As for the game, what a complete waste. The Sox offense avenged their no-hit loss by Shawn Manaea in Oakland to pound him for 4 runs only for "Slick" Rick Porcello to get lit up again and again. The Sox managed to scratch and claw on the offensive side but the pitching allowed 3 home runs, 11 total hits and 6 runs as the Oakland A's spoiled the homestand opener 6-5 at Fenway Park.\
Porcello took the mound in the top of the first inning and got Marcus Semien hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Matt Joyce whiffed and old friend "Glassbones" Jed Lowrie popped up to left to end the inning but Porcello had thrown 22 pitches. Shawn "No-Hit" Manaea took the mound in the bottom of the first an Mr. Mookie Betts greeted him by grounding out to second to start. Andrew Benintendi grounded out in the exact same spot and Hanley Ramirez was gunned down at first on a swinging bunt in front of the plate to end the inning.
The A's almost struck first in the top of the second when Khris Davis singled to start. Matt Olson whiffed but Matt Chapman singled off the glove of Rafael Devers at third. Mark Canha flied out to right but Davis moved to third. Jonathan Lucroy grounded out to short to end the inning but Porcello had thrown 43 pitches. The Sox broke Manaea's no-hit streak when JD Martinez singled up the middle on the first pitch in the bottom of the second. Xander Bogaerts and Eduardo Nunez both hit routine fly balls to right before Blake Swihart whiffed badly to end the inning.
The A's struck first in the top of the third as Dustin Fowler (the guy the A's traded Sonny Gray for ironically) was frozen for strike three to open. Semien grounded out to short but Joyce crushed a 780,000 foot bomb halfway to Wakefield to put the A's on top. Lowrie flied out to left to end the inning but the A's were up 1-0.
The Sox got lucky in the bottom of the third as Devers and Sandy Leon whiffed to start. Mr. Mookie singled and stole second before the luck set in. A wild pitch moved Betts to third before Chapman threw a routine grounder by Benintendi away, allowing Betts to score the tying run and put Andrew at second. Somehow Ramirez singled to right to score Benintendi to give the Sox the lead. Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 2-1 Sox.
Just as soon as the Sox took the lead, Porcello pissed it away in the top of the fourth. Davis grounded out to short but Davis and Chapman stroked back to back singles. Canha was frozen for strike three but Lucroy easily doubled in both runners to give the A's the lead. Fowler tripled to center off a Benintendi misplay to increase the lead but Semien grounded out to short to end the inning with the A's up for good 4-2.
The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the fourth when Bogaerts walked and Nunez singled.....but Swihart banged into a double play to kill that. Devers grounded out to first to end the inning.
The relentless As tried to pound Porcello in the top of the fifth as Joyce smashed a single to center to start. Somehow Porcello got Lowrie to line out to center and miraculously got Davis to bang into a double play to end the inning. The Sox had another huge squander when Leon got a lucky single to lead off the bottom of the fifth before Mr. Mookie doubled him to third. Naturally Benintendi flied out to right and Betts got thrown out in a rundown foolishly trying to go to third on a force by Ramirez. Leon did score but Martinez lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox still trailing 4-3.
The A's were laughing at Porcello at this point in the top of the sixth as Olson effortlessly launched a 52,833 foot blast to extend the insurmountable lead for the A's. Oh sure, Chapman whiffed and Canha grounded out to second before Lucroy grounded out to end the inning, but the A's were up 5-3. Back to back 5 runs allowed in consecutive starts by Porcello as he left the game allowing 5 runs in 6 innings.
As usual the Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Bogaerts lined out to second to start. Nunez grounded out to second and Swihart made the most of his rare start by whiffing badly to end the inning.
Heath Hembree got the call to pitch the top of the seventh and he got Fowler to ground out to third to start. Semien singled but Joyce whiffed. Lowrie grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox briefly came to life when Devers smashed a solo home run and Leon reached on an error to chase Manaea....but Yusmeiro Petit came in to get Mr. Mookie to fly out to left. Beintendi lined out to center and Ramirez popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.
Carson Smith came in the top of the eighth and promptly allowed a 950 foot home run to Davis to increase the lead. Olson grounded out to third, Chapman flied out to left and Canha lined out to short to end the inning with the A's ahead 6-4. Smith threw a temper tantrum in the dugout after.
The Sox tried to fight back when Martinez led off the bottom of the eighth with his 11th homer of the year, but Bogaerts grounded out to short. Nunez also grounded out to short and Swihart lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox trailing 6-5.
Brian Johnson got the call to pitch the top of the ninth and Lucroy grounded out to third to start. Fowler flied out to left and Semien whiffed to end the inning. Blake Treinen got the call to close out the bottom of the ninth and he did it effortlessly. Devers grounded weakly to the mound, Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Leon and flied out to left and Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to end the game. The A's had taken the opener 6-5.
Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. He allowed 5 runs in 6 innings to a team struggling to score including 2 massive home runs to earn his first loss of the season.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a stolen base and a run scored.
JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.
Sandy Leon was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Brian Johnson pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Blake Swihart was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Carson Smith allowed a run in an inning of work.
The Ugly:
Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.
Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 but knocked in 2 runs.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.
Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count as it was a solo home run.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox can't beat Sean Manaea apparently. Even with the red hot Porcello on the mound the pesky 20-21 A's still found a way to beat them. Its not that concerning, only tedious that they lost this game considering the New York Yankees were off tonight. A win over Manaea would have given the Sox sole possession of first place but instead are in second. Martinez is red hot and let's hope he stays that way. He and Betts have been a wonderful 1-2 punch, if only Benintendi could get hot. Porcello pitched like doo-doo but he's been good all year so he was due for the doo-doo. The loss dropped the Sox to 28-13, a half game behind the idle Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox are back in action against the A's with Eduardo Rodriguez (3-0) taking on Daniel Mengden at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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