Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. New acquisition Andrew Cashner was activated and Steven Wright was placed on the Injured List with a bad foot stemming from being struck in the previous game. Cashner has a chance to win 17-18 games this season with a couple of good months for the Sox and they're gonna need him with the rotation in shambles.
As for the game, think its time to bail out on the Red Sox this season. Every time they meet an opponent from last year, they roll over and die. Heavy is the head that wears the crown and the Los Angeles Dodgers became the latest team to knock around the Red Sox this season. The Dodgers took a 4-2 lead when the Sox somehow rallied in the bottom of the eighth. 4 innings later the Dodgers put 3 runs on the board and held on to win the game. David Price lasted just 5 innings while throwing 113 pitches and allowing 4 runs. The Sox bullpen valiantly tossed zeroes from innings 5 through 11 but Hector Velazquez (1-4, 5.67 ERA) allowed 3 runs in the 12th inning to settle matters. The Dodgers proved the Sox are totally inferior this season with a 7-4 win in 12 innings at Fenway Park.
As usual, the Dodgers wasted not time getting to Price in the top of the first inning as Chris Taylor walked to start. Justin Turner hit a routine grounder to short and Xander Bogaerts threw his glove at the ball and did a boogie woogie for an error. David Freese struck out swinging and Cody Bellinger popped up to third, but AJ Pollock hit a home run to the Borg Homeworld to put the Dodgers up early. Max Muncy was plunked but Kike' Hernandez forced him at second to end the inning with the Dodgers ahead 3-0.
Somehow the Sox rallied against Dodgers starter Hyun Jin Ryu in the bottom of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts dumped a base hit to left but Rafael Devers lined out to third. Bogaerts hit a chopper to Taylor who fired to first for the out....BUT WAIT! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged the call and sure enough, the throw pulled Freese off the bag for an error. JD Martinez went down hacking but Christian Vazquez beat out an infield single to load the bases. Andrew Benintendi ate up Taylor with a ground ball that scored Betts and Bogaerts to cut the lead. Michael Chavis singled to right to reload the bases but Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.
Price settled down in the top of the second inning as Alex Verdugo grounded out to first to start. Russell Martin walked but Taylor and Turner both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Eduardo Nunez grounded out to first to start. Mr. Mookie flied out to center and Devers went down hacking to end the inning.
Freese went down swinging to begin the top of the third but Bellinger walked. Pollock watched strike three go by and Muncy lined out to short to end the inning. Bogaerts popped up to first to start the bottom of the third and Martinez lined out to short. Vazquez grounded out to third to end the inning.
Hernandez popped up to first to begin the top of the fourth but Verdugo singled to left. Martin flied out to right and Taylor grounded out to second to end the inning. Benintendi grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the fourth and Chavis swung at air for strike three. JBJ whiffed to end the inning.
The Dodgers struck again in the top of the fifth as Turner went down swinging to start. Freese doubled to right and moved to third on the grounder to short by Bellinger. Pollock singled home Freese to increase the lead and Muncy whiffed to end the inning. Price was finished after 103 pitches in just 5 innings, trailing 4-2.
Nunez grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth and Mr. Mookie lined out to Hernandez. Devers hit a little roller to third and Hernandez threw the ball away, allowing Rafael to reach second. Bogaerts walked and Martinez singled to left and Devers came around third....OUT AT HOME! Devers was out and the Dodgers were out of the inning.
Josh Taylor came in for the top of the sixth and Hernandez grounded out to short to start. Verdugo grounded out to third and Martin popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Vazquez grounded out to short to start. Benintendi whiffed and Chavis grounded out to second to end the inning.
Colten Brewer came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Taylor flied out to right to begin. Turner doubled to left then moved to third on the grounder by Freese. Bellinger was intentionally walked and Pollock lined out to right to end the inning. Ryu finished strong in the bottom of the seventh as JBJ grounded out to third to start. Nunez whiffed but Mr. Mookie doubled to center. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning.
Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Muncy grounded out to short to start. Hernandez whiffed and Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedro Baez came in for the bottom of the eighth and the Sox picked up where they left off last October against him when Bogaerts crushed his 20th home run of the season to inch closer. 2 pitches later, Martinez clobbered his 19th homer of the season to tie the game. Baez got so angry that he struck out Vazquez, Benintendi and Chavis swinging to end the inning but the game was tied 4-4.
Brandon Workman dominated the top of the ninth as Martin took strike three to start. Taylor went down hacking and Turner was rung up for strike three to end the inning. The Sox blew a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth as Zac Rosscup walked JBJ to start. Yimi Garcia came in to pitch and Sox manager Alex Cora countered by bringing in Marco Hernandez to pinch hit for Nunez. Hernandez dropped down a sac bunt to move JBJ to second and Mr. Mookie was intentionally walked. Kenley Jansen was brought in and Devers lined out to left. Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning....dammit.
Matt Barnes came in for the top of the tenth and Freese singled to right to begin. Joc Pederson came in to run and Bellinger flied out to left. Pollock struck out swinging and Muncy also went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox blew another chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth although Martinez went down swinging to start. Vazquez walked to put the winning run on but Benintendi lined out to left. Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Chavis and Vazquez swiped second. Holt whiffed to end the inning....dammit.
Heath Hembree came on to pitch the top of the eleventh and Corey Seager pinch hit for Hernandez. Seager grounded out to first but Verdugo walked. Martin whiffed but Taylor was plunked. Turner singled to left and Verdugo came running toward home.....YERR OUTTA THERE! Benintendi gunned down Verdugo to end the inning.
Dylan Floro came in for the bottom of the eleventh and the Sox looked to end it when JBJ doubled to center. Unfortunately JBJ was thrown out at third on the grounder to short by Hernandez. Mr. Mookie flied out to right and Devers was intentionally walked. Bogaerts ate up Taylor at second for a "single" to load the bases but Martinez grounded into a force to end the inning....dammit.
The Dodgers finally knocked out the Sox in the top of the 12th inning with Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez on the mound. Pederson walked and Velazquez was called for catcher's interference when Hector ran into Bellinger on a grounder. Pollock singled to left to load the bases and Muncy walked home Peterson to give the Dodgers the lead. Seager popped up to third but Verdugo singled home Bellinger to reload the bases. Martin beat out a double play ball to score Pollock to ice the game. Austin Barnes pinch hit for Taylor and struck out swinging to end the inning but the Dodgers led 7-4.
Floro returned to close out the bottom of the 12th and Vazquez walked to start. Benintendi whiffed and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts slapped the Sox in the face by bringing in old friend Joe Kelly to close it out. Holt whiffed but Vazquez took second on a passed ball. JBJ whiffed to end the game...the Dodgers had won it 7-4 in 12 innings.
Jackass of the Night is Hector Velazquez. He melted in the top of the 12th inning by allowing 3 runs to put the game out of reach.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a walk and a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with a walk, a home run and 2 total runs scored.
JD Martinez was 2 for 6 with a solo home run.
Josh Taylor pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Colten Brewer pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless tenth inning.
Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 11th inning.
The Bad:
Brock Holt struck out twice in two plate appearances.
Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Marco Hernandez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
David Price allowed 4 runs in 5 innings. He allowed 4 hits, 3 walks and a 3 run homer
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but walked.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 but walked twice.
Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 6 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.
Michael Chavis was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but walked.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox better hope Andrew Cashner is the real deal, otherwise they're going to plummet out of sight real quick. The entire rotation with the exception of Eduardo Rodriguez looks like garbage although it was nice to see the Sox rally in the eighth inning for once. Its a shame the Sox couldn't hit the killshot and it seems like everything that went right last year has gone wrong this year. The normally unreliable bullpen held the fort for 6 innings after Price left but the bats couldn't get the job done. The Sox also have been beaten by every single good team this season and the magic from last year is gone. The only question is if they can right the ship by the trade deadline or not. If they decide to blow it up or make additions, SOMETHING has to be done because they're not getting it done anymore. The loss dropped the Sox to 50-43, 10 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Toronto Blue Jays are in town for a four game set. If the Sox can take 3 out of 4 or sweep, fans might get excited again. "Slick" Rick Porcello (6-7) gets the start for the Sox up against Trent Thornton of the Jays. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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