The good news is the Boston Red Sox are still in first place. The bad news was they couldn't get a clutch hit and got smacked around by the Andrew Benintendi-less Kansas City Royals AGAIN. To add injury to insult, both Kevin Plawecki and Christian Arroyo left the game due to injury. Plawecki looked to have pulled a hamstring while Arroyo collided with Kike Hernandez and looked to have banged up his knee. If that wasn't bad enough, Nathan Eovaldi (7-4, 3.90 ERA) continued the slide for Red Sox starters as Kansas City lit him up for 4 runs in just 4 innings. Unlike yesterday the bullpen couldn't get it done as the duo of Darwinzon Hernandez and scrap heaper Yacksel Rios allowed 3 runs to put the game out of reach. The Sox as a team had baserunners on all game but couldn't get the clutch hit to get back in the game. It all added up to an embarrassing 7-3 pasting by the Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
Royals starter Mike Minor got the ball in the top of the first and Christian Arroyo hit a routine pop up to third...DROPPED BY KELVIN GUTIERREZ! Arroyo was safe at first on the error but Alex Verdugo lined out weakly to left. JD Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning. Eovaldi got the ball in the bottom of the first and Whit Merrifield grounded back to the mound to begin. Carlos Santana popped up to Xander Bogaerts and Salvador Perez grounded out to short to end the inning on just 6 pitches.
The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Xander Bogaerts grounded out to short to start the top of the second inning. Rafael Devers also grounded out to short but Hunter Renfroe walked. Kike Hernandez blasted his sixth home run of the year to give the Sox the lead and Bobby Dalbec ripped a base hit to left. Kevin Plawecki hit a hard line drive right to Jarrod Dyson to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.
The Royals started their comeback in the bottom of the first as Adalberto Mondesi effortlessly doubled to center to start. Gutierrez grounded out to third but Hunter Dozier singled to right to put runners at the corners. Dozier moved to second on a grounder to the mound by Dyson and Dalbec booted a grounder by Michael A Taylor for an error to score Mondesi. Nicky Lopez whiffed on a nasty cutter to end the inning with the Royals down 2-1.
Arroyo flied out to the right field wall to start the top of the third before Verdugo took strike three. Martinez somehow tripled to right but Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning. The Royals took command in the bottom of the third as Merrifield easily singled to right to start. Merrifield moved to second on a grounder to the mound by Santana. Perez laughed as he singled to center to score Merrifield and Mondesi hit a ground rule double off the glove of Arroyo, under the tarp. Gutierrez walked on 5 pitches not even close to load the bases but Dozier somehow took a full count strike three. Dyson doubled to left after an 11 pitch at bat to score two runs to put the Royals up for good. Taylor took strike three to end the inning with the Royals up 4-2.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Devers grounded out to second to start. Renfroe struck out swinging and Hernandez doubled down the left field line and Dalbec ripped a base hit to left to put runners at the corners. Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Plawecki and grounded out to second to end the inning. Lopez singled to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Merrifield lined out to center. Lopez swiped second and moved to third on the grounder to first by Santana. Perez struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Eovaldi who was pulled after allowing 4 runs after 4 innings.
The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Arroyo singled to left to start. Verdugo whiffed and Martinez popped up to first, but Bogaerts singled to right to put runners at the corners. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Darwinzon Hernandez came in for the bottom of the fifth and Mondesi popped up to third on the first pitch. Gutierrez walked but was thrown out trying to steal second before Dozier hit a pop up to shallow center. Hernandez and Arroyo collided for a "double" and Arroyo was hauled off on a gurney and rushed to the local ICU. Marwin Gonzalez came in to play second and Dyson was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Hopefully Arroyo is okay.
Renfroe grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth before Hernandez popped up to right. Dalbec grounded out to second to end the inning. Taylor grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth but Lopez singled past the diving Gonzalez to chase Hernandez. Yacksel Rios came in and promptly served up a two run homer to Merrifield to ice the game. Santana effortlessly ripped a base hit tonight and Perez beat out a roller to third. Mondesi took strike three but Gutierrez walked to load the bases. Dozier beat out a roller to second to score Santana but Dyson grounded out to third to end the inning with the Royals ahead 7-2.
Hanser Alberto came in for Mondesi to start the top of the seventh as the Sox blew yet another rally. Vazquez and Gonzalez struck out swinging but Verdugo singled to center. Martinez singled to left to chase Minor. Scott Barlow came in and struck out Bogaerts swinging to end the inning. Matt Andriese came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Taylor flied out to left to start. Lopez singled to center but Merrifield flied out to right. Santana singled to right but Perez flied out to center to end the inning.
The Sox blew ANOTHER rally in the top of the eighth with Carlos Hernandez now on the mound. Devers opened the salvo with his 18th home run of the season to start and Renfroe singled to left. Hernandez walked to chase Hernandez and Kyle Zimmer came in to pitch. Dalbec took strike three but Vazquez walked to load the bases. In what should have been Arroyo, Gonzalez banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 7-3.
Andriese returned for the bottom of the eighth and Alberto grounded out to short to start. Gutierrez grounded out to short and Dozier struck out swinging to end the inning.
Greg Holland came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Verdugo grounded out to first to start. Martinez flied out to center and Bogaerts popped up to second to end the game. The Royals had won it 7-3.
Jackass of the Night is Yacksel Rios. He turned a 4-2 game into 7-2 to put it out of reach.
The Good:
Christian Arroyo was 1 for 3 before leaving with injury.
JD Martinez was 2 for 5.
Hunter Renfroe was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run homer.
Matt Andriese pitched 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Marwin Gonzalez was 0 for 2 including a double play with the bases loaded.
Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 1 before leaving the game.
Nathan Eovaldi took the loss by allowing 4 runs in just 4 innings.
Darwinzon Hernandez was charged with a run in 1 1/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.
Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4 but committed an error which led to a run.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Losing Arroyo hurts the worst because he's been a diamond in the rough find for Sox GM Chaim Bloom. The Sox have fresh troops in the minors to be backup catcher if Plawecki is hurt long term but Arroyo had been solid at second base, hopefully they're both okay. This game was frustrating all around because the Royals are a terrible hitting team but they played like the Houston Astros. Eovaldi couldn't blow anyone away and the Royals seemed to foul off enough pitches until they got one to hit into a hole. On the other side, the Sox had no problems getting men on base but just couldn't get the big hit to drive anyone in. Case in point was the Gonzalez double play, if Arroyo doesn't hit a grand slam or at least a double in that spot, I'd be stunned. The Sox better hope Arroyo is okay, otherwise its back to Michael Chavis and his Kit Keller impression. The New York Yankees won again on a triple play and whatever has gone wrong with the Rays the last 5 games has gone right with the Yankees. The Sox next two series will be against the Rays and Yankees so now is the time to get their act together. The loss dropped the Sox to 43-29, 1/2 game in front of the Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox have an important 3 game showdown with the Rays in Tampa starting Tuesday night. Eduardo Rodriguez (5-4, 6.21 ERA) tries not to suck against Captain TBD from Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Tropicana Field.
No comments:
Post a Comment