 innings and allowed 3 runs but struck out 8 batters.
Final Thoughts:
Is there any hope for this offense? After getting throughly dominated by the New York Yankees, the hapless Blue Jays came in and shut them down too. Its been a season long spiral but now with injuries to both Bogaerts and Moreland along with season long slumps of Betts and Ramirez, this team is in BIG trouble. Rodriguez threw a ton of pitches but that could be rust. Either way this sucks. The loss dropped the Red Sox to 52-42, 3.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Brian Johnson gets the start for the Red Sox opposite JA Happ. First pitch is at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment