The good news was the Boston Celtics defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 of their NBA East Finals series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox lost to the Oakland A's. Congratulations are in order to the A's as they're the only team in baseball this season that have a winning record against the Red Sox. After getting embarrassed out in Oakland, the Sox have now dropped 2 of the first 3 games to them at Fenway. For whatever reason they seem to have the Sox number. Tonight they manhandled the incompetent Eduardo Rodriguez (3-1, 4.68 ERA) for 3 early runs and pulled away late to take a 5-3 win over the Sox at Fenway Park. Of all the teams the Sox will finish with losing record against at the end of this year, this could be one they kick themselves over.
The carnage began in the top of the first inning when Marcus Semien effortlessly singled to center. Chad Pinder followed with an easy hit to right but somehow old friend "Glassbones" Jed Lowrie flied out to left. Khris Davis whiffed but Mark Chapman hit a bullet to right. Mr. Mookie Betts tried to get Chapman at second base but Eduardo Nunez botched the throw and both runners scored, Chapman safe at second. Matt Olson lined out to right but it was 2-0 A's early.
The Sox had a chance to get to Daniel Mengden early but Mr. Mookie led off by lining out to center. Andrew Benintendi singled but Hanley Ramirez popped up to second. JD Martinez singled and Xander Bogaerts hit a hard grounder to third that ate up Chapman. Only problem was it didn't roll away that far so when Benintendi gunned it for home....he was thrown out by a mile to end the inning.
The A's struck again in the top of the second inning in a big way. Mark Canha flied out to right and Stephen Piscotty, who recently lost his mother, smashed a 878 foot bomb to left to put the A's up by 3. Jonathan Lucroy singled but Semien flied out to right. Pinder whiffed to end the inning but the emotional Piscotty homer invigorated the A's to a 3-0 lead.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second inning although Mitch Moreland doubled to start. Nunez popped up to first, Rafael Devers whiffed and Christian Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning.
Rodriguez finally settled down in the top of the third inning although the pain in the ass Lowrie singled to start. Davis looked at strike three and Chapman banged into a double play to end the inning. Still nothing for the Sox in the bottom of the third as Mr. Mookie lined out to center, Benintendi flied out to left and Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning.
Olson was plunked to start the top of the fourth but Canha whiffed. Piscotty flied out to left and Lucroy grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth by pure accident when Chapman threw a routine grounder by Martinez away, allowing him to reach. Bogaerts singled him to third and Moreland beat out a double play ball to score JD to put the Sox on the board. Nunez erased Moreland on a force and Devers lined out to center to end the inning but it was 3-1 A's.
Rodriguez came back for one final inning in the top of the fifth. Semien grounded out to third, Pinder flied out to right and Lowrie flied out to Betts to end the inning. Rodriguez had gone just 5 innings and gave up 3 runs, not the worst but not good either.
The Sox inched closer in the bottom of the fifth although Vazquez lined out to short to start. Mr. Mookie whiffed but Benintendi smashed his third home run of the year to bring the Sox within a run. Ramirez singled to put the tying run on....but Martinez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.
Steven Wright came back from the dead to pitch the top of the sixth inning and got Davis to fly out to center to begin. Chapman and Olson walked but Canha lined out to left. Piscotty grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth although Bogaerts grounded out to third to begin. Moreland doubled to right but Nunez whiffed. Devers flied out to left to end the inning.
Lucroy walked to open the top of the seventh but Semien whiffed and Pinder banged into a double play to end the inning. Lou Trivino replaced Mengden in the bottom of the seventh and Vazquez flied out to center to start. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third but Benintendi doubled to put the tying run in scoring position. Ramirez popped up to first to end the inning.
The A's iced the game in the top of the eighth as Wright got Lowrie to grounded out to third to start. Davis and Chapman singled to chase Wright. Bobby Poyner came in and got Olson to fly out to right, but Canha doubled home both runners. Piscotty flied out to center to end the inning with the A's up 5-2.
Dustin Fowler took over for Canha for the bottom of the eighth where Martinez and Bogaerts whiffed to begin. Moreland walked but Nunez was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning.
Brian Johnson took over for the top of the ninth and Lucroy lined out to short to begin. Semien popped up to first and Pinder flied out to left to end the inning. Blake Treinen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but the Sox refused to go quietly. Devers swung and missed at strike three but the ball got away allowing Raf to reach. Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Vazquez and doubled to bring the tying run to the plate. All Mr. Mookie did was ground out although Devers scored to cut the lead to two. Benintendi flied out to left and representing the tying run....Ramirez grounded out to short to end the game. The A's had won the season series and this game 5-3.
Jackass of the Night is Eduardo Nunez. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout, an error and left FOUR men on base. In what was a close game to the final pitch, leaving four men on base was unacceptable.
The Good:
Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 5 with a solo home run.
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4.
Mitch Moreland was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Brock Holt doubled as a pinch hitter.
Brian Johnson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 5.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.
Eduardo Rodriguez took the loss by allowing 3 runs in 5 innings. He nibbled all game and only lasted 5, but the Sox didn't do him any favors with no run support.
Steven Wright was charged with 2 runs in 2 1/3 innings of work.
Bobby Poyner allowed 2 inherited runners to score in 2/3 of an inning.
Final Thoughts:
With the New York Yankees breathing down their necks, a loss like this really hurts. The Sox can't afford to be losing to mediocre teams if they hope to win the AL East. It looks like the Sox and Yankees are going to both win at least 95 games barring catastrophic injuries meaning every single win may be the difference in making the ALDS and potentially dropping a one game playoff and be out before it starts. Rodriguez just can't seem to pitch long and for whatever reason the offense seems to disappear against Oakland pitching. Its a frustrating loss and thankfully there haven't been too many of those this season. The loss drops the Sox to 28-14, a full game back of the Yankees who's game against the Washington Nationals was postponed to a later date. Tomorrow night the Sox try to salvage the series when they send Chris Sale (3-1) to the mound opposite Trevor Cahill at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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