Before the game the Boston Red Sox paid tribute to alumni that are no longer with us. RIP to Ike Delock, Jeremy Giambi, Jim Corsi, Julio Lugo and Jerry Remy who all passed between the end of last year and the beginning of this season.
As for the game, what a disaster. The Boston Red Sox have bullpen issues but what happens when the starting pitching falters? Nick Pivetta (0-2, 9.39 ERA) got rocked for 4 runs in just 2 innings by the Minnesota Twins forcing the bullpen to toss 7 innings. Naturally Hiro Sawamura and Matt Barnes allowed 4 runs combined to put the game out of reach. It didn't help the Sox bats were silent for 7 innings, scoring just one against Twins starter Joe Ryan. The Sox did rally for three runs in the eigthh capped by a Rafael Devers home run, but Barnes allowed two more runs in the ninth to put the game out of reach. It all added up to a bitter 8-4 defeat in the Fenway Park opener.
Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first and Byron Buxton hit a pop up that Xander Bogaerts and Alex Verdugo lost in the sun. The ball dropped in but Buxton hurt himself sliding into the second. Nick Gordon ran for Buxton and Luis Arraez dropped a base hit to left to score Nick to put the Twins up for good two batters into the game. Carlos Correa banged into a double play but Jorge Polanco walked. Max Kepler hit a bullet but Trevor Story dove to catch it to end the inning with the Twins up for good 1-0.
Joe Ryan got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kike Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers grounded back to the mound and Xander Bogaerts froze for strike three to end the inning.
The Twins pounded Pivetta in the top of the second although Gary Sanchez struck out swinging on a 93 mph fastball to start. Trevor Larnach drew a walk and Miguel Samo hit a home run into the Charles River to ice the game. Ryan Jeffers struck out swinging but Gordon ripped a base hit to right. Arraez effortlessly doubled into the right field corner to score Gordon but Correa lined out to center to end the inning with the Twins ahead 4-0.
JD Martinez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Alex Verdugo homered over the Sox bullpen to cut the lead. Trevor Story struck out swinging and Bobby Dalbec popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.
Phillips Valdez came in to pitch the top of the third and struck out Polanco swinging to start. Kepler got plunked, swiped second and moved to third on the fly out to right by Sanchez. Larnach struck out swinging to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr lined out to center to start the bottom of the third and Christian Vazquez struck out swinging. Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning.
Sano walked to open the top of the fourth but Jeffers struck out swinging. Gordon went down hacking but Sano swiped second. Arraez grounded out to second to end the inning. Devers hit a ground ball to Correa who tried to roll the ball to first but Raffy beat it out to start the bottom of the fourth. Bogaerts lined out to right but Martinez hit a seeing eye single to right to send Devers to third. Verdugo grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Hiro Sawamura came in crap his pants in the top of the fifth as Correa walked to start. Polanco hit a ground rule double into the right field stands but Kepler struck out swinging. Sanchez singled up the middle to score both runners but was erased at second on a force by Larnach. Sano grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins ahead 6-1.
Story blooped a single to center to start the bottom of the fifth but Dalbec popped up to right. JBJ caught the Twins asleep with a bunt single to third but Vazquez flied out to center and Hernandez popped up to Sano to end the inning.
Jeffers grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth before Gordon lined out to center. Arraez walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Devers popped up to second to start. Bogaerts and Martinez both struck out swinging to end the inning.
Ryan Brasier came in to pitch and dominate the top of the seventh. Correa and Polanco both went down hacking then Kepler took strike three to end the inning. Jhoan Duran came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Verdugo grounded out to first to start. Story went down hacking and Dalbec grounded out to second to end the inning.
Austin Davis came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Sanchez struck out swinging to start. Hernandez dropped a pop up by Larnach for an error but Davis froze Sano for strike three. Jeffers walked and Kyle Garlick pinch hit for Gordon. Garlick struck out swinging to end the inning. Somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as JBJ doubled to right to start. Vazquez struck out swinging but Hernandez atoned for his error with a double down the third base line to score Bradley. Devers then hit a home run that just hit the top of the fence and bounced over to cut the lead. Bogaerts then Martinez both struck out swinging to earn hat tricks and end the inning with the Sox back in it down 6-4.
Matt Barnes came in to vomit up his intestines in the top of the ninth as Arraez flied out to left to start. Correa and Polanco both walked on pitches not even close and Kepler hit the killshot with a base hit up the middle to score Correa. Sanchez was plunked to load the bases and Larnach scored Polanco with a ground out to the mound. Sano flied out to left to end the inning but the Twins led 8-4.
Kepler drives in a run
Gio Urshela came in to play third and Emilio Pagan came in to close out the bottom of the ninth. Verdugo flied out to right, Story went down swinging to earn the hat trick and Dalbec went down swinging to end the game. The Twins had won it 8-4.
Jackass of the Night is Matt Barnes. The Sox rallied in the eighth inning only for Barnes to put the game out of reach in the ninth.
The Good:
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Phillips Valdez tossed 2 scoreless innings.
Ryan Brasier struck out the side in the seventh inning.
Austin Davis pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Nick Pivetta took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 2 innings.
Hiro Sawamura allowed 2 runs in 2 innings of work.
The Ugly:
Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 with an error and a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.
Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Final Thoughts:
This is going to be a LONG year if this keeps up. The Sox pitching and hitting woes early in the season happened in 2014, 2017 and 2019 in recent memory. Only in 2017 did the pitching improve enough to carry them during the season. If anything this season is going to be more like 2015 where the bats will do their thing but being behind by 4-5 runs a game will kill their desire to even try. Now, its been said because of the lack of Spring Training due to the lockout that guys are still playing themselves in shape but that's not a good look. They should have been working out and getting ready through February and March anyway. The silver lining is its not just the Sox, our old pal Dave Roberts came under fire from pulling Clayton Kershaw after 7 perfect innings and his excuse was they need him during the season. Dodger fans are trying to justify it by saying because of no spring training that they need to be extra careful with pitchers. I'd rather throw a banana peel at Cora for taking Pivetta out of a no-hitter, which happened last year, than have him stink up the place and be done after two. Bottom line is the Sox have played 7 games this season and a starter has yet to go 6 full innings. The Sox bullpen carried them through June last year before their arms gave out which led to them finishing the season 30-31. It'll never happen but maybe the Sox brass need to take a hard look at Cora or their analytics department and tell them to knock it off because they're losing games like this. The bats will come around eventually but if Cora keeps pulling starters early with an inferior bullpen to last year, they may not even finish .500. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Twins when they send Tanner Houck (0-0, 8.10 ERA) takes on former A's ace Sonny Gray. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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