A's Blast Pivetta, Sox (7/10/24)

One of the problems with this year's Boston Red Sox team is they don't have the starting rotation to match other franchises. The Sox have had a good month but couldn't really close the gap between them and the Baltimore Orioles due to games like this. Needing a big win, instead, Nick Pivetta (4-7, 4.09 ERA) didn't have it against the Oakland A's. The A's put the game away early in the top of the third as Shea Langeliers drew a bases loaded walk followed by a 2 run double by Lawrence Butler. Meanwhile JP Sears allowed a Rob Refsnyder homer in the bottom of the sixth as the only blemish on his day, shutting down the Boston bats. Pivetta allowed 4 runs total and the A's got another one off Josh Winckowski to win the game 5-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                          "Dammit Pivetta"

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and JJ Bleday flied out to left to start. Miguel Andujar grounded out to third and Brent Rooker flied out to left to end the inning. Sears got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran got a base hit to right to start. Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging but Duran swiped second. Tyler O'Neill walked but Devers struck out swinging. Connor Wong walked to load the bases but Romy Gonzalez grounded out to third to end the inning.

Shea Langeliers grounded out to short to start the top of the second but Lawrence Butler singled off the glove of Devers. Zack Gelof popped up to second but Butler swiped second base. Tyler Nevin struck out swinging to end the inning. Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Jamie Westbrook grounded out to second. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Brett Harris flied out to left to begin the top of the third but Max Schuemann singled off the glove of Ceddanne Rafaela. Bleday struck out swinging but Andujar got a base hit to left. Both runners pulled off a double steal and Rooker walked to load the bases. Langeliers walked to score Schuemann and Butler doubled to left to score both Andujar and Rooker. Gelof struck out swinging to end the inning with the A's up 3-0.

                                                              Butler is all fired up

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Duran grounded out to second to start. Refsnyder grounded out to third and O'Neill flied out to center to end the inning. 

Nevin struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Harris did the same. Schuemann struck out swinging to end the inning. Devers flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth and Wong struck out swinging. Gonzalez went down hacking to end the inning.

Bleday took strike three to begin the top of the fifth and Andujar also watched strike three go by. Rooker went down hacking to end the inning. Yoshida grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth but Harris booted a grounder by Westbrook. Rafaela doubled to center but Westbrook was thrown out at home. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Langeliers struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and Butler lined out to third. Gelof grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Refsnyder struck his fourth home run of the season to start. O'Neill struck out swinging and Devers popped up to second, but Wong got a base hit to right. That was it for Sears as Austin Adams came in to face Gonzalez. Romy struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                           Refsnyder goes yard

The A's finished off Pivetta in the top of the seventh as Nevin flied out to center to start. Harris flied out to right but Schuemann singled to center. Bleday doubled to center to chase Pivetta. Nick allowed 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10. Josh Winckowski came in and Andujar was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to end the inning with the A's up 4-1.

                                                           Pivetta wasn't good enough

TJ McFarland came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Yoshida grounded out to first to start. Westbrook grounded out to short but Rafaela got a base hit to right. Duran got a base hit to center to chase McFarland. Lucas Erceg was brought in to face Refsnyder but Sox manager Alex Cora countered by bringing in Wilyer Abreu to pinch hit. A wild pitch moved the runners over and Abreu walked to load the bases. O'Neill beat out a roller to third to score Rafaela and put the tying run at second. Devers forced O'Neill at second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                              Sox with a rally

Naturally the A's fought back in the top of the eighth as Rooker hit a ground rule double down the right field line to start. Langeliers singled to right to move Rooker to third and Butler walked to load the bases. Gelof took strike three but Nevin hit a sac fly to right to score Rooker. Harris grounded out to third to end the inning with the A's up 5-2.

                                                             A's get another run

Wong was retired on a tapper in front of the plate to start the bottom of the eighth and Dominic Smith pinch hit for Gonzalez. Smith flied out to left and Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Schuemann flied out to right to start the top of the ninth and Bleday lined out to center. Andujar grounded out to first to end the inning. Mason Miller came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Hamilton took strike three to start. Rafaela grounded out to third but Duran got a base hit to center. Duran took second on defensive indifference but Abreu struck out swinging to end the game. The A's had won it 5-2.

                                                           A's win

Jackass of The Night is Rafael Devers. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout including leaving the bases loaded in the seventh down by 2.

                                                               Jackass Devers

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with a stolen base.

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Wilyer Abreu walked in two plate appearances.

Tyler O'Neill was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

The Bad:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jamie Westbrook was 0 for 3.

David Hamilton struck out as a pinch hitter.

Nick Pivetta took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks.

The Ugly:

Josh Winckowski allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

That game was one of the more frustrating ones of the season for a variety of reasons. Westbrook getting thrown out at home, Devers failing to come through with the bases loaded and Winckowski allowing that final run. Not that the Sox were going to touch Mason Miller in the ninth but a little bit more production prior to that and this could have been a different game. Still, tonight was a big reason why the Sox have trouble keeping momentum because other teams can throw out ace pitchers while the Sox have the Kutter Crawfords and Nick Pivettas of the world. Sox GM Craig Breslow screwed up not signing or trading for an ace this past off-season and its coming back to bite them now. This is a game you needed to have especially with the all-star break and trade deadline looming. Breslow knows this team needs a starter and if you have to part with the Goldust Trio (Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel and Marcelo Mayer) then it might be the right option. It also doesn't help that Triston Casas is out which forces them to play the likes of Jamie Westbrook as well. Hopefully things work themselves out and this was a temporary hiccup. The loss dropped the Sox to 50-42, 7 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back in the rubber game of the series tomorrow night against the A's when Tanner Houck (7-6) takes on Luis Medina of Oakland. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.