As for the game, the Red Sox are officially in trouble. The vaunted bullpen that carried them through the first three and a half months of the season has officially fallen apart. The Sox broke out to a 7-2 lead on Hyun-Jin Ryu after 4 innings but Garrett Richards lasted just 5 innings while allowing 4 runs to the Jays. The Sox added a run in the sixth to take a 9-4 lead but the A-Team was crushed for five runs in the next three innings. The Jays got two runs in the seventh off of Hiro Sawamura and Adam Ottavino and George Springer hit a back-breaking three run homer off Matt Barnes to put the Jays up for good. The Sox went quietly in the ninth and the Sox dropped yet another game that they had the lead in 9-8 to the Blue Jays at the Skydome.
Ryu got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez grounded out to third to start. Hunter Renfroe flied out to left and Xander Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning. The Jays wasted no time getting to Garrett Richards in the bottom of the first as George Springer got a base hit to left to start. Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Marcus Semien both flied out to right but Teoscar Hernandez beat out a roller to third. Corey Dickerson got a base hit to right to score Springer to put the Jays on top but Lourdes Gurriel Jr forced Dickerson at second to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.
The Sox rallied in the top of the second as Rafael Devers beat out a roller to third to start before JD Martinez doubled to left. Gurriel threw the ball away to allow Devers to score and Martinez to reach third on the play. Kevin Plawecki dropped a base hit to left to score Martinez and Bobby Dalbec also singled to left. Jonathan Arauz popped up a bunt to third and that proved to be a big play in the grand scheme. Jarren Duran flied out to center but Hernandez ripped a base hit to right to score Plawecki and send Dalbec to third. Renfroe popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1 instead of four to one.
Richards cruised in the bottom of the second as Breyvic Valera grounded out to second to start. Santiago Espinal flied out to center and Reese McGuire grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox got another run in the top of the third as Bogaerts got a base hit to left to start. Devers singled to right but Martinez popped up to right in foul territory. Plawecki stepped up with a double to left to score Bogaerts but Dalbec struck out swinging. Arauz popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.
The Jays got one back due to shoddy defense in the bottom of the third as Devers threw a routine grounder by Springer away for an error to start. Guerrero Jr ripped a base hit to center to move Springer to third but Semien went down hacking. Hernandez singled to left to score Springer but Dickerson banged into a double play to end the inning with the Jays down 4-2.
Hernandez drives in a run
Durran got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth but was called out on slider's interference on a Hernandez double play ball. Renfroe flied out to right but Bogaerts singled off the glove of Guerrero to put runners at the corners. Devers walked to load the bases and chase Ryu from the game. Patrick Murphy came in to pitch and Martinez got a base hit to left to score Hernandez and Bogaerts. Plawecki got a base hit to left to score Devers and both runners moved up on the throw. With a chance to break the game open...Dalbec grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.
Richards cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Gurriel popped up to second to start. Valera lined out to left and Espinal grounded out to second to end the inning.
Arauz lined out to center to start the top of the fifth but Duran got a base hit to left. Hernandez flied out to center and Renfroe grounded out to third to end the inning. The Jays clawed back in the bottom of the fifth as McGuire walked to start. Springer flied out to right but Guerrero Jr hit a home run all the way to Sorrento, Italy to cut the lead. Semien popped up to first and Hernandez took strike three to end the inning. That was it for Richards despite throwing just 86 pitches as he allowed 4 runs in 5 innings although only 3 were earned.
The Sox rallied again in the top of the sixth against Kirby Snead although Bogaerts lined out to first to start. Devers grounded out to short but Martinez singled to left. Plawecki walked and Dalbec stepped up with a base hit to center to score Martinez with another run. Plawecki moved to third on the hit but Arauz took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-4.
Josh Taylor came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth inning and Dickerson walked to start. Gurriel Jr struck out swinging but Valera singled to left to chase Taylor. Hiro Sawamura got Espinal to pop up to short and McGuire grounded out to third to end the inning.
Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh and Hernandez flied out to center to chase Snead. Rafael Dolis punched out Renfroe swinging to end the inning. The Sox fell apart in the bottom of the seventh as Springer walked to start. Sawamura threw two straight wild pitches to move Springer to third before clutching his arm and falling to the ground. Sawamura had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the local ICU. Adam Ottavino came in and Guerrero Jr walked to put runners at the corners and Semien scored Springer with a sac fly to center. Guerrero Jr stole second and scored on the base hit to center by Hernandez. Ottavino had Hernandez picked off but threw the ball away on an error. Hernandez tried to go from first to third on a grounder to short by Dickerson but was thrown out by Boagerts at third. Dickerson stole second but was picked off trying to go to third to end the inning with the Jays down 8-6.
Bogaerts lined out to left to start the top of the eighth but Devers took strike three. Martinez doubled to center but Plawecki popped up to second to end the inning. The floodgates opened in the bottom of the eighth as Gurriel Jr flied out to center to start. Valera singled to right but Espinal flied out to right. Rather than let Ottavino finish, Sox manager Alex Cora brought in Matt Barnes for the four out save. The move backfired as McGuire walked and Springer hit a home run that still hasn't landed yet to put the Jays on top. Guerrero Jr struck out swinging but the Jays had come all the way back to take a 9-8 lead.
Randal Grichuk came in for Gurriel with Jordan Romano now in the game to close out the top of the ninth. In another move that made no sense, Cora sent Marwin Gonzalez to pinch hit for Dalbec to start. Naturally Gonzalez took strike three right down the middle and Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Arauz. Vazquez grounded out to first and Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The Jays had stunned the Sox 9-8.
Jackass of the Night is Matt Barnes. He served up the go-ahead home run to Springer in the eighth inning.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.
JD Martinez was 4 for 5 with 3 rbis and 2 runs scored.
Kevin Plawecki was 3 for 4 with a walk, 3 rbis and a run scored.
Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Jarren Duran was 2 for 5.
The Bad:
Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.
Marwin Gonzalez struck out as a pinch hitter.
Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Hiro Sawamura was charged with 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.
Adam Ottavino allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 1 2/3 innings.
The Ugly:
The Ugly:
Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.
Garrett Richards lasted just 5 innings while allowing 4 runs but only 3 were earned.
Josh Taylor allowed a hit and a walk while only getting one out.
Final Thoughts:
This season is going to hell in a handbasket and I called it months ago. The A-Team is falling apart because Cora kept going to the bullpen early every day it seemed from April to June. Ottavino, Sawamura and Barnes got lit up and Hiro had to leave with a right arm injury. The new pickups Hansel Robles and Austin Davis have stunk so far and if the rotation doesn't pick it up, this once promising season may circle the drain faster than we think. The offense came alive to pound out 16 hits and 8 runs so you can't even blame them. The A-Team giving up 5 runs in 3 innings shouldn't happen but it did and its becoming more frequent. Its nice to see the offense come alive though and they'll be able to bop their way back into games hopefully if things take a turn for the worse. The Sox need to pick it up because they're falling further behind the Tampa Bay Rays and both the Jays and New York Yankees are hot on their tail. The loss dropped the Sox to 65-49, 4 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow is an off-day and Tuesday begins a very important series with the Rays themselves. If the Sox have any hope of getting back in the race, they need to send a statement against Tampa. Eduardo Rodriguez gets the start for Boston against Luis Patino of the Rays this Tuesday night at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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