OUT
Can this season end yet? The Sox are finding new ways to lose as they fall further and further out of contention. Dave Dombrowski's lone mid-season acquisition Andrew Cashner once again failed to produce as a starter. The bullpen blew yet another late inning lead, the bats failed to accomplish anything in the last 5 innings and the Los Angeles Angels scored the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th to defeat the Sox 5-4.
The Angels immediately pounced on the incompetent Cashner in the top of the first inning. Brian Goodwin pounded a ground rule double to right to begin before Mike Trout walked. Shohei Ohtani singled to left to load the bases and Albert Pujols scored Goodwin by hitting into a double play. Kole Calhoun was plunked but David Fletcher flied out to center to end the inning with the Angels up 1-0.
New call up Chris Owings whiffed to start the bottom of the first but Rafael Devers doubled to left. Devers was foolishly thrown out at third trying to steal and Xander Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning.
Cashner had no idea where the ball was going in the top of the second inning as Matt Thaiss and Max Strassi both walked to start. Luis Rengifo flied out to left and Goodwin whiffed but Trout walked to load the bases. Ohtani singled home both Thaiss and Strassi to increase the lead. Pujols walked to reload the bases and Sox manager Alex Cora stormed out of the dugout, kicking dirt at Cashner and screaming to get the hell out of there. The only guy Dombrowski traded for before the deadline has been a titanic bust of epic proportions, allowing 3 runs in just 1 2/3 innings. Josh Taylor came in and got Calhoun to ground out to second to end the inning with the Angels up 3-0.
The Sox took advantage of wildness from Angels starter Patrick Sandoval in the bottom of the second inning. JD Martinez grounded out to short but Andrew Benintendi singled to right. Sam Travis walked but Christian Vazquez whiffed. Michael Chavis walked to load the bases and Jackie Bradley Jr walked in a run to put the Sox on the board. With a chance to break the game open...Owings whiffed to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.
Taylor dominated the top of the third by striking out Fletcher to start. Thaiss whiffed as did Strassi to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Devers grounded out to short to start. Bogaerts lined out to second and Martinez lined out to third to end the inning.
Taylor continued to cruise in the top of the fourth as Rengifo grounded out to short to start. Goodwin and Trout both whiffed to end the inning. Taylor got 5 of the 7 batters he faced by strikeout, outstanding.
The Sox came back in the bottom of the fourth as Benintendi flied out to center to start. Travis singled before Vazquez launched his 18th home run of the season to tie the game. Chavis flied out to right and JBJ lined out to center to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.
Marcus Walden came in for the top of the fifth inning and whiffed Ohtani to start. Pujolds grounded out to short but Calhoun walked. Fletcher lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the fifth although Owings grounded out to second to begin. Devers beat out an infield single to second but Bogaerts flied out to right. Martinez singled and Benintendi walked to load the bases and chase Sandoval. None other than last year's Red Sox top prospect, Ty Buttrey, who was traded for Ian Kinsler, came in and Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Travis. Strassi allowed a passed ball to score Devers with the go-ahead run before Moreland walked to reload the bases. With a chance to break the game open....Vazquez took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.
Nathan Eovaldi took the mound in the top of the sixth inning and Thaiss grounded out to second to start. Stassi grounded out to second but Rengifo doubled to center. Goodwin grounded out to first to end the inning. Buttrey blew away Chavis to start the bottom of the sixth before JBJ whiffed as well. Owings flied out to left to end the inning.
Matt Barnes came in for the top of the seventh and blew away Trout to start. Ohtani singled but Pujols banged into a double play to end the inning. Devers lined out to left to start the bottom of the seventh and Cam Bedrosian was brought in and Bogaerts singled to center off him. Martinez lined out to center and Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning.
For some reason Barnes was brought back for the top of the eighth and 4 pitches later Calhoun smashed a 40,000 foot home run to tie the game. Fletcher lined out to left and Thaiss grounded out to second before Justin Upton pinch hit for Stassi. Upton walked and that was it for Barnes. Lord knows why Cora thought he could go two innings but it cost them. Brandon Workman came in and Rengifo singled but Goodwin grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.
The Sox tried to fight back with Anthony Bemboom behind the plate for the bottom of the eighth. Moreland walked and Mookie Betts ran for him. Vazquez failed to move Betts when he popped up the bunt to first. Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Chavis and Betts got himself thrown out at second trying to steal. Holt walked but JBJ flied out to left to end the inning, what a waste.
Workman returned for the top of the ninth and Trout flied out to center to start. Ohtani and Pujols both whiffed to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the ninth as Owings and Devers both whiffed to start. Hansel Robles came in and Bogaerts popped up to short to end the inning.
Ryan Weber was the sacrificial lamb in the top of the tenth as Calhoun walked to start. Kole moved to second on the Fletcher ground out before Thaiss flied out to center. Bemboom the backup catcher singled home Calhoun with the winning run. Rengifo lined out to center to end the inning with the Angels ahead 5-4.
Wilfredo Tovar came in for Thaiss as Robles came back to finish off the Sox in the bottom of the tenth. Martinez whiffed but Benintendi singled to put the tying run on. Mr. Mookie popped up to short and Vazquez whiffed to end the game. The Angels had beaten the Sox 5-4 in 10 innings.
Jackass of the Night is Mookie Betts. He was thrown out trying to steal as a pinch runner and popped up with the tying run on in the tenth.
The Good:
Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.
Sam Travis singled and scored.
Mitch Moreland walked twice after coming in for Travis.
Brock Holt walked as a pinch hitter.
Josh Taylor struck out 5 of the 7 batters he faced in 2 1/3 innings.
Marcus Walden pitched a scoreless 5th inning.
Nathan Eovaldi pitched a scoreless 6th inning.
Brandon Workman tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Chris Owings was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Mookie Betts was 0 for 1 at the plate and got thrown out trying to steal.
Andrew Cashner allowed 3 runs in just 1 2/3 innings.
Matt Barnes allowed the tying run to score in 1 2/3 innings.
Ryan Weber took the loss by allowing the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th.
The Ugly:
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 5.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but the one hit was a 2 run shot.
Michael Chavis was 0 for 2 but walked.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked and drove in a run.
Final Thoughts:
In a season full of frustrating losses, they all add up in the end. Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski screwed up big time by not having enough pitching help and its cost them at least 20 games this season. One frightening fact is they only have 3 come from behind wins after the 7th inning ALL YEAR. That's 2012 level of bad right there. The season can't end fast enough and there's still 41 games left this season. Hopefully it'll go by quick because it sure won't be painless. The loss dropped the Sox to 63-58, completely out of playoff contention. Tomorrow the Sox travel to Cleveland to drop a series with the Indians. Eduardo Rodriguez gets hammered as Zack Plesac most likely pitches a shutout at 8:10 PM at Progressive Field.
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