Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves before today's doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays. JD Martinez would miss the games by being placed on the Covid List and the Sox called up Tanner Houck and Connor Wong from Worcester. In a minor note, the Worcester Red Sox released Marcus Walden. Walden was picked off the minor league scrap heap in 2017 and was one of Boston's best pitchers in 2019 going 9-2 for that ill-fated team. Least he got a ring in 2018.
As for the game, talk about inventing new ways to lose. Without JD Martinez, the Red Sox were held to no runs and just two hits by Robbie Rays and Jordan Romano in Game 1 of today's doubleheader. The silver lining was Nick Pivetta tossed a 6 inning 1 hit shutout of his own. Matt Barnes was brought in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and on the very first pitch, Marcus Semien hit a walkoff home run to win the game for the Jays. The Sox have now lost their last 8 out of 9 games including this 1-0 walkoff to the Jays in 7 innings in Game 1 at the Skydome.
Ray got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez walked to start. Alex Verdugo flied out to left, Xander Bogaerts flied out to right and Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Pivetta got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and George Springer popped up to first to start. Vladimir Guerrero Jr took strike three and Marcus Semien struck out swinging to end the inning.
Hunter Renfroe struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Kevin Plawecki popped up to first. Christian Vazquez lined out to short to end the inning. Bo Bichette struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Teoscar Hernandez grounded out to third. Corey Dickerson flied out to left to end the inning.
Bobby Dalbec popped up to second to begin the top of the third before Jonathan Arauz popped up to first. Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Pivetta cruised in the bottom of the third as Alejandro Kirk struck out swinging to start. Lourdes Gurriel Jr flied out to right and Santiago Espinal flied out to center to end the inning.
Verdugo flied out to right to start the top of the fourth before Bogaerts struck out swinging. Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. Springer grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth before Guerrero Jr hit one up the elevator shaft. Semien flied out to center to end the inning.
Renfroe struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth but Plawecki got a base hit to left. Vazquez banged into a double play to end the inning. Bichette flied out to right to begin the bottom of the fifth before Hernandez lined out to left. Dickerson broke up the perfect game with a base hit to center but Kirk flied out to right to end the inning.
The Sox blew their only rally in the top of the sixth as Dalbec walked to start. Arauz got a base hit to left but Hernandez took strike three. Verdugo just barely beat out a double play ball but Jays manager Charlie Montoyo challenged that Verdugo was out. The umpires looked at the replay but Verdugo was ruled safe anyway. With the go-ahead run at third....Bogaerts popped up to first to end the inning. Pivetta came back for the bottom of the sixth and Gurriel Jr flied out to right to start. Espinal took strike three and Springer walked. Guerrero Jr forced Springer at second to end the inning. Despite only throwing 76 pitches, that was it for Pivetta in yet another case of Sox manager Alex Cora pulling a guy too early. Pivetta tossed a 1 hit shutout through six innings.
Jordan Romano came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Devers struck out swinging to start. Renfroe grounded out to second and Plawecki took strike three to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh but Semien launched the first pitch he saw all the way to Montreal to end the game. The Jays had won it 1-0 in 7 innings.
Jackass of the Night is Matt Barnes. He served up the game winning jack to Semien to lose the game.
Matt Jackass
The Good:
Kevin Plawecki was 1 for 3.
Bobby Dalbec walked in two plate appearances.
Jonathan Arauz was 1 for 2.
Nick Pivetta tossed 6 shutout innings and allowed just 1 hit.
The Bad:
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 3.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 2.
The Ugly:
Kike Hernandez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Not having JD Martinez for the doubleheader isn't good but the top of the order did absolutely nothing. Batters 2 through 5 combined to go 0 for 12 with 5 strikeouts against Ray and Romano. Getting shut down by Ray in itself is embarrassing with or without Martinez. Once again Cora pulling a starter early cost the team as Barnes gave up the game winning home run on the first pitch. There's still another game to play in a few minutes but the Sox have lost 8 of 9 and haven't looked good at all since the All-Star Break. The offense has gone into a cold spell and the bullpen is beginning to crack due to the overuse from April to June. The silver lining is Pivetta pitched a hell of a game against one of the top offenses in baseball and the offense is too good not to turn it back around. Hopefully they can do it in Game 2 coming up. The loss dropped the Sox to 64-48 heading into Game 2 of today's doubleheader. Tanner Houck gets the start in Game 2 taking on Jose Berrios of Toronto in about a half hour at the Skydome.
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