Mr. Mookie Betts led off the game with a lazy fly to center before Andrew Benintendi whiffed badly. Steve Pearce hit a dinky squibber in front of the mound to end the inning, pathetic. Porcello got the ball in the bottom of the first and right on cue Joey Wendle singled to center. Wendle easily stole second although somehow Porcello whiffed Matt Duffy. Somehow Ji-Man Choi was retired by a running Betts in center but Tommy Pham took a nasty 93 mph fastball on the corner to end the inning.
JD Martinez lined one up the middle and caught everyone napping by motoring to second for a rare ground ball double to begin the top of the second. Xander Bogaerts roped a single to left to advance JD but Mitch Moreland banged into a double play. Martinez scored on the DP to give the Sox the lead and Ian Kinsler popped up to center with the Sox ahead 1-0.
Could Porcello pitch with the lead? He got CJ Cron to ground out to third and whiffed Kevin Kiermaier to begin the bottom of the second. Willy Adames was frozen for strike three to end the inning.
Eduardo Nunez led off the top of the third with a laser to left for a single but Sandy Leon poked a fly out to right. The slumping Mr. Mookie somehow beat out a picture perfect double play ball and swiped second to boot. Benintendi whiffed badly again to end the inning. The Rays almost took control in the bottom of the third when Porcello walked the .179 hitting Brandon Lowe to start. Michael Perez hit a perfect double play ball to Bogaerts....who muffed it and was only able to get the out at second. Naturally Wendle walked and Duffy smoked a single to left to load the bases. Somehow Porcello froze Choi for strike three and Pham on the exact same lollipop curve to end the inning.
The Sox squandered a chance for insurance in the top of the fourth as Pearce began by lining out to center to start. Martinez smacked a double but Bogaerts grounded out to third. Moreland popped up to third to end the inning. The Rays struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Cron was plunked to start. Kiermaier sacrificed Cron to second but Adames whiffed. Lowe then singled to left to tie the game. Perez popped up to third to end the inning but the Rays had tied it 1-1.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth as Kinsler popped up to third to begin. Nunez singled to right but Leon flied out to center. Mr. Mookie flied out to center to end the inning. The Rays threatened in the bottom of the fifth as Wendle and Duffy stroked back to back singles to start. Choi popped up to short but Pham grounded out. Cron whiffed to end the inning.
Benintendi drew a walk to open the top of the sixth and chase Yarbrough from the game. Ryan Stanek relieved Yarbrough and got Pearce to fly out to right. Benintendi was picked off and Martinez whiffed to end the inning. The Rays took command in the bottom of the sixth when Kiermaier tripled and Adames was plunked, chasing Porcello from the game. Rick lasted just 5 innings in a game the Sox needed a long start, damn.
Ryan Brasier came in to pitch and immediately uncorked a wild pitch that scored Kiermaier with the go-ahead run. Lowe walked and Perez tried to bunt for a hit but was thrown out, although he advanced the runners. Wendle scored Adames with a sac fly to ice the game. Duffy flied out to center to end the inning but it was 3-1 Rays.
Chaz Roe came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Bogaerts popped up to second to begin. Moreland grounded out ti first and Kinsler popped up to second to end the inning. Brandon Workman came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and the Rays struck again. Choi hit one up the elevator shaft but Pham blasted a 589,000 foot blast to increase the lead. Cron walked and Kiermaier singled him to third before swiping second. Adames whiffed and Lowe grounded out to first to end the inning with the Rays up 4-1.
Jose Alvarado had the eighth for the Rays and Nunez looked at strike three to begin. Leon grounded out to second and Mr. Mookie flied out to right to end the inning. Tyler Thornburg made a mad dash to the mound for the bottom of the eighth and froze Perez to start. Wendle grounded out but Duffy walked and Choi tripled him home. Pham lined out to second to end the inning with the Rays up 5-1.
Sergio Romo had the top of the ninth and Benintendi whiffed to start. Pearce flied out to center before Martinez whiffed to end the game. The Rays had won it 5-1.
Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. He lasted just 5 innings and gave up 3 runs to take the loss in this one.
The Good:
JD Martinez was 2 for 4 and scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3.
Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 3.
Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 6th inning.
The Bad:
Steve Pearce was 0 for 4.
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 3.
Ian Kinsler was 0 for 3.
Sandy Leon was 0 for 3.
Brandon Workman gave up a run in the 7th inning.
Tyler Thornburg gave up a run in the 8th inning.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 but stole a base.
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of three strikeouts but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Things aren't looking good for the Sox lately. Losing 2 straight to the Rays while the New York Yankees sweep a doubleheader from the Baltimore Orioles shrunk the Sox lead to just 7 games. The Rays bullpen tossed 4 more scoreless innings to go with their performance yesterday, continuing to embarrass Red Sox hitters. The less said of this disaster the better, especially since Mookie Betts is in a complete slump. The loss dropped the Sox to 90-41, 7 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to avoid the sweep with Nathan Eovaldi (5-5, 3.81 ERA) taking on Rays ace Blake Snell at 1:05 PM at Tropicana Field.
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