As for the game, what an unmitigated disaster. Just like 2013, the Red Sox lead in the AL East is dwindling due to the red hot Tampa Bay Rays and Boston's own incompetence. After kicking the daylights out of the Philadelphia Phillies last night, tonight the Phillies served the same humiliation back at the Sox. Most of the game the Sox trailed 3-2 and kept the game in reach, but the Phillies blew the game wide open in the top of the eighth inning. Josh Taylor and Brandon Workman had their worst games in over a month, allowing 7 runs while just getting one out between them. The offense was held to just 2 runs by Matt Moore and scoreless by the Phillies bullpen. Martin Perez (7-5, 4.04 ERA) lasted just 3 2/3 innings and the Phillies laughed at the Red Sox 11-2 at Fenway Park.
The Phillies set the tone when Jean Segura hit a home run all the way to Santo Domingo 6 pitches into the game to put Philadelphia on top. JT Realmuto blooped a single to right but Perez got Bryce Harper to bang into a double play. Andrew McCutchen lined out to left to end the inning with Philly ahead 1-0.
Moore got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kike Hernandez flied out to right to start. Alex Verdugo lined out to center and JD Martinez lined out to right to end the inning.
Bohm hits one out
The Phillies struck out swinging in the top of the second as Rhys Hoskins walked to start. Alec Bohm then hit a home run all the way to San Juan, Puerto Rico to increase the lead. Luke Williams flied out to center but Ronald Torreyes doubled to left. Andrew Knapp and Segura both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Phillies up 3-0.
The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogaerts crushed his 14th home run of the season to cut the lead. Rafael Devers grounded out to second, Hunter Renfroe popped up to first and Christian Arroyo grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.
Realmuto singled to center to start the top of the third before Harper struck out swinging. McCutchen popped up to first and Hoskins did the same to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Christian Vazquez doubled off the glove of Harper to start. Bobby Dalbec popped up to first but Hernandez was plunked. Verdugo flied out to right and Andrew Knapp tried to pick off Hernandez only to airmail the throw, scoring Christian from second to cut the lead. Martinez and Bogaerts drew back to back walks to load the bases but Devers flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.
The Phillies knocked out Perez in the top of the fourth but Bohm took strike three to begin. Williams grounded out to short but Torreyes beat out a roller past Perez. Knapp walked and that was it for Perez. Dr. Quick Hook Alex Cora yanked Perez before he could do further damage. Perez allowed 3 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Hiro Sawamura came in and Segura forced Knapp at second to end the inning.
Renfroe walked to start the bottom of the fourth but Arroyo flied out to right. Vazquez popped up to first and Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning.
Sawamura got the Phillies to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fifth as Realmuto grounded out to second to start. Harper was retired on a squibber in front of the plate and McCutchen grounded out to short to end the inning. Hernandez flied out to center to begin the bottom of the fifth but Verdugo singled to left to chase Moore. Hector Neris came in to pitch and Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning.
Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Hoskins popped up to second to start. Bohm singled to left but was forced at second by Williams. Torreyes flied out to center to end the inning. Bailey Falter came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Bogaerts went down hacking to start. Devers lined out to left before Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Lock returned briefly in the top of the seventh and Knapp flied out to left to start. Segura singled to right but Realmuto went down hacking. That was it for The Lock as Josh Taylor came in to pick off Segura to end the inning. The Sox failed to rally in the bottom of the seventh as Arroyo popped up to short to start. Vazquez grounded out to short and Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Phillies exploded in the top of the eighth as Harper singled to right to start. McCutchen walked and Hoskins doubled to center to score both runners to snap Taylor's 26 inning scoreless streak. Didi Gregorius pinch hit for Bohm and was plunked to chase Taylor. Brandon Workman came in and poured gas on the fire as Williams walked to load the bases. Torreyes singled to center to score Hoskins and Knapp walked home Gregorius to chase Workman. Austin Brice came in and Segura singled home Williams and Torreyes before Realmuto went down hacking. Harper doubled home both runners to wrap up the scoring. McCutchen walked and Harper moved to third on the fly ball to right by Hoskins. Gregorius popped up to third to end the inning as the Phillies matched the Sox output the entire GAME in this one inning. The Phillies put up 5 hits, 4 walks, a hit batsmen and 8 runs on the board to lead 11-2, brutal.
The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the eighth as Hernandez was plunked again to start. Verdugo singled to center and Martinez walked to load the bases with nobody out. Michael Chavis pinch hit for Bogaerts and struck out swinging before Devers was plunked to score.....but wait! Phillies manager Joe Girardi challenged that Devers wasn't hit and went around for strike three and the umps overturned the call. Renfroe flied out to center to end the inning.
Kevin Plawecki took over behind the plate for the top of the ninth and Williams struck out swinging to start. Torreyes took strike three and Knapp lined out to third to end the inning. Connor Brogdon came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Arroyo lined out to second to start. Plawecki lined out to left and Dalbec earned the hat trick by striking out swinging to end the game. The Phillies had won it 11-2.
. Phillies win
26 inning scoreless streak for the Jackass snapped
Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jackass of the Night is Josh Taylor. He turned a 3-2 game into 7-2 in a hurry.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was hit by a pitch twice in four plate appearances.
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4.
JD Martinez walked twice in four plate appearances.
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 2 with a walk including a home run.
Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Hiro Sawamura tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Garrett Whitlock tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Michael Chavis struck out as a pinch hitter.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Christian Arroyo was 0 for 4.
Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Martin Perez was knocked out after 3 2/3 innings and 3 runs allowed to take the loss.
Brandon Workman was charged with 3 runs without getting an out.
Austin Brice allowed 3 inherited runners to score and one of his own in 2 innings.
The Ugly:
Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Say what you will about the bullpen meltdown but the bottom line was the Sox only had 4 hits as a team. They've hit a snag lately and not hitting well as a team. Not only that, Matt Moore was out in the fifth inning and the Phillies bullpen slammed the door almost effortlessly. The Sox had just 4 hits in the game and the Phillies got 4 hits in the eighth inning rally alone. The worst part was Taylor had been dominant for the past two months, guess he was due for a stinker. Workman is nowhere near his 2019 self but that's been pretty much expected at this point. The worst part about this game is the Tampa Bay Rays won again to cut into the Sox AL East lead. The Sox need to make some moves because they're limping into the All-Star break and look tired. They won't get much of a rest either with 3 guys in the All-Star game and they're supposed to play the New York Yankees on Thursday in a makeup game. The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 55-35, 1.5 games ahead of the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox play their final game before the All-Star break tomorrow afternoon against the Phillies and Nick Pivetta (7-3) faces his old team with Brandon Kintzler as the "opener" tomorrow at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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