Before the game the Sox made a roster move. Rich Hill was activated from the Bereavement List and Tyler Danish was sent back to Worcester to make room. Danish definitely helped win the game the other night.
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Quite frankly the Boston Red Sox suck right now. In yet another chapter of the team's futility this season, the Sox managed to get to the Tampa Bay Rays and its starter Shane McClanahan for four hits and 2 runs in the first inning. Naturally the Sox would have just TWO hits the rest of the game. Meanwhile Rich Hill came back from his bad start to toss four scoreless innings and be at just 61 pitches. Naturally acting Sox manager Will Venable under orders from Alex Cora pulled Hill and the Sox bullpen proceeded to give up FIVE runs in the next three innings. The pregame plan was supposed to be Tanner Houck after Hill but Venable decided to bring in Phillips Valdez, Ryan Brasier and Matt Barnes only to watch the trio blow the game. McClanahan ended up going 7 innings as the Rays once again humiliated the Sox 5-2 at Tropicana Field.
The Sox wasted no time getting to McClanahan in the top of the first inning as Trevor Story doubled to right to start. Kike Hernandez singled to right to score Story but Rafael Devers struck out swinging. Xander Bogaerts singled to right and Alex Verdugo singled to right to score Hernandez. Bobby Dalbec flied out to right and Christian Arroyo forced Verdugo at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0. The Sox would have just two hits the rest of the game.
Hill got the ball in the bottom of the first and Randy Arozarena popped up to first to start. Wander Franco grounded out to third but Harold Ramirez doubled to left. Yandy Diaz walked and Taylor Walls singled to left to load the bases. Manny Margot flied out to right to end the inning.
Christian Vazquez grounded out to third to start the top of the second before Rob Refsnyder grounded out to second. Story lined out to center to end the inning. Vidal Brujan grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second but Mike Zunino beat out a roller to third. Kevin Kiermaier flied out to left but Arozarena singled to right. Arozarena was thrown out at second to end the inning....BUT WAIT! Rays manager Kevin Cash challenged that Randy was safe but the umps upheld the call.
Hernandez struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Devers lined out to third. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Hill got in trouble again in the bottom of the third as Franco flied out to left to start. Ramirez was plunked but Diaz flied out to right. Walls walked but Margot popped up to first to end the inning.
Verdugo lined out to left to start the top of the fourth before Dalbec struck out swinging. Arroyo struck out swinging to end the inning and the Sox haven't had a hit since the first inning. Brujan walked to start the bottom of the fourth but Zunino popped up to third. Brujan was thrown out at second trying to steal and Kiermaier struck out swinging to end the inning. Despite only throwing 61 pitches, that was it for Rich Hill and this decision would cost acting Sox manager Will Venable big time.
Vazquez grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth but Refsnyder doubled to right. Story grounded out to second and Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning. Apparently was to bring in Tanner Houck after Hill was done but Venable brought in Phillips Valdez instead. Arozarena was plunked, Franco walked, pinch hitter Brandon Lowe (for Ramirez) flied out to the centerfield wall and Diaz was plunked to load the bases. Ryan Brasier came in to pour gas on the fire as Choi doubled home two runners and Margot grounded out to short to score Diaz to put the Rays up for good. Brujan grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rays ahead 3-2.
Devers tried to start a rally in the top of the sixth with a base hit to left but Bogaerts flied out to center. Verdugo flied out to center and Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to get tagged in the bottom of the sixth as Zunino grounded out to second to start. Kiermaier singled in the hole at second and Arozarena beat out a roller to third. Franco grounded out to short to move the runners over and Jake Diekman was brought in to face Lowe. Diekman's first pitch went 100 feet over the head of Vazquez to score Kiermaier but Arozarena was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Rays up 4-2.
Arroyo flied out to right to start the top of the seventh before Vazquez grounded out to second. The Rays settled matters in the bottom of the seventh when Lowe grounded out to first, but Diaz hit a home run all the way to Nebraska to increase the lead. Choi singled to center and for some reason NOW Venable decided to bring in Tanner Houck after the other guys in the bullpen allowed 5 runs in three innings. Margot flied out to center and Brujan lined out to left to end the inning with the Rays up 5-2.
Colin Poche came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Story flied out to right to start. Hernandez walked but Devers struck out swinging. Bogaerts forced Hernandez at second to end the inning. Houck cruised in the bottom of the eighth as Zunino grounded back to the mound to start. Kiermaier took strike three and Arozarena also watched strike three go by to end the inning.
Rich Thompson came in to close out the top of the ninth and the Sox offered no resistance. Verdugo grounded back to the mound, Dalbec took strike three and Travis Shaw pinch hit for Arroyo. Shaw flied out to right to continue his 0 for the season slump to end the game. The Rays had won it 5-2.
Jackass of the Night is Phillips Valdez. Yes, Ryan Brasier allowed the 3 runners to come home but it was Valdez that put them on to begin with.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.
Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 3.
Rich Hill pitched four scoreless innings.
Tanner Houck tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Christian Arroyo was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Travis Shaw was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3.
Matt Barnes allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.
Jake Diekman allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Ryan Brasier allowed 2 inherited runners to score in 2/3 of an inning.
Final Thoughts:
Lot of Red Sox fans are getting increasingly frustrated with this team. They're not scoring, their pitching is sporadic and the worst part is the whole Don Orsillo situation created some very bad vibes surrounding the franchise. Devers, Bogaerts and Story are doing almost nothing and Will Venable proved he's not ready for big league managing. Hill only threw 61 pitches and the Sox bullpen didn't wait around to blow it after being almost unhittable last night. The key to the game is the Sox had 4 hits and 2 runs in the first inning against Shane McClanahan and had just two the rest of the game. If Devers and Bogaerts want a big payday like their friend Mookie Betts, they're certainly not earning it at all. This is looking more like the 1992 Red Sox every day where a talented team just evaporates offensively with Travis Shaw playing the Jack Clark role and Devers and Bogaerts as Mo Vaughn and Phil Plantier. Fans are tired of the team already and we're only a few weeks into the season. Things go from bad to worse as now the Sox travel to Toronto for a set with the Blue Jays. Canada has strict covid vaccination laws which prohibits anyone un-vaccinated from playing, which includes Tanner Houck. Nobody knows who else won't play until it'll be revealed tomorrow night. Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 3.68 ERA) goes for the Sox against Jose Berrios of Toronto. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.
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