As for the game, yet another epic disaster in what's fast becoming a terrible season. Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2, 12.38) continued to struggle this season by surrendering 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings of work to the Oakland A's. Last year's wild card winners took it to the Red Sox in this four game set. If it wasn't for a comedy of errors the Sox would have been swept. Today was no different as the A's pounded out 7 runs and 13 hits and the Sox offense dissipated after the third inning as the A's took 3 out of 4 from the Sox in the 7-3 loss at the Oakland Coliseum.
Brett Anderson had a 33 scoreless inning streak at home on the line and Mr. Mookie greeted him with a base hit to right on the first pitch. Andrew Benintendi dropped down a sacrifice bunt but Anderson lollygagged to first so first baseman Mark Canha went to second because Betts was lollygagging himself thinking the out was going to first. Betts was safe at second and runners were on for the returning Steve Pearce.....who whiffed on a pitch in the dirt. JD Martinez singled to right but Mr. Mookie didn't try for home when he would have been safe. The bases were loaded and Xander Bogaerts broke the scoreless streak with a walk to score Betts with the game's first run. Eduardo Nunez hit a measly pop up to first but Brock "The Hitman" Holt walked to score Benintendi with another run. Christian Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.
Rodriguez took the ball in the bottom of the first and Robbie Grossman led off with a pop up to right field to begin. Marcus Semien lined a rocket right to Betts but Stephen Piscotty singled to left. Rodriguez blew away Khris Davis on 3 pitches to end the inning.
Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to start the top of the second before Mr. Mookie watched strike three go by. Benintendi flied out to right to end the inning. Rodriguez kept the A's down in the bottom of the second although Chad Pinder singled up the middle to start. Mark Canha popped up to third but Pearce ran over to snare the ball. Pinder was erased on a force by Jurickson Profar before Ramon Laureano grounded back to Rodriguez to end the inning.
Pearce launched a ball off the left field wall to open the top of the third but his hamstring was so bad he got thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Martinez then crushed an opposite field home run to right to increase the lead. Bogaerts drew a walk but Nunez banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.
The A's exploded in the bottom of the third as Josh Phegley doubled into the left field corner to start before moving to third on the fly ball to right by Grossman. Semien drew a full count walk and Piscotty blasted a 50,000 foot bomb to tie the game. Davis lashed a single to center and Pinder flied out to the right field wall. Betts had to run up the wall to rob Canha of a home run to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Holt tried to start a rally by poking a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth.Vazquez grounded out to short but Holt moved to second. JBJ flied out to left but Mr. Mookie was intentionally walked. Benintendi beat out an infield single to load the bases....but Pearce whiffed on a pitch in the dirt to end the inning. The A's took command in the bottom of the fourth althoughn Rodriguez somehow froze Profar with an inside fastball to begin. Naturally once Laureano walked, the rattled Rodriguez allowed a single to Phegley and a double by Grossman to sore Ramon to put the A's up for good. Semien popped up to center as Betts and Bradley Jr committed a huge mental error by letting a pop up drop for a ground rule double for two more runs to score. Rodriguez walked Davis and Sox manager Alex Cora had seen enough. The last two runs shouldn't have scored but Rodriguez once again nibbled and got his ass handed to him in just 3 2/3 innings. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez came in and got Pinder to ground into a force at third but it was all over as the A's led 6-3.
The Sox rolled over and died in the top of the fifth as Martinez popped up to center to begin. Somehow Bogaerts singled to left but naturally Nunez popped up in foul territory to first. Holt grounded out weakly to first to end the inning. Velazquez returned for the bottom of the fifth as Canha hit a seeing eye single in the hole at short to begin. Profar banged into a double play and Laureano flied out to right to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Vazquez popped up to center to begin. JBJ somehow singled up the middle to chase Anderson. Lou Trevino came in to pitch to Mr. Mookie and got rung up on a terrible pitch up and in. JBJ swiped second on the strikeout but Benintend took a curveball right down the middle for strike three to end the inning. Sox manager Alex Cora barked at the home plate umpire as the team was clearly frustrated.
The A's iced the game in the bottom of the sixth although Velazquez got Phegley to pop up to first in foul territory to start. Grossman whiffed but Semien singled to right. Piscotty beat out an infield hit and Davis hit a seeing eye single up the middle to score Semien. Everything Oakland hit found a hole while the Sox couldn't hit the ball out of their hands. Pinder popped up to first to end the inning but it was 7-3 A's.
Joakim Soria took over for the top of the seventh and Pearce was rung up for strike three to start. Martinez popped up to left and Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning. Heath Hembree got the call to pitch the bottom of the seventh and got Canha to fly out to left to start. Profar lined out to right before Hembree keeled over. He refused medical attention and naturally Laureano hit yet anothr seeing eye single to left. Laureano swiped second but Phegley whiffed to end the inning.
Pinder took over at second with Matt Chapman taking Profar's spot in the lineup at third base. Liam Hendriks came in to pitch and Blake Swihart pinch hit for Nunez to begin the top of the eighth. Swihart singled to right but Holt flied out to left. Rafael Devers pinch hit for Vazquez only to erase Swihart on a force. JBJ whiffed to end the inning. Hembree returned for the bottom of the eighth and Grossman flied out to left to start. Semien lined out to right but Piscotty walked. Davis whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox had one final kick in the ass in the top of the ninth inning when Mr. Mookie walked to start. Benintendi dropped a base hit in front of Laureano and he gunned down Betts at third by a mile, shades of Bogaerts from Tuesday night. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Pearce only to line out to right. Martinez grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox dropped to 2-6 on the season with their 7-3 loss to Oakland.
Jackass of the Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. The struggling lefty once again nibbled, backed away and didn't trust his stuff. This led to him allowing 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings including the backbreaking 3 run home run.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with a solo home run.
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.
Blake Swihart singled as a pinch hitter.
Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Heath Hembree tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 3.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Steve Pearce was just 1 for 4.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with a stolen base.
Hector Velazquez allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings of work.
Final Thoughts:
Maybe its time to think this team isn't as good as it thinks it is. Not only have the Red Sox trailed in all 8 games they played so far, they needed lucky breaks just to win 2 of them. For all intents and purposes they should be 0-8 on the season. The worst part is they fall behind by multiple runs every game and they're not even competitive. Both Seattle and Oakland would have 3 run leads by the 5th inning and the game was over. They're not pitching or fielding well and Sox manager Alex Cora is getting more mad at the media for sandbagging Spring Training than he is at his own team. It will be a miracle if they're not 10 games out by the end of April at this rate. Not only is Rodriguez pitching like crap but everyone is all over him. Cora, Dennis Eckersley and Dave O'Brien in the TV both, the fans...everyone is fed up with him having no faith in himself. The Sox continue their horrid road trip with the spanking at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tomorrow night Rick Porcello (0-1, 13.50) gets pounded as Zack Godley shuts down the Sox offense at 7:05 PM at Chase Field.
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