As for the game, ugh. The Sox are finding new ways to lose and today was a new one. On a night when the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7 to advance to the second round of the NHL playoffs, the crosstown Red Sox were defeated by the Detroit Tigers. The formula was the same where the starter left early and the Sox bullpen imploded, but unlike the other games where the offense was asleep...this time the offense got men on but couldn't drive them in. The bullpen allowed 3 inherited runs and one of their own and the offense couldn't get a clutch hit as the Tigers swept the doubleheader with a 4-2 win.
Velazquez came out for the top of the first and Jeimer Candelario singled to right to start before getting gunned down trying to steal by the alert Christian Vazquez. Nicholas Castellanos whiffed before Miguel Cabrera grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew a chance to take the lead early in the bottom of the first against Spencer Turnbull. Andrew Benintendi was plunked before Mr. Mookie Betts walked. Mitch Moreland hit a perfect double play ball but Ronny Rodriguez dropped the transfer throw to put runners at the corners. JD Martinez hit another perfect double play ball but this one was turned to end the inning.
Velazquez turned up the heat in the top of the second inning by striking out the side. Niko Goodrum looked at strike three while Brandon Dixon and Rodriguez both whiffed to end the inning. The Sox had another chance in the bottom of the second although Xander Bogaerts grounded out to second to start. Rafael Devers walked and Michael Chavis collected his first major league base hit...but Jackie Bradley Jr banged into a double play to end the inning.
Hector cruised in the top of the third inning as Josh Harrison grounded out to third to start. John Hicks walked but JaCoby Jones grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox blew yet another chance in the bottom of the third inning as Vazquez singled to start. Benintendi lined out to center but Mr. Mookie walked. Moreland hit another double play ball but this time he beat it out to put runners at the corners. Martinez was hit with a pitch to load the bases...but Bogaerts popped up to short to end the inning.
As good as Velazquez was for the first three innings, he fell apart in the top of the fourth inning. Candelario singled but Castellanos whiffed. Cabrera singled and Goodrum walked to load the bases. Its a shame Velazquez ran out of gas because he was pitching well but still was charged with 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings. Marcus Walden came in to pour gas on the fire as Dixon doubled to clear the bases but was thrown out at third trying to stretch. Rodriguez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Tigers up for good 3-0.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Devers flied out to left to start. Chavis grounded back to the mound and JBJ grounded out to short to end the inning.
Darwinzon Hernandez made his major league debut in the top of the fifth by allowing a leadoff double to Harrison. Hernandez recovered to get Hicks and Jones to pop up to first before striking out Candelario to end the inning. The Sox blew another chance in the bottom of the fifth although Vazquez whiffed to start. Benintendi singled and Betts walked before Moreland hit ANOTHER double play ball but beat it out to put runners at the corners. Martinez whiffed to end the inning.
Hernandez returned for the top of the sixth inning and whiffed Castellanos to start. Cabrera walked but Goodrum whiffed as well. Dixon doubled but Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning. Four strikeouts in two innings for Hernandez, good stuff.
Meanwhile the Sox once again pissed a chance to score away in the bottom of the sixth against Buck Farmer. Bogaerts walked and moved to second on the Devers force. A passed ball moved Bogaerts to third but Chavis whiffed. JBJ walked to put runners at the corners...but Vazquez flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox were 0 for 9 with RISP and left 9 on base...pathetic.
Sox manager Alex Cora brought back Hernandez for another inning in the top of the seventh and it backfired as Harrison and Hicks stroked back to back singles to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Somehow Hernandez got Jones to pop up to right and that was it for him. Travis Lakins made his major league debut by striking out Candelario and getting Castellanos to ground out to first to end the inning. The kids did their job on the mound. Too bad the Sox kept blowing chances in the bottom of the seventh as Andrew Benintendi singled off Joe Jimenez to start. Betts popped up to center but Moreland singled to once again bring the tying run to the plate. For the third time tonight Martinez failed by striking out swinging, but Bogaerts got a lucky infield hit to score Betts to break the shut-out. Daniel Stumpf replaced Jimenez and Steve Pearce pinch hit for Devers. Pearce swung at a full count pitch in the dirt to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.
Tzu-Wei Lin came in to play second in Pearce's spot with Chavis moving to third in the top of the eighth. Lakins got Cabrera to fly out to right to begin before Goodrum grounded out to short. Dixon singled to left and was thrown out trying to stretch a double to end the inning. Victor Alcantara came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Chavis blasted his first career home run to inch the Sox closer. JBJ grounded out to first and Vazquez lined out to right to chase Alcantara. Jose Manuel Fernandez came in and gave up a single to Benintendi. ANOTHER pitching change saw Zac Reininger come in to get Betts to pop up to second to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 3-2.
The Tigers iced the game in the top of the ninth against a tiring Lakins as Rodriguez doubled to start. Harrison flied out to left but Hicks doubled home Rodriguez for the insurance run. Jones looked at strike three and Candelario singled....but Betts gunned down Hicks at home to end the inning with the Tigers up 4-2.
The Sox had one last chance against closer Shane Greene in the bottom of the ninth but pissed it away. Moreland whiffed to begin but Martinez singled to bring the tying run to the plate. It didn't matter as Bogaerts whiffed and Lin grounded out to second to end the game. The Tigers had swept both games and this one 4-2.
Jackass of the Night is Marcus Walden. The three inherited runners he let score proved to be the difference in the game.
The Good:
Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 4 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.
Mookie Betts walked 3 times in 5 plate appearances.
Michael Chavis was 2 for 4 with his first career home run
Darwinzon Hernandez made his major league debut with 2 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Rafael Devers was 0 for 2 with a strikeout
Steve Pearce struck out as a pinch hitter.
Tzu-Wei Lin was 0 for 1 at the plate.
The Ugly:
Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 5.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a walk but drove in a run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4.
Hector Velazquez took the loss allowing 3 runs in 3 1/3 innings.
Travis Lakins made his major league debut by allowing a run in 2 2/3 innings.
Final Thoughts:
If it wasn't for the rookies there would be no reason to watch the Sox anymore. The Boston Celtics and the Bruins are in the second round of the playoffs and the New England Patriots will be drafting Thursday night. The Sox have done nothing to keep the interest of Boston fans by not only losing 15 out of 24 games but trailed in 21 of them. The formula was the same as the starter got knocked out, the bullpen allowed multiple runs and the offense was asleep. Its been like that all season and its most likely to continue with the complete ineffectiveness of the Sox pitching staff. Tomorrow night the Sox lose again to the Detroit Tigers with Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2, 7.20 ERA) up against Tyson Ross. The loss begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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