As for the game, good thing there's only 57 games left because the Sox are HORRIBLE. Ryan Weber (0-1, 14.73 ERA) shouldn't even be on a major league roster but somehow he's the Sox number 3 starter. He pitched like the bum he is by getting shelled for 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. The Sox offense could only scratch out 4 runs against the same Baltimore Orioles the Yankees took 17 of 19 games against last year. Bad offense and bad pitching leads to losses and today was no different as the Orioles took a 7-4 dump in Fenway Park and made the Sox clean it up.
Weber got the ball in the top of the first and crapped his pants. Austin Hays popped up to left to start the game before Anthony Santander lined out to a running Jackie Bradley Jr. O's manager Brandon Hyde was shown wearing a mask in the dugout before Jose Iglesias dumped a single into right. Rio Ruiz then ended the game early with a 2 run bomb into the bullpen to put the O's up 4 batters into the game. Hanser Alberto dropped down the bunt and Christian Vazquez throw pulled Michael Chavis off the bag. Chris Davis grounded into the shift to end the inning but the O's were up for good 2-0.
Wade LeBlanc got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Peraza popped up to center to start. JD Martinez gave up on a called strike three and Rafael Devers popped up harmlessly to right to end the inning.
Weber almost took another beating in the top of the second although Renato Nunez popped up to second to start. Chance Sisco walked but DJ Stewart popped up to center. Hays hit a sinking liner but JBJ made a great diving catch to rob him of a hit to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Bogaerts flied out to the right field corner. Kevin Pillar hit a routine pop up to center but Christian Vazquez smashed his first home run of the season into the Monster Seats, just missing the cardboard cutouts. Alex Verdugo went down hacking to end the inning but the Sox were down 2-1.
Weber failed to hold the fort in the top of the third as Santander walked to start and Iglesias effortlessly doubled off the wall to score him. Vazquez called for a pop up by Ruiz but Devers nearly cleaned him out to catch it, almost forgetting Iglesias at second to boot. Alberto flied out to the left field warning track and Verdugo made a sliding catch to rob Davis of a hit to end the inning with the O's up 3-1.
The Sox rolled over in the bottom of the third as Michael Chavis whiffed to start. Jackie Bradley Jr hit a weak grounder to second and Peraza grounded out to third to end the inning.
Weber took another beating in the top of the fourth as Nunez effortlessly singled to left to start. Sisco drew another walk and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Stewart. Hays hit a deep fly ball to center to score Nunez and advance Sisco to third. Santander somehow golfed a pitch two inches off the ground into the Sox bullpen to chase Weber. As everyone expected, Weber got pounded for 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Another lousy start in a season about to be full of them.
Colten Brewer wasn't much better as Iglesias effortlessly singled to right before Ruiz drew a walk. Somehow Alberto struck out swinging to end the inning with the Orioles ahead 6-1. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Martinez grounded out to short to start. Devers flied out to right and Santander reached into the stands to rob Bogaerts of a home run to end the inning.
Brewer returned for the top of the fifth and Davis lined out to left to start. Nunez whiffed and Sisco grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the fifth when Pillar blasted a solo home run onto Landsdowne Street to start. Vazquez grounded out to third, Verdugo grounded out to first and Chavis whiffed again to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.
Marcus Walden made his Red Sox debut in the top of the sixth and Stewart grounded out to short to start. Hays walked but Santander lined out to center. Hays was then thrown out at second by the alert Vazquez trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth when JBJ hit a bullet off of LeBlanc to start. Peraza popped up to first and Martinez lined out to right, but Devers got his first hit of the season with a double to right. That was it for Wade Leblanc who blinded the Sox for 5 2/3 innings apart from two longballs, Miguel Castro came in and Bogaerts got a clutch hit with a base hit through the hole at short to score both runners. Bogaets was tagged out on a ground ball by Pillar to end the inning but the Sox were back in it 6-4.
Walden got in a jam in the top of the seventh as Iglesias continued to stay hot with a double to center. Walden manged to snare a grounder by Ruiz to keep Jose at second but Alberto walked. Both runners moved over on a grounder by Davis but Walden punched out Nunez to end the inning. The Sox failed to rally in the bottom of the seventh as Vazquez flied out to right to start. O's manager Bruce Hyde replaced Castro with Tanner Scott and Verdugo grounded out to second. Chavis weakly grounded out to short to end the inning.
Matt Barnes was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth and a blown strike three call led him walking Cisco. Stewart then took ball four on a pitch in the zone before Cedric Mullins pinch ran for him. Barnes came black to blow away Hays and get Santander to pop up to JBJ on a pitch an inch off the ground. The now dangerous Iglesias lined one off Barnes but Matt gathered the ball and threw to Chavis for the out to end the inning. JBJ tried to start a rally with a seeing eye single in the hole at short to start the bottom of the eighth to chase Scott. Cole Sulser came in and naturally Peraza banged into a double play. Martinez hit a routine grounder to Iglesias but he dropped it for an error. Devers failed to capitalize with a grounder to first to end the inning.
Austin Brice came in for the top of the ninth and crapped his pants again. Ruiz flied out to center but Alberto singled to right and Davis doubled off the centerfield wall to score Alberto with the killshot. Nunez hit what should have been a bomb over everything in left...but the wind blew it back where it was caught at the wall by Verdugo. Davis thought the ball was gone and he trotted home only to be doubled off second to end the inning with the O's up 7-4.
The game ended in the bottom of the ninth as Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Andrew Benintendi pinch hit for Pillar and whiffed on a pitch nowhere close. Vazquez dumped a base hit to right to keep the game going but Verdugo whiffed to end the game. The Sox dropped 2 of 3 at home to the lowly Orioles with a 7-4 defeat.
Jackass of the Night is Ryan Weber. The supposed number 3 starter lasted just 3 2/3 innings and got shelled for 6 runs off two home runs.
The Good:
Kevin Pillar was 1 for 3 with a solo home run.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Colten Brewer tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Marcus Walden tossed 2 scoreless innings.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Jose Peraza was 0 for 4.
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Andrew Benintendi struck out as a pinch hitter.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Michael Chavis was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Austin Brice allowed a run in the top of the ninth.
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but his one hit drove in 2 runs.
Final Thoughts:
Good thing this season only lasts 60 games because 162 games of this would be true torture. The Sox sandbagged this season and it shows. The offense looks lifeless apart from solo home runs here and there and the pitching is just dreadful. The worst part is, there's nothing they can do about it. Minor League Baseball is cancelled and there's no trade deadline so they're stuck with what they got the rest of the season. Weber is a bum, Martin Perez is a bum and most of their relievers are bums. Years of bad contracts doled out by Ben Cherrington and Dave Dombrowski put the Sox in this position. Weber has no business being in the majors and he's the Sox number 3 starter by default. Eduardo Rodriguez now has a heart condition brought on by Covid so he may not pitch at all this season. Only 57 games left of this crap....god help us. Tomorrow night the Sox take on the New York Mets in a 4 game set with the first two at Fenway. Michael Wacha goes for the Mets and will face Josh Osich, who Sox manager Ron Roenicke picked out of a hat, tomorrow night at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.
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