Twins Hang on, Defeat Sox (9/3/19)

Another frustrating loss in a season full of them for the Boston Red Sox. In a chance to prove they can hang with good teams, once again they fell flat on their face. "Slick" Rick Porcello (12-11, 5.63 ERA) once again was hammered, this time it was the Minnesota Twins who delivered the beating. The Sox fell behind 6-0 before rallying for 5 runs in the final few frames. The Sox had the tying run on in the bottom of the ninth but couldn't bring him in. The Twins had pounded one of the final nails in the Sox coffin with a 6-5 win at Fenway Park.

The Twins wasted no time getting to Porcello in the top of the first inning. Max Kepler was plunked but Jorge Polanco flied out to center. Nelson Cruz walked but Luis Arraez looked at strike three. Miguel Sano singled home Kepler to put the Twins on top. Jake Cave flied out to right to end the inning but the Twins were up 1-0.

                                                     Sano drives in a run

The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the first against opener Randy Dobnak as Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to first before Rafael Devers whiffed. Xander Bogaerts drew a walk but JD Martinez whiffed to end the inning.

CJ Cron grounded out to third to start the top of the second inning before Jason Castro whiffed. LaMonte Wade drew a walk but Kepler popped up to end the inning. Lewis Thorpe came in to pitch the bottom of the second and Andrew Benintendi hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to start. Mitch Moreland whiffed but a Christian Vazquez fly out to center moved Benintendi to third. Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Twins struck again in the top of the third as Polanco singled to right to begin. Cruz whiffed but Arraez doubled Polanco to third. Sano whiffed but Cave tripled into the right field corner to put the Twins up big. Cron popped up to short but it was 3-0 Twins.

                                                         Cave drives in two more

Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed to start the bottom of the third before Mr. Mookie grounded out to second. Devers took strike three to end the inning.

Castro singled to start the top of the fourth but Wade flied out to right. Kepler took strike three before Polanco grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts popped up to second to start. Martinez popped up to first and Benintendi whiffed to end the inning.

Porcello fell apart in the top of the fifth as Cruz smashed a 500,000 foot home run to start the inning. Arraez singled and Sano iced it with a 27,000 foot home run to chase Porcello. In a game the Sox had to win, Porcello lasted just 4 innings and allowed 6 runs, 2016 was a long time ago.

                                            Cora "Yeah you're out Rick, now beat it!"

Josh Taylor came in and got Cave to ground out to short but plunked Cron. Brian Johnson came in and walked Castro. Wade advanced both runners by grounding out to first but Kepler grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                       Sano ices the game

The Sox pulled off a furious rally in the bottom of the fifth as Moreland walked to start. Vazquez singled and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Holt grounded out to short but Moreland scored to put the Sox on the board. JBJ walked to chase Thorpe. Trevor May got Mr. Mookie to fly out to right but Devers annihilated his 29th home run of the year to cut the lead. Bogaerts grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox were back in it 6-4.

                                                    Number 29 for Devers

The Sox bullpen dominated the rest of the way as Marcus Walden came in for the top of the sixth. Polanco whiffed before Cruz grounded out to third. Arraez walked but Sano whiffed to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the sixth as Martinez whiffed to start. Benintendi struck out swinging before Moreland lined out to left to end the inning.

Darwinzon Hernandez came in to strike out the side in the top of the seventh. Cave whiffed to start before Cron looked at strike three. Castro whiffed to end the inning. Tyler Duffey came in for the bottom of the seventh and Vazquez whiffed to start. Holt whiffed but JBJ hit a ground rule double to bring the tying run to the plate. Sam Dyson came in to pitch and a wild pitch moved JBJ to third. Mr. Mookie walked but Devers flied out to left to end the inning.

Andrew Cashner came in for the top of the eighth and Wade grounded out to second to start. Kepler flied out to left as did Polanco to end the inning. Bryron Buxton came in for Wade in the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts flied out to left to begin. Martinez grounded out to short and Taylor Rogers came in to face Benintendi. Andrew made him pay by bashing a solo home run to center to cut the lead. Moreland was plunked and Chris Owings ran for him...only for Vazquez to strike out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 6-5.

                                               Benintendi hits one out

Brandon Workman came in for the top of the ninth and Cruz whiffed to start. Arraez and Sano both whiffed to end the inning. The Sox bullpen was unhittable after Porcello left the game, too bad the offense couldn't complete the comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Holt singled to start and Marco Hernandez ran for him. Gorkys Hernandez pinch hit for JBJ and laid down a perfect bunt to move Hernandez to second. He was stranded as Mr. Mookie grounded back to the mound and Devers whiffed to end the game. The Twins had won it 6-5.

                                                   Dammit


Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. In a game he himself said they needed to win, he got shelled for 6 runs in 4 plus innings. Thanks for nothing.

                                                           Jackass Porcello



The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.

Mitch Moreland walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run in 4 plate appearances.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Gorkys Hernandez dropped down a bunt in the bottom of the ninth.

Josh Taylor retired the first batter of the fifth

Brian Johnson got the last two outs of the fifth.

Marcus Walden pitched a scoreless inning.

Darwinzon Hernandez pitched a scoreless inning.

Andrew Cashner pitched a scoreless inning.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless inning.



The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 but drew a walk.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.



Honorable Mention:

Chris Owings pinch ran for Mitch Moreland and played second base.

Marco Hernandez ran for Brock Holt in the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

That should do it in terms of fighting for a playoff spot. If they can't beat the Twins at home then they're certainly not beating the New York Yankees who come in right behind him. This series was either going to propel them with momentum or end it. It looks like its going to end because the atrocious rotation is killing them. Then again the offense is one of the worst in baseball in games they trail. Tonight's loss puts them at 3-61 when trailing after 7 innings, that's absolutely pathetic. That's 2012 Red Sox level of quitting. Thankfully there's only 24 games left of this nonsense and then its rebuilding time. The loss dropped the Sox to 74-64 5.5 games behind the Oakland A's for the second wild card. Tomorrow night Eduardo Rodriguez (16-5, 3.97 ERA) continues his march to 20 wins when he takes on Jose Berrios at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.