Also before the game the Red Sox had their ring ceremony to celebrate the 2018 season. It was a great tribute to a fun, exciting season and in the words of Larry Bird "hopefully we'll be right back here next season doing the same thing".
As for the game, yet another epic disaster. Chris Sale (0-3, 9.00 ERA) has turned into what Drew Pomeranz was last year. His velocity is gone and so is his ability to blow hitters away. This was prevalent as the Toronto Blue Jays spoiled the Red Sox opener and took a big fat dump in Fenway Park
Sale began the top of the second inning by getting Randal Grichuk to ground out to third to begin. Danny Jansen stuck his bat out and lined out to left before Sale dialed it up to 95 mph to freeze Lourdes Gurriel Jr to end the inning. The Sox caught a break when Xander Bogaerts hit a routine grounder to the pitcher who flipped to first but Alex Hanson missed the bag for an error. Rafael Devers made Hanson pay with a base hit to right to send Bogaerts to third. Dustin Pedroia got a standing O in his first at bat in almost a year and naturally he banged into a double play, although Bogaerts scored another run. Jackie Bradley Jr sent his bat 100 feet in the air as he struck out to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.
Naturally as soon as the Sox scored, Sale pissed away the lead in the top of the third. Somehow Sale froze Richard Urena on a changeup but Hanson. Billy McKinney and Galvis stroked three straight seeing eye singles to put the Jays on the board. Hernandez hit an absolute rocket to the centerfield wall but JBJ climbed it for the out, but McKinney scored to tie the game. Drury grounded out to third to end the inning but the Jays tied it 2-2.
Christian Vazquez served one back to the Jays with a seeing eye single to left to begin the bottom of the third. Naturally Benintendi popped up to center and Vazquez was thrown out at second trying to steal. Mr. Mookie grounded out weakly to short to end the inning.
The Jays took the lead in the top of the fourth when Grichuk and Jansen stroked back to back seeing eye singles and Vazquez dropped a fake bunt, allowing Grichuk to swipe third. Gurriel Jr stroked yet another seeing eye single to score Grichuk to give the Jays the lead. Urena dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over but Sale bore down to punch out Hanson. Vazquez continued to play hot potato as a passed ball scored Jansen with another run. In a microcosm of the horrible season, neither Sale nor Devers paid attention to Gurriel Jr and he swiped home Billy Hatcher style as the Sox were thunderously booed. The boo's got even louder as McKinney blooped a single to center before Galvis grounded out to second to end the inning. For the 8th time in 12 games the Sox were down 3 runs early as it was 5-2 Jays. That was it for Sale too as he lasted just 4 innings and allowed 5 runs, another pathetic start.
As usual once the Sox fell behind, they gave up in the bottom of the fourth. Moreland popped up weakly to center and Martinez popped up weakly to right, but Bogaerts walked. Devers singled Bogaerts to third but Pedroia hit another double play ball to short only this time there were already two outs to end the inning.
Tyler Thornburg made a mad dash to the mound to open the top of the fifth. Hernandez lined out to right before Drury whiffed. Grichuk looked at strike three to end the inning as Thornburg bolted back into the dugout. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as JBJ grounded out to first, Vazquez grounded back to the mound and Benintendi popped up to third to end the inning.
Thornburg sprinted back to the mound for the top of the sixth as Jansen lined out to center to start. Gurriel Jr doubled and moved to third on the Urena grounder to first before Hanson grounded out to short to end the inning, sending Thornburg sprinting back to the dugout. Somehow the Sox came back in the bottom of the sixth as Mr. Mookie swatted his third home run of the year to start. Naturally Moreland looked at strike three before Martinez grounded out to first. Bogaerts drew a walk to chase Shoemaker. Tim Mayza replaced Shoemaker and Devers hit a routine fly ball to left.....DROPPED by Hernandez. Bogaerts scored and Devers moved to second. Dustin Hudson replaced Mayza and once again Pedroia lined out to right to kill the rally to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.
Once again when the Sox scored the Jays got the runs right back. Heath Hembree came in to get McKinney to ground out to short to begin. Galvis flied out to center but Hernandez walked to chase Hembree. Brandon Workman came in and Hernandez swiped second before Drury walked. Grichuk singled home Hernandez to ice the game. Jansen grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 6-4. The Sox rolled over and died in the bottom of the seventh as JBJ lined out to right, Vazquez looked at strike three and Benintendi looked at strike three to end the inning.
Marcus Walden took over for the top of the eighth and Gurriel Jr popped up to first, Urena whiffed and Hanson struck out swinging to end the inning. Joe Biagini came in for the bottom of the eighth and Mr. Mookie lined out to short to start. Moreland grounded out to short but Martinez and Bogaerts stroked back to back doubles to bring the Sox within a run. With the tying run at second.....Devers grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 6-5.
All the Sox needed was a shut-down inning but they didn't get it in the top of the ninth with Matt Barnes on the mound. McKinney was plunked and moved to second on a wild pitch before scoring on the Galvis double. Hernandez looked at strike three but Galvis swiped third. Drury whiffed and for some reason Sox manager Alex Cora pulled Barnes for Colten Brewer. Grichuk popped up to second to end the inning with the Jays ahead 7-5.
The Sox had one last rally to piss away in the bottom of the ninth inning. Pedroia got a base hit to right and JBJ walked to put the tying runs on against Ken Giles. Blake Swihart pinch hit for Vazquez...and flied out to center. Benintendi also flied out to center and Mr. Mookie swung at ball four that bounced in front of the plate to end the game. The Jays had beaten the Sox 7-5 at Fenway.
Jackass of the Night is Chris Sale. The "ace" lasted just 4 innings and gave up 5 runs to take another loss on the season.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4.
Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3.
Tyler Thornburg tossed 2 scoreless innings.
Marcus Walden tossed a scoreless inning.
Colten Brewer retired the only man he faced.
The Bad:
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.
Blake Swihart was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Heath Hembree allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.
Matt Barnes allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a solo home run.
Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a solo home run.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked.
Brandon Workman allowed an inherited run to score in 1/3 of an inning.
Final Thoughts:
Sox manager Alex Cora deserves every bit of criticism he gets for sandbagging Spring Training for the Boston starters. So far the Sox have been behind in 11 of the 12 games they played and trailed by multiple runs in 10 of them. That is definitely not a recipe for success when it seems like they're way behind night after night. If things don't improve they're going to fall too far behind to 4-Peat as division champions. If Sale is turning into Pomeranz the Sox are in DEEP trouble after investing so much time and money into him. The offense will come around and actually hasn't been that bad but they've been forced to come from behind in almost every game this season. Its still April and there's a chance for a turnaround but good grief who thought they would be THIS bad? ,After an off-day the Sox are back in action Thursday night against the Jays. Nathan Eovaldi (0-0, 8.10 ERA) takes on Aaron Sanchez at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment