As for the game, you mean to tell me Brian Johnson isn't good enough to pitch for THIS bunch of bums? In one of the worst displays of what's wrong with baseball today, the Boston Red Sox dropped a close one to the Tampa Bay Rays. In a 4 1/2 hour game that started at 7:30, the awful Sox pitching staff allowed 8 runs in 8 innings to the normally dormant Rays. The Sox actually delivered on offense for once but it wasn't enough as the Rays pounded the inept bullpen for an 8-7 victory at Fenway Park.
Sox Manager Ron Roenicke pulled Ryan Brasier's name out of a hat to start the top of the first inning. Austin Meadows grounded out to second but Brandon Lowe doubled to right. Yandy Diaz took strike three but Ji-Man Choi walked. Joey Wendle grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Tampa starter Ryan Yarbrough in the bottom of the first. Kevin Pillar lined out to left to begin but Alex Verdugo pulled a base hit to right. JD Martinez drew a walk and Xander Bogaerts doubled home Verdugo to give the Sox the lead. Michael Chavis scored Martinez with a grounder and Kevin Plawecki scored Xander with a base hit to right. Jose Peraza popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.
The Rays struck back in the top of the second against Colten Brewer. Yoshi Tsutsugo grounded out to short before former Sox prospect Manny Margot doubled to center. Kevin Kiermaier singled home Margot but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Michael Perez lined out to center to end the inning with the Rays down 3-1.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to start. Kiermaier made a great catch to rob Jonathan Arauz of a base hit and Pillar struck out swinging to end the inning. Michael Chavis was shown on camera showing Kiermaier what he thought of that catch.
Brewer returned for the top of the third and Meadows walked to start. Meadows swiped second but Lowe whiffed. Diaz flied out to right but Choi walked. Wendle struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Verdugo grounded out to third to start. Martinez pounded his first home run of the year to break up his slump. Bogaerts and Chavis grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 4-1.
The Rays capitalized on a break to start the top of the fourth. Tsutsugo hit a routine grounder to Peraza who tried to field the ball in his hat but missed for an error. Margot then blooped a single over the head of Jose to put runners at the corners. Kiermaier beat out a double play ball and swiped second. Perez singled home both runners to cut the lead. Meadows then doubled to left and Perez tried to motor around to home. Verdugo relayed to Bogaerts who fired home...SAFE! But wait! Sox manager Ron Roenicke challenged the call and the call was overturned, Perez was out! Meadows took third but Lowe grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Plawecki grounded out to short to start. Peraza lined out to right and JBJ grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Rays tied it up in the top of the fifth with Marcus Walden on the mound. Diaz walked to start but Choi whiffed. Wendle tripled into the gap in center to tie the game. Walden got a big out by striking out Tsutsugo swinging but Margo walked to chase the incompetent pitcher. Jeffrey Springs came in and Margot stole second but Kiermaier whiffed to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.
Arauz finally got his first hit with a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fifth. Arauz was forced at second by Pillar but Verdugo walked. Chaz Roe came in and Martinez singled to load the bases. Roe got the biggest play of the game when he got Bogaerts to bang into a double play to end the inning.
The Rays took command in the top of the sixth as Perez singled to center to begin. Meadows lined out to right and Lowe popped up to third, but Diaz walked. Choi singled home Perez to give the Rays the lead. Joe Martinez pinch hit for Wendle and grounded out to third to end the inning with the Rays ahead 5-4.
Willy Adames took over at short as the Sox fought back in the bottom of the sixth. Chavis doubled to left and Plawecki singled him home to tie the game. Peraza banged into a double play and Aaron Loup was brought in to pitch to JBJ. JBJ took strike three to end the inning but it was tied 5-5.
For some reasons Springs returned for the top of the seventh and the Rays jumped on him. Tsutsu go singled to right, Margot singled to left and Kiermaier doubled home both runners to put the Rays up for good. Phillips Valdez came in and got Perez to pop up to center but Kiermaier stole third. Meadows walked but Lowe whiffed and Meadows was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning with the Rays ahead 7-5.
Mike Brosseau took over at third for the bottom of the seventh and Arauz got a base hit to left to start. Pillar took strike three and Verdugo whiffed before Pete Fairbanks was brought in to face Martinez. JD grounded into a force to end the inning.
The Rays couldn't miss in the top of the eighth although Diaz grounded out to second to start. Choi whiffed but Adames singled to left. Brosseau singled to left and Margot doubled home Adames to ice the game. Kiermaier walked but Perez grounded to first to end the inning with the Rays ahead 8-5.
The Sox fought back in the bottom of the eighth although Bogaerts took strike three to start. Chavis with but Plawecki singled to right. Andrew Benintendi pinch hit for Peraza and walked and Jose Alvarado came in to pitch to JBJ. Sox manager Ron Roenicke countered by bringing in Christian Vazquez to pinch hit for JBJ and he walked to load the bases. Tzu-Wei Lin pinch ran for Vazquez and Arauz singled home Plawecki and Benintendi to cut the lead. With all the momentum on Boston's side...Pillar grounded into a force to end the inning with the Rays ahead 8-7.
Dylan Covey came in for the top of the ninth and Meadows singled to center to begin. Lowe banged into a double play and Diaz grounded out to short to end the inning. All in all the Rays had TWENTY-FIVE base runners between hits and walks in tonight's game, nice pitching! Verdugo hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the ninth and Andrew Kittredge came in to close out the final two outs. Martinez singled to left but Bogaerts lined out to right. With Mitch Moreland nursing a "bad knee" according to Roenicke, Chavis whiffed to end the game. The Rays had held on to win 8-7.
Jackass of the Night is Kevin Pillar. He was 0 for 5 with 2 strikesouts and failed in the clutch when the Sox needed it.
The Good:
JD Martinez was 3 for 4 with a home run, walk and 2 total runs scored.
Kevin Plawecki was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.
Andrew Benintendi walked and scored as a pinch hitter.
Christian Vazquez walked as a pinch hitter.
Jonathan Arauz was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis.
Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 1st inning.
Dylan Covey pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Jose Peraza was 0 for 3 with an error.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Colten Brewer allowed 3 runs in 3 innings of work.
Marcus Walden allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.
Jeffrey Springs allowed 3 runs in 1 1/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.
Michael Chavis was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.
Phillips Valdez allowed a run in 2 innings of work.
Honorable Mention:
Tzu-Wei Lin was a pinch runner and played second base in the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
On one hand it was a tough loss that highlighted how bad the pitching was, but what else can you expect when you only have 2 starting pitchers on the active roster? Literally after Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Perez, the Sox have no starters. Ron Roenicke can only work with what he has. If he claims Rafael Devers and Mitch Moreland were unavailable and he was saving Heath Hembree, Matt Barnes and Brandon Workman wear and tear, its up to the other guys to perform. The bullpen failed miserably tonight but can't really point fingers at the manager. It all starts up top with John Henry putting a gag order on Chaim Bloom to spend any money. Teams like the Rays can do these "bullpen games" because they have the pitchers to do it, the Sox clearly can't. Letting Brian Johnson walk is just another sign that management tanked this season because Johnson is better than what we saw take the mound in tonight's game. The positives were JD Martinez finally woke up and Jonathan Arauz got his first couple of hits. Michael Chavis may get fined a few bucks for his middle finger but its better to be shown cheering on your teammates than scrolling Instagram in the dugout. The loss drops the Sox to 6-10, 4 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to bounce back when they send Martin Perez (2-1, 3.45 ERA) to the mound against Andrew Kittredge at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.
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