The Rays attacked Sale right off the bat in the top of the first inning. Yandy Diaz started with a double although Tommy Pham looked at strike three. Daniel Robertson smashed a 45,000 foot home run to give the Rays the lead for good 3 batters into the game. Avisail Garcia popped up to first and Mike Zunino whiffed to end the inning but the Rays led 2-0.
As usual the Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the first as Andrew Benintendi whiffed to start. Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to third before Mitch Moreland grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
The Rays pounded Sale in the top of the second although Kevin Kiermaier flied out to left to begin. Guillermo Heredia walked and Willy Adames hit a routine grounder to Devers who ran to third base with the ball instead of second and everyone was safe on the error. Christian Arroyo whiffed but Diaz moved halfway to the cycle with a triple to ice the game early. Pham flied out to right to end the inning but it was 4-0 Rays...game over.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to begin. Rafael Devers singled to right and moved to second on the Michael Chavis ground out before Steve Pearce grounded out to third to end the inning.
Suddenly Sale found himself in the top of the third as Robertson walked to start. Garcia popped up to second before Zunino banged into a double play to end the inning. Glasnow dominated the bottom of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr looked at strike three, Christian Vazquez whiffed and Benintendi struck out swinging to end the inning.
Sale allowed a leadoff single to Kiermaier to open the top of the fourth but he was erased on the Heredia force. Adames banged into a double play to end the inning. Mr. Mookie walked to start the bottom of the fourth but Moreland flied out to center. Bogaerts popped up to second and Devers whiffed to end the inning.
Sale cruised in the top of the 5th as Arroyo looked at strike three to start. Diaz grounded out to short although Pham walked. Robertson whiffed to end the inning. Chavis singled to start the bottom of the fifth but Pearce banged into a double play. JBJ grounded out to short to end the inning.
Sale turned up the heat to blow away Garcia to start the top of the sixth. Zunino whiffed before Kiermaier grounded out to first to start. The Sox finally showed some signs of life in the bottom of the sixth as Vazquez singled to start. Benintendi looked at strike three but Mr. Mookie doubled. Moreland scored Vazquez with a sac fly to get the Sox on the board but Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning. The Sox got a run back and trailed 4-1.
Sale came back for one final inning in the top of the seventh and got Heredia to ground out to short to start. Adames grounded out to short and Arroyo whiffed to end the inning. After looking like he was going to take another beating, Sale allowed just 2 walks and one hit his final five innings of work. He left trailing 4-1 after tossing 7 innings while striking out 8.
The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh although Devers looked at strike three to start. Chavis stepped up to mash his 3rd home run of the season to cut the lead. Pearce looked at strike three before JBJ doubled to chase Glasnow. Emilio Pagan got Vazquez to fly out to center to end the inning although the Rays were up 4-2.
Marcus Walden came in for Sale in the top of the eighth inning and froze Diaz for strike three to start. Pham grounded out to second and Robertson grounded out to first to end the inning. Jose Alvarado came in for the bottom of the eighth and cruised. Benintendi flied out to right, Mr. Mookie flied out to left and Moreland flied out to center to end the inning.
Heath Hembree came in to vomit up his intestines in the top of the ninth as Garcia doubled to start. Zunino whiffed but Kiermaier was intentionally walked. Heredia hit a perfect double play ball to short. Bogaerts flipped to Chavis who stepped on second and suddenly heaved the ball 300 feet into the Red Sox bullpen for an error to score Garcia. Adames whiffed to end the inning but it was over now 5-2.
Diego Castillo came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Bogaerts whiffed to start. Devers singled but Chavis popped up to first. Pearce grounded out to third to end the game. The Rays had won it 5-2 and "swept" the Sox out of Fenway.
Jackass of the Night is a tough one so I'll go with Xander Bogaerts. He was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts including striking out in the 6th with a rally going.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4.
Michael Chavis was 2 for 4 including a solo home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3.
Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Marcus Walden pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
The Bad:
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Steve Pearce was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Heath Hembree allowed a run in the 9th inning.
The Ugly:
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.
Chris Sale took the lost but finished strong, allowing 4 runs in 7 innings on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8.
Final Thoughts:
Well this sucks. Just when it looked like the Sox were going to turn the corner, they fell flat on their face again. Losing two in a row to the Rays knocks them further out of first place and this deficit might be too much to overcome unless the Sox go on a huge hot streak. At least Sale went 7 innings for once even if the Sox didn't generate any offense. Any sign of improvement and the end of a crappy month will be worth looking at. As for this game, the less said about it the better. The Sox now open a three game series with the Oakland A's. Frankie Montas goes for the A's opposite Eduardo Rodriguez. The game starts at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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