Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Christian Arroyo was activated off the Injured List and Michael Chavis was sent down to Worcester. Also Austin Brice accepted his assignment and reported to Worcester, remaining with the organization. Arroyo was showing some promise before he was hit in the wrist and the fewer games we have to see Marwin Gonzalez and Franchy Cordero, the better.
It was a bad night for Boston sports. First the Boston Celtics got their bungholes ripped inside out by the Brooklyn Nets in Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff series, then the Boston Red Sox offense took the night off against Charlie Morton and the Atlanta Braves. After taking the lead in the bottom of the first and starting the bottom of the second with a triple, the Sox bats had just ONE hit the rest of the game against Morton and the Braves. Garrett Richards (4-3, 3.83 ERA) was game but didn't get any run support. The Braves scored 3 runs off him in 5 2/3 innings. Hiro Sawamura and Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock kept the Braves off the board but the lifeless Sox dropped the game 3-1 to the Braves at Fenway Park.
Richards got the ball in the top of the first inning and Ronald Acuna Jr popped up to second to start. Freddie Freeman flied out to left but Marcell Ozuna walked. Ozzie Albies grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Charlie Morton in the bottom of the first as Kike Hernandez singled to left to start. Alex Verdugo walked and JD Martinez reached on an error by Albies to load the bases with nobody out. Naturally Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging but Rafael Devers was plunked to score Hernandez. Christian Vazquez hit a bullet to Dansby Swanson who doubled off Martinez to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.
Austin Riley struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Swanson popped up to third. Old friend Pablo Sandoval got a base hit to left but Guillermo Heredia popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox woes with men on base continued as Danny Santana tripled into the right field corner to start. Hunter Renfroe walked but Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging. Hernandez banged into a double play to end the inning, what a waste.
Naturally the Braves took the lead in the top of the third as William Contreras walked to start. Acuna lined out to center but Freeman singled to center. Ozuna doubled home Contreras tied the game and Albies forced Ozuna at third but scored Freeman to give the Braves the lead. Riley struck out swinging to end the inning with the Braves ahead 2-1.
Ehire Adrianza came in for the bottom of the third and Verdugo grounded out to first to start. Martinez struck out swinging but Bogaerts got a lucky hit to left. Devers grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Braves blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Swanson singled in the hole at short to start. Sandoval singled to left to put runners at the corners with no one out. Somehow Heredia lined out to Devers, Contreras took strike three and Acuna grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox failed to rally in the bottom of the fourth as Vazquez took strike three to start. Santana struck out swinging and Renfroe lined out to short to end the inning.
Richards got Freeman to ground out to short to start the top of the fifth and Adrianza grounded out to second. Albies walked but Riley grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Dalbec flied out to right to start. Hernandez struck out swinging and Verdugo grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Braves finally chased Richards in the top of the sixth although Swanson lined out to right to start. Sandoval singled to center but Heredia struck out. Contreras walked and that was it for Richards. He was game but would be charged with 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings. Hiro Sawamura came in and Acuna doubled home Sandoval to ice the game. Freeman was intentionally walked but Adrianza took strike three to end the inning with the Braves ahead 3-1.
The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the sixth as Martinez struck out swinging to start. Bogaerts grounded out to short and Devers grounded out to third to end the inning.
Albies grounded out to first to start the top of the seventh before Riley flied out to right. Swanson flied out to left to end the inning. Morton cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Vazquez struck out swinging to start. Santana went down hacking and Renfroe lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox had just 1 hit since Santana's triple in the second.
Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Sandoval grounded out to third to start. Heredia took strike three and Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning. Edgar Santana came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Marwin Gonzalez pinch hit for Dalbec. Gonzalez tried to bunt his way on but Contreras snuffed it out. Hernandez struck out swinging but Verdugo walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning.
Acuna grounded out to short to start the top of the ninth but Freeman doubled to left. Freeman moved to third on the grounder to first by Adrianza but Albies flied out to center to end the inning. Ender Inciarte took over for Adrianza and Will Smith came in to close out the bottom of the ninth. Bogaerts flied out to center Devers struck out swinging and Vazquez went down hacking to end the game. The Braves had won it 3-1.
Jackass of the Night is Christian Vazquez. He was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of three strikeouts including hitting into a double play with the bases loaded in the bottom of the first.
The Good:
Alex Verudgo walked twice in four plate appearances.
Danny Santana was 1 for 3.
Garrett Whitlock tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Marwin Gonzalez was 0 for 1 at the plate.
The Ugly:
Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 wit 2 strikeouts but scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch to drive in a run.
Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 2 but walked.
Garrett Richards took the loss but only allowed 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Hiro Sawamura allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 innings.
Final Thoughts:
This game was a sucker punch to the gonads considering both the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays lost tonight. Had the Sox won they'd be back in first place but instead the offense decided to take the night off. This isn't the Charlie Morton from the Astros and Rays either, how the Sox got shut down by him is disgraceful. Pitching wise there wasn't much to complain about. Richards did well but even if Sawamura didn't allow that rbi double in the sixth, they still lose 2-1. If the Sox had their normal offense scoring 4-6 runs, Richards would have his fifth win of the season. Inherited runner aside, Sawamura and Whitlock shut the door on the Braves high powered offense. Again, this was a wasted chance to gain grund considering the other teams lost. Hopefully the Sox offense wakes up tomorrow night. The loss dropped the Sox to 29-20, 0.5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night "The Undefeated" Nick Pivetta (5-0, 3.59 ERA) looks to continue his undefeated streak against Drew Smyly of the Braves. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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