The A's exploded right from the get-go in the top of the first inning when Marcus Semien singled to right to start. Matt Joyce looked at strike three but Jed Lowrie tripled home Semien to make it 1-0 early. Khris Davis hit a pop up past the outreached Dustin Pedroia to make it 2-0. Matt Olson iced it early with a 2 run bomb into the bullpen to put the game out of reach. Chad Pinder grounded out to second and Bruce Maxwell struck out to end the inning, but the A's were up 4-0.
The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the first inning against Jharel Cotton. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to short but Dustin Pedroia singled. Andrew Benintendi doubled and Pedroia scored on the Mookie Betts ground out. With Benintendi on second, Mitch Moreland hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. That was the first man left on base and it would not be the last with the Sox now down 4-1.
Fister cruised in the top of the second as Matt Chapman grounded out to short, Boog Powell struck out and Semien grounded out to third to end the inning. Unfortunately the Sox went cold in the bottom of the second as well as Hanley Ramirez and Rafael Devers popped up to first. Sandy Leon lined out back to Cotton to end the inning.
The A's tacked it on in the top of the third inning. Joyce singled and Lowrie doubled him home. Davis grounded out but Lowrie moved to third. Olson was intentionally walked but Lowrie scored on the ground out by Pinder. Maxwell grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 6-1 A's.
The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the third inning although Jackie Bradley Jr struck out to start. Bogaerts and Pedroia singled before Benintendi doubled home Bogaerts. Betts walked to load the bases to bring the tying run to the plate....but Moreland banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox were down 6-2 but had blown a huge chance to get back into it.
Fister returned for the top of the fourth and struck out Chapman to start. Powell grounded out to second and Semien lined out to left to end the inning. Sox manager John Farrell pulled the plug on Fister after just 4 innings to save his arm for later days. He didn't have it in this one, giving up 6 runs in those 4 innings.
The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the fourth inning as Ramirez whiffed to start. Devers grounded out to short and Leon popped up to third to end the inning.
Fernando "The Human White Flag" Abad came in to pitch the top of the fifth and got Joyce to ground out second. Lowrie struck out and Davis grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox got a run back when JBJ belted a solo home run to right to cut the lead in half. Bogaerts walked but Pedroia whiffed. Right on cue Benintendi grounded out to end the inning with the Sox down 6-3.
Things went to hell in the top of the sixth when Abad plunked Olson to start. For some reason Sox manager John Farrell brought in the guy with the worst percentage of allowing inherited runners to score, Heath Hembree. Olson was erased on the force by Pinder but Maxwell doubled home Chad. A wild pitch moved Maxwell to third but Chapman struck out. Powell flied out to left field to end the inning with the score 7-3. Why Farrell keeps bringing in Hembree with men on base is anyone's guess.
The Sox offense was done for the night with Liam Hendriks now on the mound. Betts popped up to first to start the bottom of the sixth, but Moreland somehow doubled. He was stranded as Ramirez lined out to center and Devers grounded out to second to end the inning.
Matt Barnes took the mound in the top of the seventh when a category 12 monsoon suddenly swept through Fenway. Barnes out-manuvered Mother Nature to get Semien to fly out to right and Joyce flied out to left. Lowrie singled in the pouring rain but Barnes used the moisture for extra spin to strike out Davis to end the inning.
Daniel Coulombe came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh inning and Leon walked to start. Sandy was erased on the force by JBJ and Oakland manager and old pal Bob Melvin brought in Ryan Dull. Bogaerts flied out to left but Pedroia singled. With a chance to do some damage....Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning.
Blaine Boyer got the call in the top of the eighth inning as Olson flied out to left, Pinder struck out and Maxwell whiffed to end the inning. Chris Hatcher came in for the bottom of the eighth and the offense was asleep. Betts hit one up the elevator shaft, Moreland grounded out to short and Ramirez lined out to right to end the inning.
Boyer returned for the top of the ninth and Chapman popped up to first to start. Powell flied out to left field and Semien lined out to a diving Devers at third to end the inning. Finally the misery ended in the bottom of the ninth with Blake Treinen on the mound. Devers singled and took second on a wild pitch, but Leon whiffed. JBJ grounded out and Bogaerts struck out to end the game. The Sox had left SIXTEEN men on base and lost 7-3.
Jackass of the Night is Doug Fister. He lasted just 4 innings and gave up 6 runs, putting the Sox too far behind for a comeback.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4 with a run scored.
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Blaine Boyer pitched 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.
Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.
Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count as it was a solo home run
Fernando Abad was charged with a run after 1 plus innings of work.
Heath Hembree allowed an inherited runner to score, how unusual.
Final Thoughts:
Jesus tap dancing Christ how in the world are the Red Sox supposed to win the division if they keep losing to last place teams? Even if they win tomorrow they would have gone 6-3 on the homestand against bottom dwelling teams. Thankfully this frustrating season is almost over so we won't have to watch this cruddy offense much longer. Sixteen men left on base is nothing new and fans are completely desensitized to it at this point. The Sox are quite possibly the worst first place team in baseball and they are going to get annihilated in the playoffs by Houston or Cleveland if the Sox even make it there, which is no given considering the final four games will be against Houston with New York breathing down their neck. The loss dropped the Sox to 82-63, just 3 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon Drew Pomeranz (15-5) goes up against Daniel Gossett at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park. If the Sox lose that one, you can pretty much kiss the division goodbye.
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