As for the game, so much for the American League East. The Tampa Bay Rays came into this series riding a 7 game win streak and 12 out of 13 and they blitzed right through the Red Sox in this one. Luis Patino held the incompetent Red Sox to just one measly run through 5 2/3 innings. Of course a guy with an ERA over 4 would blind the fading Sox. Meanwhile Brandon Lowe blasted the first pitch he saw from Nick Pivetta (9-7, 4.67 ERA) into the stands to set the tone early. After a Bobby Dalbec home run in the second, the Sox didn't score again while the Rays knocked Pivetta out in the sixth inning after four runs allowed. The Rays added two more runs against new call up Raynel Espinal and took the game and pretty much the AL East 6-1 at Tropicana Field.
Patino began his dominance in the top of the first inning as Kyle Schwarber struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers lined out to left but JD Martinez singled to right. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rays set the tone in the bottom of the first as Brandon Lowe hit the first pitch Pivetta through out of the yard to put the Rays up just like that. Nelson Cruz flied out to right, Wander Franco grounded out to first and Austin Meadows grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.
Somehow the Sox answered in the top of the second although Alex Verdugo popped up to short to start. Bobby Dalbec clobbered his 18th home run of the season to tie the game but Christian Vazquez grounded out to second. Jarren Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
Yandy Diaz walked to start the bottom of the second but Joey Wendle flied out to left. Old friend Manny Margot walked but Kevin Kiermaier struck out swinging. Mike Zunino struck out swinging to end the inning.
Yairo Munoz popped up to first to start the top of the third before Schwarber struck out swinging. Devers lined out to left to end the inning. The Rays struck again in the bottom of the third as Lowe walked on four pitches not even close to start. A wild pitch moved Lowe to second but Cruz struck out swinging. Franco grounded out to second to move Lowe to third and Brandon scored on the Meadows single to right. Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning but the Rays were up for good 2-1.
The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Martinez flied out to right to start. Bogaerts and Verdugo ripped back to back base hits but Dalbec forced Alex at second. Vazquez grounded out to second to end the inning. The Rays iced the game in the bottom of the fourth as Wendle flied out to center to start. Margot struck out swinging but Kiermaier doubled to left. Zunino swung and missed at strike three but the ball got away from Vazquez to allow Zunino to reach first. Sure enough, the Rays made Pivetta pay as Lowe effortlessly singled in the hole at second to score Kiermaier to ice the game. Cruz popped up to third to end the inning but the game was over, 3-1 Rays.
Duran lined out to center to start the top of the fifth and Munoz flied out to center. Schwarber walked but Devers grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Franco popped up to third to start the bottom of the fifth before Meadows grounded out to second. Diaz hit a ground rule double into the centerfield stands and Wendle was intentionally walked to get to Margot. Manny flied out to right to end the inning.
Martinez struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Bogaerts grounded out to third. Verdugo singled to right to chase Patino from the game. Luis held the Sox to just 1 run, pathetic. JP Feyereisen came in and Dalbec flied out to right to end the inning. The Rays finished off Pivetta in the bottom of the sixth as Kiermaier effortlessly singled to center before Zunino walked on Nick's 108th pitch. That was it for Pivetta as he struggled to get 15 outs before Sox manager Alex Cora pulled the plug. Hansel Robles came in to pour gas on the fire as Lowe walked to load the bases and Cruz hit a double play ball to Devers....BOOTED FOR AN ERROR! Kiermaier scored and Franco flied out to left on the next at-bat. Meadows struck out swinging as did Diaz to end the inning with the Rays up 4-1.
Vazquez watched strike three go by to start the top of the seventh before Duran struck out swinging on a pitch way over his head. Munoz singled to left and Schwarber flied out to center to end the inning. Raynel Espinal made his Sox debut in the bottom of the seventh as Wendle grounded out to first to start. Margot popped up to second and Kiemaier popped up to third to end the inning.
Pete Fairbanks dominated the top of the eighth as Devers took strike three to start. Martinez and Bogaerts both went down hacking to end the inning. The Rays wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Zunino walked to start. Lowe lined out to short but Cruz doubled to left. Franco ripped a base hit to left to score both runners but Espinal threw out Franco at second trying to stretch a double. Meadows lined out to right to end the inning with the Rays up 6-1.
Adam Conley came in to close out the top of the ninth and Verdugo grounded out to second to start. Dalbec walked but Vazquez banged into a double play to end the game. The Rays had won it 6-1.
Jackass of the Night is Nick Pivetta. Not that the Sox were going to score much but in a game that's pretty much deciding the division, Pivetta threw 108 pitches while getting just 15 outs. He took the loss by allowing 4 runs.
The Good:
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4.
Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with a walk and a home run.
Yairo Munoz was 1 for 3.
The Bad:
Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.
Christian was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Raynel Espinal allowed 2 runs in 2 innings of work.
The Ugly:
Kyle Schwarber was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Hansel Robles allowed 2 inherited runners to score but none of his own in an inning of work.
Final Thoughts:
That should officially end the AL East race with the Rays up 9 games on the Sox with just 29 left to play. Its amazing how the great the Sox played from April to June but the Rays have been on fire July and August. That's 13 out of 14 for the Rays and 8 in a row for them. Patino has been mediocre all season but blinded the Sox in this one. Pivetta battled and grinded to just make it to the sixth inning in comparison. The bats looked lifeless and the errors sealed their doom. Vazquez not hanging on to Zunino's third strike and Devers booting an easy grounder cost them crucial runs that put the game out of reach. The Rays don't make brutal plays like that which is why they may end up with over 100 wins when this season is over. All the Sox can hope for now is sneak into the wild card, which is highly unlikely with the New York Yankees in front of them and the Oakland A's about to pass them. Its all adding up to a lost season which started with so much promise but crashed and burned before our eyes. The loss dropped the Sox to75-58, 2 games behind the New York Yankees for the first wild card spot. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when Brad Peacock...yes, you heard me, makes his Red Sox debut against Ryan Yarbrough of the Rays. Peacock will be replacing Martin Perez who was placed on the Covid List today. The game begins at 7:10 PM tomorrow night at Tropicana Field.
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