Stop me if you've heard this one. Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora pulled his starting pitcher early only to have the bullpen blow the game because the offense did absolutely nothing. It started last July and it's still the theme as the Sox dropped today's game against the Detroit Tigers. Sox starter Michael Wacha was pulled after just 72 pitches in the 5th inning. The inept Boston bats were held to just 4 measly hits while Javier Baez struck a two run home run in the bottom of the eighth. The Sox brought the tying run to the plate but couldn't do anything as the Tigers stunned the Sox 3-1 at Comerica Park.
Manning got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez led off with a pop up to third to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to first to end the inning. Wacha got the ball in the bottom of the first and Robbie Grossman grounded out to short to start. Austin Meadows blooped a base hit over the head of Devers, Javier Baez walked and Jeimer Candelario walked to load the bases. Miguel Cabrera hit a sac fly to left to score Meadows and Jonathan Schoop grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Tigers up 1-0.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as JD Martinez popped up to second to start. Alex Verdugo flied out to left and Christian Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning. Harold Castro got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the second but Tucker Barnhart struck out swinging. Akil Baddoo popped up to short and Grossman flied out to left to end the inning.
Travis Shaw made his season debut with a grounder back to the mound to begin the top of the third before Jonathan Arauz flied out to left. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short to end the inning. Meadows went down swinging to open the bottom of the third before Baez flied out to right. Candelario grounded out to first to end the inning.
The perfect game continued in the top of the fourth as Hernandez popped up to first to start. Devers lined out to second and Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Wacha struck out Cabrera swinging to open the bottom of the fourth before Schoop grounded out to third. Castro grounded out to first to end the inning.
The Sox broke up the perfect game in style as Martinez clubbed his first home run of the season to tie the game in the top of the fifth. Verdugo grounded out to second, Vazquez flied out to center and Shaw lined out to left to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
Naturally Barnhart walked to start the bottom of the fifth but Baddoo took strike three. Once again Sox manager Alex Cora refused to let his starter get out of the fifth inning and pulled Wacha after just 4 1/3 innings. "Shaggy" Matt Strahm came in to pitch to Grossman and struck him out swinging. Meadows struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Arauz grounded out to second to start. JBJ grounded out to first and Hernandez flied out to right to end the inning. Matt Barnes made his season debut in the bottom of the sixth and Baez popped up to short to start. Candelario flied out to center but Cabrera doubled to right. Schoop struck out swinging to end the inning.
Alex Lange came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Devers ripped a base hit to right to begin. Bogaerts struck out swinging, Martinez took strike three and Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. Austin Davis came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Spencer Torkelson pitch hit for Castro only to line out to left. Barnhart singled to right and Eric Haase pinch hit for Baddoo. Haase struck out swinging and Grossman popped up to third to end the inning.
Victor Reyes took over in center with Michael Fulmer now on the mound for the top of the eighth. Vazquez singled to center to start but Shaw struck out swinging. Arauz forced Vazquez at second and JBJ grounded out to first to end the inning. The Tigers rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Meadows singled to right to chase Davis. Ryan Brasier came in and coughed up a 2 run bomb to Baez to put Detroit up for good. Candelario grounded out to second but Cabrera ripped a base hit to left to chase Brasier. Phillips Valdez came in and Schoop doubled to center before Torkelson took strike three. Barnhart also took strike three to end the inning with the Tigers up 3-1.
Gregory Soto came in to close out the top of the ninth and Hernandez continued his slump by flying out to right to start. Devers got a lucky double to left but Bogaerts flied out to center. Martinez flied out to right to end the game. The Tigers had won it 3-1.
Tigers win
Jackass Brasier
Jackass of the Night is Ryan Brasier. He served up the go-ahead home run to Baez in the eighth.
The Good:
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4.
Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3.
Michael Wacha tossed 4 1/3 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 4.
Matt Strahm struck out the only two batters he faced.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Phillips Valdez got the last two outs of the eighth inning.
The Bad:
Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 3.
Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 3.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3.
Austin Davis took the loss by being charged with a run in an inning of work.
The Ugly:
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.
Final Thoughts:
Remember how bad 2019 started under Cora and the Sox? This year's going to be far worse if the Sox keep playing like this. The Sox offense has been virtually shut down the first four games of the season and not a single starter has gone six innings. Cora making the bullpen come in for four innings a game is not a recipe for success and it sure wasn't today. Hernandez, Bradley and Arauz are automatic outs at this point and Brasier can't get anyone out with men on base. At what point are Sox fans going to hold Cora accountable for his quick hooks? Didn't going 30-31 to end the season with the bullpen on fumes and blowing Game 4 against the Astros give everyone enough of a clue something was wrong? If Hernandez and Bradley can't hit then the team isn't going to generate much offense with nobody on base. The Sox have just 14 hits in the last three games and the Tigers had 8 alone today. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to bounce back when Rich Hill pulls a Wendel Clark and begins his third go-around with the Red Sox. He faces Tyler Alexander at 1:10 PM at Comerica Park.
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