After the Boston Red Sox got swept by the New York Yankees, fans and media alike said the Sox needed to make a statement by beating the Texas Rangers in this series. The Sox did win last night but once again fell flat on their face in tonight's disaster against Texas. Eduardo Rodriguez (9-7, 5.19 ERA) got lit up for 5 runs and was knocked out in the fourth inning. Garrett Richards and Martin Perez tag teamed to be batting practice, allowing five more runs combined. The Rangers as a team had 17 hits and 10 runs while the Red Sox did nothing offensively or defensively. Jordan Lyles pitched his best game of the season for Texas by spinning 7 innings of one run ball while allowing just five hits. The Rangers bullpen slammed the door in the final two innings, the Sox committed FIVE errors and the Sox continued their slide with a 10-1 loss at Fenway Park.
Rodriguez got the ball in the top of the first and Brock "The Hitman" Holt struck out swinging to start. Isiah Kiner singled off the first base bag but Adolis Garcia struck out swinging. DJ Peters lined out to center to end the inning. Lyles got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kike Hernandez flied out to right to start. Rafael Devers flied out to center and Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Rangers iced the game early in the top of the second as Nathaniel Lowe doubled to left to start. Yohel Pozo walked and Nick Polak ripped a base hit to right to score Lowe. Andy Ibanez flied out to center and Jose Trevino flied out to right, but Holt got a base hit to center to score Pozo. Kiner grounded out to third to end the inning with the Rangers up for good 2-1.
Kyle Schwarber grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before JD Martinez singled to left. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging but Hunter Renfroe walked. Christian Vazquez got a base hit to right but Martinez was thrown out at home to end the inning. The Sox would have just three hits the rest of the game.
Garcia doubled to left to start the top of the third before Peters flied out to center. Lowe took strike three and Pozo popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Bobby Dalbec doubled to center to start and Hernandez singled him home with a line drive to right. Hernandez was foolishly doubled off of first on a line drive to center by Devers. Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.
The Sox played hot potato in the top of the fourth although Solak popped up to first to start. Ibanez doubled to left but Trevino flied out to center. Holt then hit a grounder off the glove of Rodriguez and Hernandez threw the ball into the bullpen for an error to score Ibanez and move Holt to third. Kiner doubled to center to score Holt and chase Rodriguez. He didn't pitch well but was let down by his defense as well. Hiro Sawamura was summoned to stop the bleeding and Bogaerts threw a grounder by Garcia into the centerfield bleachers for another error to score Kiner. Peters was plunked and a wild pitch moved the runners over. Lowe struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rangers up 5-1.
"Go on, go on, git!" - Cora
The Sox were deflated in the bottom of the fourth as Schwarber struck out swinging to start. Martinez walked but Verdugo flied out to left. Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning.
Garrett Richards came in to take a beating in the top of the fifth as Pozo lined out to center to start. Solak doubled to center and Ibanez doubled to left to score him. Trevino was retired on a squibber in front of the plate and Holt struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rangers up 6-1.
Vazquez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Dalbec struck out swinging. Hernandez flied out to right to end the inning.
Hansel Robles came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Kiner grounded out to third to start. Garcia grounded out to short but Peters singled in the hole at short. Lowe was intentionally walked and Pozo grounded into a force at second to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the sixth as Devers grounded out to first to start. Bogaerts got a base hit to left and Schwarber walked, but Martinez struck out swinging. Verdugo flied out to left to end the inning.
Adam Ottavino came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Solak grounded out to second to start. Ibanez walked but was immediately picked off. Trevino singled to left but Holt grounded out to first to end the inning. Renfroe grounded out to third to start the bottom of the seventh and Vazquez lined out to first. Dalbec flied out to left to end the inning.
Things fell apart in the top of the eighth with Martin Perez now on the mound. Kiner singled to center and Garcia doubled to left to move him to third, but Peters grounded out to first. Naturally a wild pitch scored Kiner and moved Garcia to third but Lowe grounded out to first. Pozo singled to left to score Garcia and Solak hit a routine grounder to Devers. Devers turned and threw the ball over the head of Vazquez for an error and Ibanez hit a fly ball to right. Renfroe tried to catch the ball in his hat and the ball got by him for an error to score Pozo and Solak. Trevino struck out swinging to end the inning as the Sox had now committed five errors and trailed 10-1.
DenniS Santana came in to pitch with Jonathan Arauz pinch hitting for Hernandez. Arauz grounded out to short, Devers flied out to center and Bogaerts popped up to short to end the inning.
Jarren Duran took over for Renfroe with Austin Davis coming in to pitch the top of the ninth. Holt grounded out to second with Yonny Hernandez pinch hitting for Kiner. Hernandez grounded out to second and Jason Martin pinch hit for Garcia. Martin popped up to third to end the inning. Schwarber grounded out to third to start the bottom of the ninth before Martinez struck out swinging. Verdugo grounded out to second to end the game. The Rangers had won it 10-1.
Jackass of the Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. Even with the bad defense, getting lit up for 5 runs in 3 2/3 was too much to overcome.
The Good:
JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3.
Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Hansel Robles pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Austin Davis pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with an error.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Garrett Richards allowed a run in the fifth inning.
Martin Perez allowed 4 runs in the eighth inning.
The Ugly:
Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3 with an rbi but made an error.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.
Kyle Schwarber was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 2 with a strikeout and an error but walked.
Hiro Sawamura allowed an inherited runner to score in 1/3 of an inning.
Honorable Mention:
Jarren Duran played right field in the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
I don't need to say anything, Alex Cora said what everyone was feeling after the game. He called Boston's effort "embarrassing" and he has every right to be mad. Not only did his pitchers give up 10 runs and offense only get five hits, but the Sox committed five errors. They had as many errors as they had hits and that really is embarrassing. The Sox season is crumbling slowly but surely and it doesn't look like the slide will end soon. The bottom line is the starting pitching hasn't been good, the bullpen is exhausted due to overuse and the Sox aren't hitting well in the clutch. The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays are beginning to pull away and the Sox can pretty much forget about the division now unless they make a run in September. The whole team can be blamed for this loss on both sides of the ball and the less said of this garbage, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 70-55, 2.5 games behind the Yankees for the first wild card spot. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Rangers when Nathan Eovaldi takes the hill against Kolby Allard of Texas. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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