David Price (1-2, 3.60 ERA) was the hard luck loser and Tampa put themselves up for good two pitches into the game when Yandy Diaz smashed a 500,000 foot leadoff home run. Tommy Pham walked but Daniel Robertson banged into a double play. Avisail Garcia grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.
Meanwhile the Sox couldn't touch Morton in the bottom of the first inning. Andrew Benintendi popped up to third and Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to short to begin. Mitch Moreland reached on an error but Xander Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.
Price cruised in the top of the second inning as Mike Zunino whiffed to start. Kevin Kiermaier grounded out to first and Guillermo Heredia was frozen for strike three to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Rafael Devers grounded out to first to start. Michael Chavis walked and Steve Pearce reached on an error, but Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed. Christian Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning.
Price blew away both Willy Adames and Christian Arroyo to begin the top of the third inning before Diaz grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Benintendi whiffed to start. Mr. Mookie singled and took second on an error but Moreland flied out to left. Betts took third on a wild pitch but Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning.
The Rays struck again in the top of the fourth as Pham doubled to start. Robertson walked but Garcia whiffed. Zunino singled home Pham and Kiermaier singled to load the bases. Price got two big outs including striking out Heredia and getting Adames to ground into a force to end the inning but it was 2-0 Rays.
Devers walked to begin the bottom of the fourth but was foolishly picked off. Chavis walked but the slumping Pearce banged into a double play to end the inning.
Price froze Arroyo to begin the top of the fifth but Diaz walked. Pham grounded into a double play to end the inning. JBJ walked to start the bottom of the fifth but Vazquez hit into a double play. Benintendi was plunked but Mr. Mookie whiffed to end the inning.
Price came back for one more inning in the top of the sixth and got the Rays to beat the ball in the dirt. Robertson and Garcia grounded out to third before Zunino grounded out to second to end the inning. That was it for Price as he didn't pitch bad, allowing just 2 runs in 6 innings but got no run support.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Moreland grounded out to short to start. Bogaerts doubled but Devers whiffed. Chavis flied out to left to end the inning.
Brandon Workman was first out of the pen in the top of the seventh and blew away Kiermaier to begin. Heredia whiffed but Adames walked and stole second. Arroyo walked to chase Workman. Marcus Walden came in and got Diaz to ground into a force to end the inning. Chaz Roe replaced Morton in the bottom of the seventh and Pearce looked at strike three. JBJ walked before Vazquez lined out to right. Adam Kolarek came in and Benintendi whiffed to end the inning.
Walden came back for the top of the eighth and Pham flied out to right. Robertson walked but was erased on the force by Garcia. Colten Brewer came in for Walden and got Zunino to ground into a force to end the inning. Diego Castillo came in for the bottom of the eighth and Mr. Mookie lit up the crowd briefly with his 5th homer of the season to cut the lead in half. Moreland flied out to left but Bogaerts walked to put the tying run at first. Jose Alvarado came in and Devers singled Bogaerts to third. Alvarado blew away Chavis to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.
Matt Barnes came in for the top of the ninth and Kiermaier grounded out to first to begin. Heredia bunted right back to the mound before Adames whiffed to end the inning. Emilio Pagan came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but Vazquez singled to start. Tzu-Wei Lin pinch ran for Vazquez but Benintendi earned the hat trick by watching strike three go by. Diaz let a pop up by Betts drop in to force Vazquez at second and Moreland whiffed to end the game. The Rays had held on to win 2-1.
Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with Mitch Moreland. He was 0 for 5 including the game ending strikeout with the tying run at first base.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 including a solo home run.
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Michael Chavis walked twice in four plate appearances.
Jackie Bradley Jr walked twice in four plate appearances.
David Price was the hard luck loser but pitched well, allowing just 2 runs in 6 innings while striking out 7.
Marcus Walden tossed a full scoreless inning.
Colten Brewer retired the only man he faced.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
None
The Ugly:
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts...but was hit with a pitch.
Steve Pearce was 0 for 3 with a walk.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4.
Brandon Workman retired 2 of the men he faced but walked the other 2.
Honorable Mention:
Tzu-Wei Lin pinch ran in the bottom of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
So much for all the good work the Sox put in against the Rays last week. One week after storming into Tampa and sweeping the first place Rays, the Rays stormed into Boston and are about to do the same thing. The Rays vaunted pitching did it tonight with Charlie Morton avenging last week with 6 shutout innings. Price tried to keep pace and didn't pitch bad but the Sox were held to 5 total hits. Actually the Sox outhit the Rays 5 to 4 but the Sox could only push one run across. Those kinds of losses happen but the Sox can ill afford to do so while so far out of first place. Hopefully tomorrow goes better but tonight was terrible. The Sox look to salvage the homestand tomorrow afternoon when Chris Sale (0-4) takes on Andrew Glasnow at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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