It was a bad day for Boston sports as the Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the Boston Bruins with their double overtime Game 5 victory in the second round NHL playoff series. As for the baseball game, with nearly all the players that performed well for the Sox this season injured or gone, is it any wonder what was left lost to the Atlanta Braves? Colten Brewer got lit up in the top of the fifth inning and the younger Sox players did absolutely nothing offensively. Michael Chavis, Jonathan Arauz and Bobby Dalbec went a combined 0 for 12 with 6 strikeouts as Braves ace Max Fried shut down the Boston bats. The Sox did try to rally in the eighth inning but it wasn't enough as the Braves beat the depleted Sox 6-3 at Fenway Park.
Brewer took a beating in the top of the first inning as Dansby Swanson singled to center to start the top of the first inning. Freddie Freeman lined out to right and Marcell Ozuna went down hacking, but Nick Markakis doubled to left to score Swanson. Austin Riley got a hit to left but Adam Duvall grounded out to second to end the inning with the Braves ahead 1-0.
The Sox somehow responded against Fried in the bottom of the first as Alex Verdugo doubled to left to begin. Christian Vazquez grounded out to third but Rafael Devers singled up the middle to score Verdugo to tie the game. Xander Bogaerts whiffed and Michael Chavis grounded into a force to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
Johan Camargo singled to center to start the top of the second inning but Tyler Flowers lined out to second. Ender Inciarte lined out to left and Swanson grounded into a force to end the inning. Bobby Dalbec whiffed to start the bottom of the second but Jackie Bradley Jr doubled to left. Jonathan Arauz lined out to third and Jose Peraza grounded out to short to end the inning.
Freeman singled to center to start the top of the third and moved to second on a passed ball. Brewer recovered to get Ozuna to line out to center and Markakis to ground out to second. Riley whiffed to end the inning. Somehow the Sox took the lead in the bottom of the third as Verdugo doubled to left again. Alex moved to third on the Vazquez grounder but Devers whiffed. Somehow Fried balked and Verdugo came home with the go-ahead run. Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning but the Sox led 2-1
The lead lasted 30 seconds as Duvall hit a home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to tie the game to start the top of the fourth. Carmago doubled but Brewer punched out Flowers swinging. Carmago moved to third on the Inciarte grounder but Swanson took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Chavis grounded out to short to start. Dalbec whiffed again but JBJ drew a walk. Arauz grounded out to third to end the inning.
The floodgates opened in the top of the fifth as Freeman walked to start. Ozuna doubled to center and Markakis walked to load the bases with nobody out. That was it for Brewer who would end up being charged with 5 runs in just 4 innings, brutal. Phillips Valdez came in and immediately allowed a bases clearing triple to right by Riley to put Atlanta up for good. Somehow Valdez punched out Duvall, Camargo and Flowers in short order to end the inning but the Braves were up 5-2.
The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth although Peraza popped up to first to start. Verdugo doubled to center and Vazquez walked, but Devers banged into a double play to end the inning.
27 year old Robinson Leyer made his ML debut in the top of the sixth...and got tagged. Inciarte grounded out to second but Swanson walked. Freeman singled to right but Ozuna whiffed. Markakis ate up Arauz with a ground ball that skipped to center for a single to score Swanson. Riley grounded out to third to end the inning but the Braves were up 6-2.
Darren O'Daye replaced Fried in the bottom of the sixth and Bogaerts went down hacking to start. Chavis popped up to second and Dalbec earned the hat trick by watching strike three go by to end the inning.
Robert Stock came in for the top of the seventh and Duvall walked to start. Carmago whiffed, Flowers lined out to right and Inciarte took strike three to end the inning. Old Sox farmhand Chris Martin came in for the bottom of the seventh and JBJ was so excited to see his old teammate he flied out to left. Arauz whiffed and Peraza grounded out to second to end the inning.
Jeffrey Springs came in for the top of the eighth and Swanson whiffed to start. Freeman also went down swinging and Ozuna lined out to center to end the inning. Will Smith came in for the bottom of the eighth and the Sox rallied. Verdugo struck out swinging but Vazquez singled to left. Devers got a base hit to center and Bogaerts lashed a base hit up the middle to score Vazquez and send Devers to third. With the tying run at the plate....Chavis whiffed and Dalbec earned the golden sombrero by taking strike three to end the inning. The Sox were down 6-3 and all hope was lost.
Springs returned for the top of the ninth and Markakis singled to center to begin. Riley banged into a double play and Duvall watched strike three go by to end the inning.
Old friend Mark Melancon came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and JBJ flied out to center to start. Arauz grounded out to short and Peraza flied out to center to end the game. The Braves had won it 6-3.
Jackass of the Night is Colten Brewer. He fell apart in the fifth inning and was charged with 5 runs in just 4 innings.
The Good:
Alex Verdugo was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.
Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Jeffrey Springs tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Michael Chavis was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.
Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jose Peraza was 0 for 4.
Robinson Leyer allowed a run in the sixth inning.
The Ugly:
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Phillips Valdez allowed 3 inherited runners to score but struck out the side in the fifth inning.
Final Thoughts:
Well this is what the Sox have left after the trade deadline. Mitch Moreland, Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree, Kevin Pillar and Josh Osich have been traded plus Darwinzon Hernandez and Nathan Eovaldi joined Andrew Benintendi on the Injured List. Chaim Bloom showed what would actually happen if Rachel Phelps from Major League was real. Anyone that actually performed well this season with the exceptions of Verdugo, Valdez and Bogaerts are gone. Not only that, the guys they brought up to replace Pillar, Osich and Hernandez are complete no-names. Not only did the Sox penny pinch on starting pitching, they refused to call up any prospect worth anything besides Dalbec because of "service time." Hopefully Darwinzon Hernandez doesn't need Tommy John surgery because he's the only power lefty they have. If this is what the Sox have left to offer, the next 25 games are going to be pure torture. The loss drops the Sox to 12-23, good for last place in the AL East. The next defeat is tomorrow night when Ryan Weber (0-2, 6.00 ERA) gets pounded and Ian Anderson pitches a a shutout at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment