What more can be said about the incompetence of the Boston Red Sox offense? The Toronto Blue Jays pitching staff isn't that good but they looked like the 1970 Baltimore Orioles in this series. If the walkoff losses and grand slams weren't enough, today the Sox scored NO runs against the Jays. Alek Manoah tossed a 7 inning shutout allowing just 3 hits and a walk. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock (1-1, 0.54 ERA) lasted just three innings and allowed the game's only run. The Boston bullpen stepped up by tossing five scoreless innings but the bats couldn't generate any offense. Number 5 through 9 in the order were a combined 1 for 15 with 4 strikeouts and fans want changes immediately. It all added up to a 1-0 loss to the Blue Jays at the Skydome. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?
Manoah got the ball in the top of the first inning and Trevor Story led off by flying out to right. Alex Verdugo got a base hit to right but Rafael Devers flied out to right. Kike Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Jays almost pounced on The Lock in the bottom of the first although George Springer popped up to first to start. Bo Bichette and Lourdes Gurriel Jr stroked back to back base hits before Raimel Tapia flied out to center to move Bo to third. Matt Chapman struck out swinging to end the inning.
Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first to start the top of the second before Christian Arroyo popped up to second. Bobby Dalbec flied out to right to end the inning. Alejandro Kirk grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the second but Santiago Espinal singled to right. Espinal swiped second and Gosuke Katoh drew a walk but Bradley Zimmer forced Katoh at second. Springer popped up to second to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the third as Travis Shaw popped up to third to start. Christian Vazquez and Trevor Story both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Jays caught a break in the bottom of the third although Bichette grounded out to short to start. Gurriel Jr hit a routine grounder to short but Arroyo tried to catch the ball in his hat for an error. Tapia walked but Chapman struck out swinging...only for Kirk to get a base hit to left to score Gurriel. Espinal grounded out to third to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0. That was it for Whitlock who only lasted three innings but only gave up the one run.
Verdugo struck out swinging after a ten pitch at bat to begin the top of the fourth before Devers was rung up for strike three. Hernandez flied out to right after a ten pitch at-bat to end the inning. If nothing else they made Manoah throw 26 pitches in one inning. Austin Davis came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Katoh flied out to right to start. Zimmer grounded out to short but Springer walked to chase Davis. John Schreiber came in and got Bichette to ground out to second to end the inning.
JBJ flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Arroro somehow singled up the middle. Arroyo stole second but both Dalbec and Shaw struck out swinging to end the inning. Gurriel Jr flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth before Tapia did the same. Chapman doubled to left but Kirk popped up to third to end the inning.
Vazquez flied out to the right field wall to start the top of the fifth but Story drew a walk. Verdugo flied out to left and Devers flied out to left to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Espinal lines out to center to start. Katoh grounded out to second and Zimmer struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox blew another rally in the top of the seventh as Hernandez doubled to right to start. Hernandez moved to third on the JBJ grounder to the mound but Arroyo lined out to short and Dalbec popped up to first to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Springer flied out to right to start. Bichette struck out swinging and Gurriel Jr grounded out to third to end the inning.
Adam Cimber came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Xander Bogaerts pinch hit for Shaw. Bogaerts grounded back to the mound, Vazquez grounded out to second and Story lined out to right to end the inning. Hansel Robles came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning and Tapia flied out to center to start. Chapman flied out to center but Kirk singled off the glove of Robles but Espinal struck out swinging to end the inning.
Jordan Romano came in to close out the top of the ninth as Verdugo grounded out to second to start. Devers singled to center to put the tying run on but Hernandez lined out to left. JBJ took strike three to end the game. The Jays had shutout the Sox 1-0.
Jackass of The Night is Jackie Bradley Jr. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout including leaving the tying run on in the ninth.
The Good:
Austin Davis got the first two outs of the fourth inning.
John Schreiber tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Hansel Robles tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Travis Shaw was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Christian Arroyo was 1 for 3 with a stolen base but his error led to the only run scoring.
Garrett Whitlock took the loss by allowing an unearned run in 3 innings of work.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox are in big trouble if the bats don't improve. It doesn't matter how good your pitching is if you can't score runs, the 1992 Red Sox are proof of that. JD Martinez and Xander Bogaerts getting most or all of the day off didn't help but the bottom of the order is a bonafide black hole. Arroyo, Vazquez, JBJ, Shaw, Hernandez and Dalbec are all hitting under .210 and Story isn't much better at .224. Fans are screaming at Chaim Bloom for trading Hunter Renfroe for JBJ and keeping Shaw over Jose Iglesias. Fans want Triston Casas and Jarren Duran called up and Brock "The Hitman" Holt signed off the street. Arroyo had a good run last year but if the magic ran out on him then maybe bringing back The Hitman could spark this team. Then again NOBODY is hitting so it doesn't matter. The Sox are at the bottom of the league in runs scored and home runs and the slump has gone on too long to just ignore it. Casas and Duran aren't ready but something has to be done soon or else they'll be too far behind to keep up in the division or wild card race. The Sox held the Jays to 2 runs in the last 18 innings and only one win to show for it. The Sox now travel to Baltimore to end the month and the first game is tomorrow night. Rich Hill (0-1, 4.85 ERA) takes the mound against Captain TBD of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.
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