As for the game, ever notice that every bum and reclamation project the Tampa Bay Rays bring up works out while everyone the Red Sox sign falls flat on their face? Brad Peacock was picked up off the scrap heap to pitch tonight's game and he got swatted like a fly. After allowing a run in the second inning, he got knocked out in the third, allowing 6 runs total. New pitcher Steven Gonsalves allowed another two and shoddy defense allowed the Rays to score one off Phillips Valdez. Meanwhile the Sox did put up 5 runs against Ryan Yarbrough and the Tampa bullpen. To add insult to injury, Xander Bogaerts left the game with a positive Covid test. It was all bad news as the Rays won their ninth straight game and pretty much ended the AL East race with an 8-5 win over the Sox at Tropicana Field.
The Sox did rally in the top of the first against Yarbrough although Hunter Renfroe took strike three to start. Kyle Schwarber flied out to right but JD Martinez doubled to left. Xander Bogaerts dropped a base hit to right to score JD but Rafael Devers hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with Boston ahead 1-0.
Bogaerts puts Boston on top
Peacock got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brandon Lowe flied out to center to start. Nelson Cruz popped up to first and Wander Franco grounded out to first to end the inning.
Bobby Dalbec grounded out to third to start the top of the second before Alex Verdugo struck out swinging. Christian Vazquez flied out to left to end the inning. All of a sudden Xander Bogaerts keeled over in the dugout and had to be rushed to a local ICU with Covid. Yairo Munoz took his spot in the batting order at second base with Jonathan Arauz moving to short. Austin Meadows flied out to center but Randy Arozarena hit a home run all the way to the deepest part of Finland to tie the game. Joey Wendle flied out to center and Yandy Diaz flied out to left to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
Arauz lined out to right to open the top of the third but Renfroe doubled to left. Renfroe moved to third on the grounder by Schwarber but Martinez popped up to second to end the inning. The floodgates opened in the bottom of the third as Kevin Kiermaier walked to start. Francisco Mejia was hit with a pitch and both runners moved over on the Lowe fly out to center. Cruz walked to load the bases and Franco dumped a base hit to right. Renfroe threw the ball into Dalbec who turned and heaved the ball into the left field stands for an error to score Kiermaier and Mejia. That was it for Peacock who Sox manager Alex Cora pulled the plug on after just 2 1/3 innings. Stephen Gonsalves made his Sox debut by pouring gas on the fire. A wild pitch scored Cruz and Meadows singled in the hole at second to score Franco. Arozarena was hit with a pitch but Wendle flied out to left. Diaz doubled to right to score both runners to ice the game. Kiermaier struck out swinging but the game was basically over with the Sox down 7-1.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Munoz flied out to left to start. Devers grounded out to short and Dalbec went down hacking to end the inning. Mejia popped up to short to start the bottom of the fourth before Lowe struck out swinging. Cruz grounded out to third to end the inning.
Verdugo grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth but Vazquez got a base hit to right. Arauz flied out to left and Renfroe flied out to right to end the inning. Franco walked to start the bottom of the fifth before Meadows flied out to center. Franco took second on a wild pitch but Arozarena struck out swinging. Wendle flied out to left to end the inning.
The Sox did manage a run back when Schwarber belted his 28th home run of the season to cut the lead to start the top of the sixth. Martinez flied out to right, Munoz lined out to right and Devers lined out to third to end the inning with the Sox still down 7-2.
The Rays got to Phillips Valdez in the bottom of the sixth as Diaz was hit with a pitch to start. Kiermaier hit a routine grounder to Dalbec who threw himself on the ball and swam on it for another error to move Diaz to third. Diaz scored on the sac fly by Mejia to increase the lead. Lowe struck out swinging but Cruz walked. Franco grounded out to first to end the inning with the Rays up 8-2.
Shawn Armstrong came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Dalbec tried to atone for his error with a base hit to right. Verdugo flied out to center but Vazquez drew a walk. Arauz grounded out to second to move both runners over but Renfroe flied out to right to end the inning. Valdez returned for the bottom of the seventh and Meadows flied out to left to begin. Arozarena struck out looking and Wendle grounded out to first to end the inning.
Dietrich Enns came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Schwarber walked to start. Martinez took strike three and Munoz hit a routine grounder to third...thrown away by Wendle to move both runners into scoring position. Devers ripped a base hit to left to score Schwarber but Munoz remained at third. Dalbec struck out swinging and Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 8-3.
Valdez returned for the bottom of the eighth and Diaz grounded out to third to start. Kiermaier lined out to third but Mejia doubled to center. Lowe flied out to right to end the inning.
The Sox rallied in the top of the ninth as Vazquez flied out to left to start. Arauz walked, Renfroe doubled to left and Schwarber ripped a base hit to center to score Arauz. Martinez ripped a base hit to right to score Renfroe and bring the tying run to the plate. Rays manager Kevin Cash brought in Andrew Kittredge to face Munoz so Sox manager Alex Cora sent in Travis Shaw to pinch hit for Yairo. Shaw struck out swinging and so did Devers to end the game. The Rays had won it 8-5.
Jackass of the Night is Brad Peacock. He got hammered for 5 runs in just 2 1/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't get out of.
The Good:
Hunter Renfroe was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Kyle Schwarber was 2 for 4 with a home run, a walk, 2 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.
JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts singled and drove in a run before leaving with illness.
Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk.
The Bad:
Stephen Gonsalves allowed 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings.
Yairo Munoz was 0 for 3 at the plate.
Travis Shaw struck out as a pinch hitter.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and 2 errors.
Phillips Valdez allowed a run in 3 innings of work.
Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
Another game, another loss to the Rays. Once again the starting pitching leaves a lot to be desired as starting Brad Peacock during a crucial game against your division rival failed big time. The sins of the spring are biting the Sox in the summer as the bullpen is worn down and they're not beating the red hot Rays. It may come down to the Sox having to fight the New York Yankees for the wild card and currently they're two games behind them as well. Its a shame after how this year was supposed to be redemption for last year's abortion but things are going down fast. Losing Bogaerts to a positive Covid test doesn't help either, especially if he infects anyone else on the team. The less said about this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 79-59, 10 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back in the third game of this series when Chris Sale takes on Drew Rasmussen of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Tropicana Field.
No comments:
Post a Comment