Rays starter Charlie Morton started his dominance in the top of the first inning as Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to second to begin. Christian Vazquez whiffed and Rafael Devers took strike three to end the inning. "Slick" Rick Porcello matched Morton in the bottom of the first inning as Joey Wendle lined out to right to start. Austin Meadows popped up to third and Tommy Pham took strike three to start.
Xander Bogaerts beat out an infield single to third to start the top of the second before Andrew Benintendi popped up to third. Brock "The Hitman" Holt took strike three before Mitch Moreland grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Ji-Man Choi whiffed to start the bottom of the second before Travis d'Arnaud grounded out to third. Kevin Kiermaier missed a home run by inches before grounding to the mound to end the inning.
Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first to start the top of the third before Marco Hernandez whiffed. Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to end the inning. Andrew Benintendi started clutching his hand and had to be loaded onto an ambulance as Gorkys Hernandez replaced him in left to start the bottom of the third. Avisail Garcia and Matt Duffy stroked back to back singles but Adames whiffed. Wendle flied out to left and Meadows whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox threatened in the top of the fourth as Vazquez grounded out to second to begin. Devers grounded out to second but Bogaerts singled to center. Hernandez walked but Holt whiffed to end the inning. Porcello fanned Pham to start the bottom of the fourth but Choi singled to right. d'Arnaud flied out to center before Kiermaier flied out to left to end the inning.
The duel continued in the top of the fifth as Moreland grounded out to first to start. JBJ whiffed but Hernandez beat out an infield single. Mr. Mookie popped up to third to end the inning. Porcello matched Morton in the bottom of the fifth as Garcia grounded out to short to start. Duffy was rung up for strike three and Adames grounded out to third to end the inning.
Morton cruised in the top of the sixth as Vazquez whiffed to start. Devers flied out to left before Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Porcello was equally tough in the bottom of the sixth as Wendle flied out to center to begin. Meadows grounded out to first and Pham lined out to center to end the inning. Typical 2019 Red Sox, Porcello sucks all year but the one time he tosses a shutout, the Sox don't score.
The Sox broke the deadlock in the top of the seventh although Gorkys Hernandez whiffed to start. Holt doubled and Moreland pounded his 16th home run of the year to give the Sox the lead. That was it for Morton as Oliver Drake came in to punch out JBJ and get Marco Hernandez to ground out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.
In a season full of bad decisions, Sox manager Alex Cora made another one when he lifted Porcello after just 87 pitches and throwing a shutout. At first Darwinzon Hernandez coming in looked like a good move when he struck out Choi, but d'Arnaud singled. Jesus Aguilar pinch hit for Kiermaier and walked. Guillermo Heredia ran for Aguilar and Michael Brosseau hit for Garcia. Brosseau walked to load the bases and chase Hernandez. As if Cora hadn't made enough bad moves, Marcus Walden came in to face Nate Lowe pinch hitting for Duffy. Walden induced a double play ball but Lowe beat it out to score d'Arnaud. Adames then lit the paltry crowd up with a ground rule double to tie the game. Porcello threw up his hands and that was it for Walden. Josh Taylor came in and thing he did was uncork a wild pitch to score Lowe with the go-ahead run. Wendle flied out to center to end the inning but every single move Cora made failed and the Rays led 3-2.
Daniel Robertson took over at third with Nick Anderson on the mound in the top of the eighth. Mr. Mookie whiffed but Vazquez walked. Cora was so offended the Sox were trying to come back that he pinch ran Vazquez with Chris Owings. Devers whiffed and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Sandy Leon took over behind the plate with Andrew Cashner now on the mound. The Rays rallied as Meadows walked to start but Pham flied out to left. Choi doubled home Meadows to increase the lead but d'Arnaud flied out to right. Heredia whiffed to end the inning with the Rays up 4-2.
Emilio Pagan came in to close out the ninth where the Sox were 3-the season when trailing. Somehow Gorkys Hernandez tripled but naturally Holt lined out to center. Somehow Moreland then crushed another 2 run home run to tie the game. JBJ whiffed and Marco Hernandez lined out to center but the Sox weren't dead yet, tying the game 2-2.
Ryan Brasier came in for the bottom of the ninth and Brosseau whiffed to start. Robertson took strike three but Adames singled. Wendle grounded out to second to end the inning with the game headed to extras.
Chaz Roe came in for the top of the 10th as Mr. Mookie lined out to center to begin. Leon took strike three and Colin Poche came in to get Devers to fly out to center to end the inning. Bobby Poyner had the bottom of the 10th and Meadows flied out to center to begin. Pham and Choi both went down swinging to end the inning.
Diego Castillo came in for the top of the eleventh inning and Bogaerts grounded out to second to start. Gorkys Hernandez whiffed but Holt worked a walk. There would be no third 2 run homer as Moreland whiffed to end the inning. The end came in the bottom of the eleventh with Trevor Kelley on the mound. d'Arnaud flied out to center and Heredia flied out to right, but Brosseau walked. Robertson walked as Johnny Davis ran for Brosseau. Adames ended the game with a base hit to left that scored Davis with the winning run. The Sox were officially eliminated as the Rays won 5-4.
Jackass of the Night is Trevor Kelley. He allowed the walkoff hit to Adames after getting the first two outs of the eleventh.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5.
Gorkys Hernandez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Mitch Moreland singlehanded kept the Sox in the game with two 2 run home runs, 4 total rbis.
Rick Porcello tossed 6 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits and no walks.
Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
Bobby Poyner pitched a scoreless 10th inning.
The Bad:
Mookie Betts was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.
Sandy Leon struck out in his only at bat.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 1.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Darwinzon Hernandez was charged with 3 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.
Marcus Walden allowed 2 inherited runners to score in just 1/3 of an inning.
Andrew Cashner allowed a run in an inning of work.
The Ugly:
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.
Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored.
Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 4.
Josh Taylor's wild pitch scored the go-ahead run in the 7th but he retired the only man he faced.
Honorable Mention:
Chris Owings ran for Vazquez.
Final Thoughts:
9 more games and the misery is over. At least the numbers game is over with the Sox officially eliminated. Sad part was if the Sox had any semblance of a rotation or a competent bullpen, they could still be in the race. Cora had a bad game by lifting Porcello too soon and bringing in the wrong relievers. Its too bad things turned out the way they did, but the only thing left to do is look forward to next year. Most of these JV relievers will be gone and although he pitched well tonight, Porcello will be out of here too. Whoever is the GM next year better clean up the pitching or they're going to be perfectly mediocre next year. The loss dropped the Sox to 80-73 and officially out. Tomorrow night the Sox and Rays battle again with Tyler Glasnow against...surprise surprise...the Sox awful bullpen. Travis Lakins is the "starter" at 6:10 PM at Tropicana Field.
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