As for the game, it may be time to pull the plug on Chris Sale (3-9, 4.27) this season. The former ace got lit up by the same Los Angeles Dodgers he mowed down last October to help the Sox win the World Series. The Dodgers knocked Sale around for 5 runs and sent him to the showers in the fifth inning. The Dodgers then laid waste to the bungholes of the Sox bullpen to pound out 14 total hits and 11 runs. The Sox bats once again cowered at the sign of trouble, scoring just a single run off starter Ross Stripling and another off old friend Joe Kelly. All the momentum the Sox built up leading up to the All-Star break evaporated as the Dodgers sent them back to mediocrity with an 11-2 win at Fenway Park.
The Dodgers wasted no time getting to sale in the top of the first inning. Chris Taylor walked but Justin Turner went down hacking. David Freese took strike three but Cody Bellinger singled off of Sale. AJ Pollock singled to right to score Taylor to put the Dodgers up for good 5 batters into the game. Max Muncy struck out swinging to end the inning with the Dodgers ahead 1-0.
Stripling got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to center to start. Rafael Devers caught the Dodgers asleep with a bunt single to short but Xander Bogaerts took strike three. Devers was then thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.
Sale recovered in the top of the second as Corey Seager grounded out to first to start. Kike' Hernandez and Austin Barnes both went down hacking to end the inning. JD Martinez flied out to right to start the bottom of the second and Andrew Benintendi grounded out to first. Christian Vazquez whiffed to end the inning.
The Dodgers tagged Sale in the top of the third although Taylor lined out to first to begin. Turner then smashed a home run all the way into the Charles River to increase the lead. Freese struck out swinging and Bellinger grounded out to third to end the inning with the Dodgers up 2-0.
Brock "The Hitman" Holt tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to begin the bottom of the third. Sandy Leon struck out swinging and Holt was erased on the force by Jackie Bradley Jr. JBJ swiped second but Mr. Mookie took strike three to end the inning.
Pollock took strike three to open the top of the fourth but Muncy singled to right. Seager banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the fourth although Devers grounded out to first to start. Bogaerts stepped up to clobber his 19th home run of the season to cut the lead in half. Martinez took strike three and Benintendi whiffed to end the inning but the Sox were down 2-1.
The Dodgers finished off Sale in the top of the fifth as Hernandez singled to left to start. Barnes was plunked and Taylor moved Hernandez to third with a line out to center. Turner doubled home Hernandez and Freese doubled home both runners to ice the game. Bellinger lined out to right to move Freese to third and Sox manager Alex Cora had seen enough. Sale was pulled after allowing 5 runs in less than 5 innings, he's completely broken. Heath Hembree came in to pitch and he plunked Pollock before striking out Muncy swinging to end the inning with the Dodgers ahead 5-1.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Vazquez whiffed to start. Holt singled to right but Leon lined out to right and JBJ grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Colten Brewer took over for the top of the sixth and Seager grounded out to second to start. Hernandez walked and moved to second on a wild pitch, but Barnes struck out swinging. Taylor walked but Turner popped up to first to end the inning. Old friend Joe Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and the Sox tagged him. Mr. Mookie singled to right but Devers flied out to center. Mr. Mookie swiped second then took third when Hernandez muffed the throw. Bogaerts singled home Betts to cut the lead but Martinez could only advance Xander to second with a grounder to second. Benintendi walked to bring the tying run to the plate and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Unfortunately Vazquez whiffed to end the inning with the Sox still down 5-2.
The Dodgers ate Steven Wright alive in the top of the seventh inning although Joc Pederson pinch hit for Freese only to fly out to left. Bellinger then hit a home run all the way to Saturn and Pollock blasted a home run all the way to Neptune to turn this into a laughter. Muncy singled off of the foot of Wright and he collapsed in pain. Wright had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and headed to Mass General's ICU while Marcus Walden came in to pitch. Walden did manage to get Seager to ground out to first, but Vazquez turned and threw the ball completely out of Fenway Park for an error to score Muncy. Hernandez walked and Barnes tripled into the left field corner to increase the lead. Taylor grounded out to short to end the inning with the Dodgers ahead 9-2.
Julio Urias took over for Kelly for the bottom of the seventh as the bench began to empty for the Red Sox. Eduardo Nunez pinch hit for Holt and grounded out to second before Leon grounded out to third. JBJ flied out to right to end the inning.
Ryan Brasier came in to take a beating in the top of the eighth as Turner doubled to center to start. Pederson flied out to right to send Turner to third and Justin scored on the sac fly by Bellinger. Pollock grounded out to short to end the inning with the Dodgers ahead 10-2.
Mr. Mookie took strike three to open the bottom of the eighth and Michael Chavis pinch hit for Devers. Chavis grounded out to third and Marco Hernandez pinch hit for Bogaerts, striking out swinging to end the inning.
Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez came in to mop up the top of the ninth and Muncy greeted him with a home run all the way to Billings, Montana to wrap up the scoring. Seager whiffed but Hernandez beat out a little roller to third. Barnes took strike three and Taylor whiffed to end the inning with the Dodgers up 11-2.
Alex Verdugo took over in right with JT Chargois now on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Martinez grounded out to short, Benintendi flied out to left and Vazquez grounded out to first to end the game. The Dodgers had whooped the Sox 11-2.
Jackass of the Night is Chris Sale. Once again the Sox needed him to step up and he failed, allowing 5 runs in 4 2/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with a home run and 2 total runs batted in.
Brock Holt was 2 for 2.
Heath Hembree got the final out of the fifth inning.
Colten Brewer tossed a scoreless sixth inning.
The Bad:
Michael Chavis was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Marco Hernandez struck out as a pinch hitter.
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error.
Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3.
Steven Wright was charged with 3 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.
Marcus Walden allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 2/3 of an inning.
Ryan Brasier allowed a run in the eighth inning.
Hector Velazquez allowed a run in the ninth inning.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.
Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 but was thrown out trying to steal.
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Sale is broken, there's no other way to say it. This is much worse than the second half of 2017 because at least you could say he had a dead arm. There's no excuse for stinking out the joint the entire season this year. The Sox are also in deep trouble if they don't get bullpen help in the next two weeks. Even with Sale out of the game, the bullpen still allowed 6 runs after he left. Once again the Sox fell behind and failed to come back, which has been their M.O. almost all season. Literally if they fall behind, stick a fork in them. It seems the fire from last year is gone and complacency is the worst thing that can happen to any team. Look how bad the Dodgers wanted it tonight compared to the Red Sox, THAT'S a hungry team looking for revenge for last season. The Baltimore Sun has also given up on the Red Sox contending this season by printing that the Sox acquired Cashner to "compete for the wild card". Hopefully Cashner can make a difference because this season went to hell in a hand basket real quick. The loss dropped the Sox to 50-42, 9 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night is the rubber game of the series and its a re-match of Game 2 of the World Series. Hyun Jin Ryo goes for the Dodgers against David Price of the Red Sox. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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