Guess that winning streak was fool's gold and the real 2019 Boston Red Sox are back. After a tough loss yesterday to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Sox didn't even try against the Jays in today's game. "Slick" Rick Porcello (5-7, 4.52 ERA) got lit up for 5 runs in 6 innings of work. Josh Smith allowed a run of his own during the final innings and the Jays pounded out 10 total hits. The Sox offense went to sleep and was shutout for 6 innings by Marcus Stroman. The Sox barely scratched out a run in the ninth inning but the Jays cruised to an easy 6-1 victory at Fenway Park.
Porcello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Eric Sogard grounded out to short to start. Vladimir Guerrero Jr grounded out to second but Lourdes Gurriel Jr singled to left. Cavan Biggio struck out swinging to end the inning. Stroman cruised in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to center to start. Andrew Benintendi grounded out to short and Xander Bogaerts popped up to short to end the inning.
The Jays struck first in the top of the second as Freddy Galvis tried to bunt his way on but was snuffed out by Christian Vazquez. Randal Grichuk grounded out to short but Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Brandon Drury singled him home to give the Jays the lead. Danny Jansen grounded into a force to end the inning with the Jays ahead 1-0.
The Sox blew their only chance to get in the game in the bottom of the second although JD Martinez flied out to right to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt singled to center and Christian Vazquez got a base hit to left. Jackie Bradley Jr singled to left and Holt tried for home. Gurriel Jr came up throwing and....YOU'RE OUT! Holt was out at home and Chavis grounded out to second to end the inning. What a waste!
Naturally the Jays got another run in the top of the third although Sogard lined out to center to start. Guerrero Jr lined out to center as well but Gurriel Jr singled to center. Biggio doubled over the head of Bradley to score Gurriel Jr with another run. Galvis walked but Grichuk grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Jays up 2-0.
The Sox blew another rally in the bottom of the third as Marco Hernandez whiffed to start. Mr. Mookie singled to right and Benintendi walked, but Bogaerts could only move the runners over with a ground out. Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning.
All of a sudden Brock Holt keeled over in the dugout grabbing his leg and had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to Addison Gilbert's ICU. Eduardo Nunez took over for Holt as Tellez began the top of the fourth with a base hit to center. Drury lined out to third and Jansen banged into a double play to end the inning. Nunez popped up to second to start the bottom of the fourth but Vazquez took strike three. JBJ also watched strike three go by to end the inning.
Porcello cruised in the top of the fifth as Sogard lined out to second to start. Guerrero Jr grounded back to the mound and Gurriel Jr lined out to left to end the inning. Chavis struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fifth before Hernandez grounded back to the mound. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Jays iced the game in the top of the sixth as Biggio walked to start. Galvis hit a ground rule double down the right field line and Porcello balked home Biggio. moving Freddy to third. Grichuk grounded out to second and Tellez was intentionally walked. The gamble backfired as Drury walked and Jansen singled home Galvis and Tellez to ice the game. Sogard flied out to left and Guerrero Jr whiffed to end the inning with the Jays ahead 5-0. That was it for Porcello who allowed 5 runs in 6 innings of work, another stinker.
Benintendi singled to center to start the bottom of the sixth but Bogaerts popped up to second. Martinez took strike three but a wild pitch moved Andrew to second. Nunez struck out swinging to end the inning.
Josh A Smith came out of the bullpen in the top of the seventh and Gurriel Jr doubled to left to begin. Gurriel Jr moved to third on the Biggio fly out to right but Galvis walked. Grichuk whiffed and Tellez grounded out to first to end the inning. Tim Mayza replaced Stroman for the bottom of the seventh and Vazquez whiffed to start. JBJ was plunked but Chavis whiffed. Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning.
Smith got tagged in the top of the eighth as Drury took strike three to start. Jansen grounded out to third but Sogard hit a home run all the way to LaGuardia Airport to increase the lead. Guerrero Jr took strike three to end the inning with the Jays up 6-0.
David Phelps came in for the bottom of the eighth and Mr. Mookie got a hit to center to start. Benintendi popped up to third. Bogaerts flied out to right and Martinez grounded out to first to end the inning.
Smith returned for the top of the ninth and Gurriel Jr popped up to first to start. Biggio lined out to right and Galvis took strike three to end the inning. Smith wasn't perfect but his 3 innings saved the bullpen for better days. Joe Biagini took over for the bottom of the ninth with Teoscar Hernandez taking Tellez' spot in the lineup but in center. Nunez doubled to center but Vazquez whiffed. JBJ hit a routine grounder to Biagini who booted it to score Nunez. Chavis earned the hat trick with another swinging strikeout and Hernandez grounded out to second to end the game. The Jays had won it 6-1.
Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. He took the loss by allowing 5 runs in 6 innings of work. Not what the Sox needed at all.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 4.
Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Brock Holt was 1 for 1 before leaving the game.
Eduardo Nunez was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch.
The Bad:
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4.
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Michael Chavis was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Marco Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Josh Smith tossed 3 innings and allowed a run.
Final Thoughts:
So much for that winning streak the Sox had. They had gotten to within 5 games of the New York Yankees to give the fans hope that things were turning around. Nope! Back to 8 games and mediocre baseball again. Porcello got lit up again but just like 2017, he could have given up 2 runs and still would have lost. Can't win games without run support, ask any pitcher ever. Martinez and Bogaerts going 0 for was the biggest culprit but they've been hitting so well lately, they were bound to have an off-day. Losing Holt to an injured leg hurt and hopefully he's not out for too long. As mentioned earlier, kudos to Josh Smith for eating 3 crucial innings to save the bullpen for later days. Unless Dave Dombrowski wakes up to make a trade for a starter, the bullpen is going to have to throw a lot of innings this season. As for this game, the less said of this disaster the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 42-37, 8 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome the Chicago White Sox for a three game set before they shuffle off to London to play the Yankees. Eduardo Rodriguez (8-4, 4.71 ERA) goes for the Red Sox up against Lucas Giolito of the White Sox. The first game of the series begins tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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