It was a bad night all around for Boston sports. The Boston Bruins were beaten by the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox. That was one of the worst beatdowns the Tampa Bay Rays have ever laid on the Boston Red Sox. They averaged 8 runs a game in the past four games including the absolute crush job in tonight's game. The Rays pulverized Kyle Hart (0-1, 22.50 ERA) and a host of horrible believers for 19 hits and 17 runs. The Rays were one of the worst offensive teams in the American League going into this series and they couldn't miss. The Sox managed to make 4 errors on defense and get Jose Peraza hurt while he PITCHED. It all added up to a 17-5 blowout loss at Fenway Park.
Hart got lit up immediately in the top of the first as Mike Brosseau walked to start. Jose Martinez hit a routine grounder to Jonathan Arauz who threw himself on the ball and screamed for an error. Yandy Diaz singled home Brosseau to put the Rays up early. Hunter Renfroe and Brandon Lowe whiffed but Willy Adames singled home Martinez to increase the lead. Manny Margot flied out to center to end the inning but it was 2-0 Rays.
The Sox fought back in the bottom of the first against Rays starter Tyler Glasnow. Alex Verdugo led off with a double to left and scored on the base hit by Rafael Devers. JD Martinez walked but Mitch Moreland and Kevin Pillar both struck out swinging. Kevin Plawecki doubled to center to score both runners and give the Sox the lead. Arauz atoned for his error with a base hit to left but Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.
Hart got Yoshi Tsutsugo to strike out swinging to begin the top of the second before Mike Zunino hit one up the elevator shaft. Brosseau walked and took second on a balk, but Martinez took strike three to end the inning. Jose Peraza popped up to first to start the bottom of the second before Verdugo grounded out to first. Devers whiffed to end the inning.
The Rays figured out Hart in the top of the third as Diaz walked to start. Renfroe hit a 90 mph meatball right down the middle all the way to Lake Michigan to give the Rays the lead. Lowe followed with a 400,000 foot home run of his own and Adames doubled to left. Margot singled Adames to third and Tsutsugo singled him home. That was it for Hart who showed why 567 prospects were chosen before him, getting pounded for 7 runs in just 2 plus innings. Phillips Valdez came in and Zunino beat out a double play ball to score Margot. Brosseau singled to center but Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning with the Rays ahead 7-3.
The Sox did fight back in the bottom of the third as Martinez walked to start. Moreland singled to right but both Pillar and Plawecki took strike three. Arauz doubled to right to score Martinez. The human rally killer JBJ grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox were down 7-3.
The Rays iced the game in the top of the fourth with some really bad defense by Devers. Diaz singled to right and Devers threw a double play ball by Renfroe away. Lowe singled home Diaz but Diaz went down hacking. Devers threw a ball by Margot away which scored Renfroe and advanced Lowe to third. Tsutsugo scored Lowe with a sac fly to increase the lead. Zunino lined out to center to end the inning with the Rays up 10-4.
The Sox wouldn't go quietly in the bottom of the fourth as Peraza doubled to left to begin. Verdugo and Devers whiffed but Martinez doubled home Peraza to cut the lead. Moreland whiffed to end the inning but the Sox were down 10-5.
Valdez cruised in the top of the fifth as Brosseau grounded out to third to start. Martinez whiffed and Diaz grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Old pal Jalen "Twin" Beeks took the mound in the bottom of the fifth and cruised. Pillar grounded out to third, Plawecki grounded out to short and Arauz whiffed to end the inning.
Marcus Walden came in for the top of the sixth and immediately crapped his pants. Renfroe smashed a home run into the Atlantic Ocean and Lowe walked to start. Adames tripled into the right field corner and Margot singled him home. Tsutsugo singled to center and Zunino effortlessly crushed a three run bomb to chase Walden. If there were fans in the stands they'd be booing as Josh Osich came in and somehow struck out Brosseau swinging. Martinez grounded out to third and Diaz whiffed to end the inning with the Rays ahead 16-5. The Rays have scored a total of 41 runs in 4 games and there's still three innings left.
JBJ grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth but Peraza doubled to center. Verdugo grounded out to first and Devers flied out to left to end the inning.
Michael Chavis took over at first in the top of the seventh and Devers made his third error of the gamer when he threw a ground ball by Renfroe away. Lowe and Adames whiffed but Margot singled to left. Tsutsugo whiffed to end the inning. Anthony Banda came in for the bottom of the seventh and Martinez grounded out to third to start. Chavis tripled to right and Pillar was plunked...but Plawecki banged into a double play to end the inning.
Heath Hembree came in for the top of the eighth and Zunino took strike three to start. Brosseau whiffed and Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the eighth as Arauz lined out to center ton start. JBJ whiffed and Peraza flied out to left to end the inning.
In a case of Murphy's Law, Sox manager Ron Roenicke decided to have Peraza come from second base to pitch the top of the ninth with Tzu-Wei Lin now at short. Diaz singled and Renfroe doubled, then Lowe smashed a line drive off the leg of Peraza that went to Chavis for the out. Peraza's leg was shattered and Diaz scored to wrap up the scoring. Plawecki was brought from the catcher's spot to pitch, Lin moved to the catcher's spot and Christian Vazquez was brought in to play second base as Sox fans wondered if Roenicke had Alzheimer's. Adames walked but Margot lined out to left and Tsutsugo flied out to right to end the inning. The Rays scored a total of 42 runs in this four game sweep....pathetic.
The Sox rallied for no reason in the bottom of the ninth as Verdugo walked to start. Alex was forced at second by Devers and Lin popped up to third. Chavis singled to center and Pillar doubled home both runners off the Monster. Plawecki the pitcher singled home Pillar to give the Sox 8 runs for the first time since Opening Day. Arauz took strike three to end the game, the Rays had completed the embarrassing sweep 17-8.
Jackass of the Night is Marcus Walden. Hart looked shell-shocked in his ML debut and Valdez was let down by his defense, there's no excuse for Walden to allow 6 damn runs without making an out.
The Good:
JD Martinez was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3.
Michael Chavis was 2 for 2 with a run scored.
Kevin Plawecki was 2 for 5 with 3 rbis and got the final two outs of the ninth inning.
Jonathan Arauz was 2 for 5 with an rbi.
Jose Peraza was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Josh Osich struck out 5 of the 6 batters he faced.
Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Tzu-Wei Lin was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Kyle Hart got shelled in his ML debut, allowing 7 runs in just 2 plus innings.
The Ugly:
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts and 3 errors but drove in a run and scored twice.
Kevin Pillar was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch, drove in 2 runs and scored a run.
Phillips Valdez allowed 3 unearned runs in 3 innings.
Honorable Mention:
Christian Vazquez played second base in the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
Murphy's Law was in effect tonight. Not only did one of the worst offenses in baseball pulverize the Sox horrible pitching staff, Rafael Devers managed to look worse than ever and Jose Peraza may be out for the season after taking a line drive off the leg as the PITCHER. Anything that went wrong could and did go wrong. There's really nothing left to say as the whole franchise has sent up the white flag. A lot of Sox fans have said management punted this season, no way. This franchise took a knee on fourth down, forget punting. Every game is a complete embarrassment and its getting worse with each passing day. They're unwatchable at this point and there's still 41 games left of this torture to go. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! Not only did the Sox get their brains beat in by Tampa, guess who they get to go get slaughtered by next? That's right, they go to New York to play the Yankees. If the Rays looked like worldbeaters what are the Yankees going to do to them? As per norm, Sox manager Ron Roenicke will pick someone's name out of a hat to start for the Sox against Yankees ace Gerrit Cole tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.
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