The carnage began in the top of the first inning when George Springer led off with a walk. Alex Bregman struck out but Jose Altuve singled. Carlos Correa singled to load the bases but Rodriguez struck out Evan Gattis.....only for Marwin Gonzalez to clear the bases with a double to ice the game 6 batters into the game. Yuri Guriel hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning but it was 3-0 Astros already.
Brad Peacock took the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Xander Bogaerts flied out to right to start. Dustin Pedroia hit a routine ground ball to Bregman but he booted it and allowed Dustin to reach first. Andrew Benintendi flied out to left and Mookie Betts popped up to second to end the inning.
Rodriguez crapped himself in the top of the second inning although he got Cameron Maybin to ground out to third to start. Brian McCann lined out to short and then the wheels fell off as Springer singled to left. Bregman blasted a 2 run home run to increase the lead and Altuve launched a ground rule double. Correa walked on 5 pitches not even close and Red Sox manager John Farrell stormed out of the dugout, ripped open his shirt and threw his hat at Rodriguez. After Farrell bellowed to get off the mound, Rodriguez sulked away after allowing 5 runs in just 1 2/3 innings. Not a great tuneup before the playoffs.
Blaine Boyer took the mound and got Evan Gattis to fly out to right to end the inning. The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the second when Mitch Moreland launched a solo home run to right to put the Sox on the board. Hanley Ramirez flied out to right and Rafael Devers was snuffed out on a bunt attempt, but Christian Vazquez singled up the middle. Correa dropped a routine pop up from Jackie Bradley Jr and Bogaerts made him pay with a single to score Vazquez. Representing the tying run....Pedroia grounded out to end the inning but the Sox were now down 5-2.
Gonzalez singled to open the top of the third inning but Guriel lined out to center to start. Maybin caught the Sox defense napping with a bunt single, but McCann flied out to right. Springer whiffed to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the third inning as Benintendi grounded out to third, Betts struck out and Moreland popped up to third to end the inning.
The Astros exploded in the top of the fourth inning as Bregman walked and Altuve singled. Correa hit a ground rule double to score Bregman but Gattis lined out to second. Gonzalez was intentionally walked to load the bases and Guriel beat out an infield single to score Altuve. Maybin hit a seeing eye single to score Correa as Sox manager John Farrell ran out of the dugout screaming like a madman, chasing Boyer away. Fernando Abad shot himself out of a cannon from the Monster Seats and landed on the mound to replace Boyer. Unfortunately the first pitch Abad threw Vazquez muffed, allowing Gonzalez to score. McCann whiffed but Springer walked to reload the bases. Sox manager John Farrell had no idea Abad was on the mound after chasing Boyer halfway down Yawkey Way so he stumbled out to the mound to bring in Austin Maddox before anymore damage happened. Bregman struck out to end the inning but the Astros were up 9-2. What a complete disaster.
Meanwhile the Sox offense mailed it in for the night as Ramirez lined out to third, Devers flied out to left and Vazquez grounded out to second in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Maddox returned for the top of the fifth inning and got Altuve to line out to center, but Correa singled. Gattis popped up to first and Gonzalez flied out to center to end the inning. The sad sacks on offense did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as JBJ watched strike three go by and Bogaerts popped up to first. Somehow Pedroia worked a walk and Sox manager John Farrell was so enraged someone actually did something, he sent Brock Holt to pinch run for Dustin. Benintendi grounded out to short to end the inning.
Maddox was finally tagged for the first time all year in the top of the sixth inning although he got Guriel to ground out to short to start. Maybin struck out but McCann blasted a solo home run to right. Springer popped up to short to end the inning but Maddox was human after all, 10-2 Astros.
Francis Martes came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Betts and Moreland both grounded out to second but Ramirez hit a roller in the hole at short for a base hit. Devers grounded out to end the inning.
Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the seventh and he vomited up his intestines as well. Bregman struck out as Derek Fisher pinch hit for Altuve and singled. Correa blasted a two run home run to add to the misery. Gattis grounded out but Gonzalez doubled into the gap. Tyler White pinch hit for Guriel and struck out to end the inning but it was now 12-2.
The Astros emptied the bench in the bottom of the seventh inning as Juan Centeno took over behind the plate, JD Davis took over at short and Joe Musgrove took over on the mound. Vazquez flied out to right and JBJ grounded out, but somehow Bogaerts got a base hit. Sox manager John Farrell got so mad he threw a tub of Gatorade up against the wall, screamed at Bogaerts and sent in Deven Marrero to pinch run for him. Holt lined out to third to end the inning.
Sam Travis took over at first, Blake Swihart took over behind the plate and Heath Hembree took over on the mound to start the top of the eighth inning. Maybin grounded out to third, Ceteno struck out and Springer flied out to right to end the inning. Tony Kemp took over in center, Colin Moran took over at second and Tyler Clippard took over on the mound to start the bottom of the eighth inning. Benintendi grounded out to short but Betts walked. Travis struck out and Tzu-Wei Lin pinch hit for Ramirez only to strike out to end the inning.
Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez took over on the mound in the top of the ninth inning and got Bregman to ground out to short to begin. Fisher walked but Davis looked at strike three. Max Strassi pinch hit for Gattis and popped up to first to end the inning.
Ken Giles took over on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning to end this disaster. Devers hit a comebacker to the mound but Swihart worked a walk. Swihart was erased on the force by JBJ and Marrero struck out to end the game. The Sox were annihilated 12-2.
Jackass of the Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. Pitching for a spot on the playoff roster, Eduardo crapped his pants big time by lasting just 1 2/3 innings and giving up 5 runs. Not that the pathetic offense was going to help, but he sure didn't.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with a solo home run.
Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3.
Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Blake Swihart walked in his only plate appearance.
Fernando Abad got the second out of the fourth inning.
Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Hector Velazquez pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Deven Marrero struck out in his only plate appearance.
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4.
Sam Travis was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Tzu-Wei Lin was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 4.
Blaine Boyer gave up 4 runs in just 1 2/3 innings.
Matt Barnes gave up 2 runs in an inning of work.
The Ugly:
Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 2 but drew a walk.
Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but worked a walk.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4.
Austin Maddox gave up a run in 2 1/3 innings.
Final Thoughts:
Good god almighty talk about limping toward the finish line. The Houston Astros most likely will be the Sox playoff opponent and to get smacked around by them isn't exactly going to help the team psyche moving forward. Rodriguez got smoked and the offense did nothing again. The only bright side is the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees to effectively end the AL East race. The Sox need to win just 1 of the final 3 games or the Yankees need to lose just 1 of the final 3 games and Boston wins it. It would be nice to go into October with some momentum unlike last year, but oh well. The loss dropped the Red Sox to 92-67, 3 games in front of the Yankees for first place in the AL East with just 3 games left. Tomorrow night Doug Fister (5-8) makes his final start of the season against Charlie Morton at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
Magic Number: 1
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