Also before the game, some seriously bad news broke that the incident between David Price and Dennis Eckersley was worse than we all thought. Apparently it started when Dennis Eckersley during a broadcast looked at Eduardo Rodriguez' hideous rehab outing in Pawtucket and said "Yuck!" David Price cornered him on the plane and mocked Dennis, swore at him and dismissed him with such words as "You don't know the game." The worst part about this was THE WHOLE TEAM BACKED PRICE. Multiple reports that Jackie Bradley Jr and others were clapping and cheering as Price lit into Eck. Whether this is true or not is up in the air but what IS true is Price went on this tirade. The guy is already in hot water for not living up to his 217 million dollar contract but then he insults one of the most mild-mannered, well liked personalities in Boston? Not only that, the absurd comment that "he doesn't know the game and has no idea what its like out there." Price better stick his nose in a book or look on youtube since Eckersley gave up arguably the most famous home run of the 1980's in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. Not only that, Eck came back to close out every game of the 1989 World Series and every game of the 1990 ALCS against the Red Sox. So unlike Price who craps his pants in every post-season start, Eck gave up a potential career killer and came back to continue his domination. Let's see Price do that. All in all this team has been pretty unlikable with their four hour games, the Pablo Sandoval situation, the carefree attitude of Hanley Ramirez and the lack of offense, but this just put the icing on the cake. Its becoming very hard to root for this team anymore.
If all this wasn't bad enough, the Sox went out and dropped a turd against the Seattle Mariners. The incompetent Red Sox offense was held to just 4 hits by Seattle starter James Paxton. Eduardo Rodriguez (4-3, 3.89 ERA) melted down in the second inning and the lifeless Sox dropped the game 4-0 at Safeco Field in Seattle.
Things went bad right from the start as Mookie Betts watched strike three go by to start the top of the first inning. Andrew Benintendi also looked at strike three and Dustin Pedroia lined out to center to end the inning. Jean Segura walked to open the bottom of the first but Rodriguez struck out both Danny Valencia and Robinson Cano. Nelson Cruz grounded out to end the inning.
The lifeless Sox went through the motions in the top of the second inning as Hanley Ramirez grounded out to first to start. Jackie Bradley Jr struck out and Chris Young popped up to short to end the inning. The Mariners pounced in the bottom of the second as Kyle Seager blasted a home run to center to give the M's the lead. Mitch Haniger grounded out but Ben Gamel tripled past Betts in right. Guillermo Heredia hit a ground ball to Ramirez who....stood there. That's right, didn't try to tag first, he just stood there. Gamel scored and Heredia stood on first. Mike Zunino struck out but Segura doubled to score Heredia. Valencia lined out to second to end the inning but it was 3-0 Mariners.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third inning as Deven Marrero struck out to start. Vazquez hit a comebacker to the mound and Holt grounded out to third to end the inning. Cano grounded out to third to open the bottom of the frame although Cruz walked. Seager whiffed and Haniger flied out to center to end the inning.
The Sox went hitless in the top of the fourth inning as Betts flied out to right, Benintendi grounded out to second and Pedroia whiffed to end the inning. The Mariners struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Gamel singled although Heredia flied out to center. Zunino whiffed but Segura was plunked. Valencia doubled to score Gamel with another run. Cano lined out to left to end the inning but it was 4-0 Mariners.
Ramirez grounded out to third to open the top of the fifth but JBJ got the Sox first hit with a single to center. Young was rung up for strike three but a wild pitch moved JBJ to second. It didn't matter as Marrero whiffed to end the inning. Rodriguez cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Cruz lined out to left, Seager flied out to left and Haniger grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Sox got their only threat in the top of the sixth as Vazquez flied out to right but Valencia threw away a routine grounder, allowing Holt to reach. Betts singled to left but both Benintendi and Pedroia struck out to end the inning. Rodriguez returned for the bottom of the sixth and froze Gamel for strike three. Heredia caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single and that was it for Rodriguez. Eduardo had thrown 5 1/2 innings but allowed 4 runs, not good enough. Not good at all. Brandon Workman came in and Zunino lined out to center. Heredia tried to steal second but he was gunned down by Vazquez trying to steal to end the inning.
The Sox tried to fight back when Ramirez and JBJ singled to open the top of the seventh inning. That was it as Young looked at strike three and Marrero banged into a double play to end the inning. Workman returned for the bottom of the seventh and got Segura to hit a comebacker for the first out. Valencia whiffed and Cano grounded out to first to end the inning.
Nick Vincent replaced Paxton in the top of the eighth but Vazquez grounded out to third. Holt popped to short and Betts flied out to right to end the inning. Talk about totally lifeless. Doug Fister appeared out of nowhere on the mound to pitch the bottom of the eighth much to Workman's surprise. Fister pitched a clean inning as Cruz flied out to center, Seager hit one up the elevator shaft and Haniger grounded out to short to end the inning.
David Phelps came in to close it out in the top of the ninth inning. Benintendi grounded out to short, Pedroia struck out and Ramirez watched strike three to end the game. The Sox had put up a goose egg, struck out 12 times as a team and lost 4-0.
Jackass of the Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. Sure, it didn't matter if Cy Young was on the mound when the offense gets shut out but the game was out of reach early. Going 5 1/3 innings and allowing 4 runs isn't going to help.
The Good:
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 3.
Brandon Workman pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Doug Fister pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
The Bad:
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Chris Young was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Deven Marrero was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3.
Brock Holt was 0 for 3.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4.
Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
Its bad enough this team is playing horrible on the field but now that the details of the Price/Eckerseley situation has come out, this team now looks a hell of a lot worse. The fans can do something about it though. Price is scheduled to start this Friday night at Fenway against Kansas City, that would be a great time to boo the living daylights out of every last member of the team. Betts, Bogaerts, Price, John Farrell, Dave Dombrowski....boo them all. Why not? After they look lifeless time and time again against the most mediocre of pitchers, the fans need to send a message that they have had enough. This team needs offense and Dombrowski needs to do something. Promoting Devers is just the start, he needs to make another move as well. Former Sox player turned radio personality Lou Merloni said it best when he said "Hey Dombrowski, fans don't like your team right now." The loss drops the Sox to 55-46, 2 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the hated Sox will be shutout by King Felix Hernandez. Drew Pomeranz will be the hard luck loser and the carnage starts at 10:00 PM Eastern time.
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