As for the game, who would have thought most of the Boston Red Sox problems have been on the offensive side 14 games into the season? Sure the starting rotation has been atrocious, but how many games have they scored less than 4 runs now? The Sox managed to get a run off Chase Anderson of the Toronto Blue Jays but the normally mediocre bullpen held the Sox scoreless the rest of the way. Once again Ron Roenicke refused to let a starter go 5 innings as Zack Godley was removed after 4 innings. This time the bullpen failed as Heath Hembree allowed the tying run in the seventh and Marcus Walden allowed the go-ahead run in the eighth. The slumping offense could only muster 4 hits and a run as the Blue Jays took the middle game 2-1 at Fenway Park.
Godley looked good in the top of the first inning as Cavan Biggio grounded out to short to start. Bo Bichette singled to center but Travis Shaw went down swinging. Bichette stole second but Teoscar Hernandez whiffed to end the inning. Anderson cruised in the bottom of the first as Alex Verdugo went down hacking to start. Rafael Devers grounded out to second and JD Martinez flied out to center to end the inning.
Godley cruised in the top of the second as Lourdes Gurriel Jr flied out to left to start. Vladimir Guerrero Jr lined out to left and Randal Grichuk grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogaerts and Mitch Moreland drew back to back walks to start. Christian Vazquez singled home Bogaerts but the rally ended as the slumping Andrew Benintendi banged into a double play. Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.
Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez walked to start the top of the second but Danny Jansen was frozen for strike three. Tellez got picked off but Biggio walked and took second on a wild pitch. Bichette lined out to right to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Jose Peraza grounded out to third to start. Verdugo grounded out to third and Devers flied out to left to end the inning.
Godley came back for the top of the fourth and Shaw grounded out to first to start. Hernandez flied out to right but Gurriel Jr singled to center. Guerrero Jr singled to center as well but Grichuk popped up to first to end the inning. Godley threw just 67 pitches but allowed no runs in 4 innings.
Wilmer Font came in for the bottom of the fourth and Martinez walked to start. Bogaerts singled to left but Moreland flied out to right. Anthony Kay was brought in to pitch to Benintendi but Ron Roenicke panicked and had Kevin Pillar pinch hit for him. Pillar grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Pillar went to right with Verdugo going to left to start the top of the fifth with Josh Osich on the mound. Tellez whiffed and Jansen hit a routine grounder to Bogaerts. Bogaerts threw his glove at the ball and dove on it screaming for an error. Biggio hit a bullet to Moreland who doubled off Jansen to end the inning. JBJ flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Peraza took strike three. Verdugo grounded out to first to...BUT WAIT! Sox manager Ron Roenicke challenged the call and sure enough Verdugo was safe. Naturally Devers whiffed to end the inning.
Phillips Valdez came in for the top of the sixth and Bichette walked to start. Shaw forced Bichette at second but Hernandez singled to right. Gurriel Jr flied out to left but Guerrero Jr singled to right. Shaw came around for home and Pillar came up throwing....OUT AT THE PLATE! Pillar saved the day with the throw and the Sox remained in the lead.
The Sox blew their chance for insurance when Bichette threw a routine grounder by Martinez away to start the bottom of the sixth. Bogaerts beat out a double play ball and Moreland singled Xander to third. Vazquez banged into a double play to kill the rally.
The Jays tied it in the top of the seventh against Heath Hembree. Grichuk beat out an infield single to third but Tellez flied out to right. Jansen walked and Biggio sent Grichuk to third with a fly out to center. Bichette doubled home Grichuk to tie the game and Shaw walked to chase Hembree. Ryan Brasier blew away Hernandez to end the inning but it was tied 1-1.
Pillar whiffed to begin the bottom of the seventh but Biggio booted a JBJ grounder which allowed him to reach. Peraza popped up to second and Verdugo lined out to second to end the inning.
The Jays took command against Marcus Walden in the top of the eighth inning. Gurriel Jr walked to start but Guerrero Jr flied out to center. Grichuk singled Gurriel Jr to third and Gurriel scored on the Tellez grounder. Jansen grounded out to third to end the inning but the Jays led 2-1.
Jordan Romano came in for the bottom of the eighth and Devers whiffed again. Martinez grounded out to third but Bogaerts walked. Bogaerts stole second but Moreland whiffed to end the inning.
Jeffrey Springs came in for the top of the ninth and froze Biggio for strike three to start. Bichette whiffed but Shaw got a base hit to right. Anthony Alford pinch ran for Shaw but Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning. Brandon Drury took over at third with Jays closer Anthony Bass on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. The Sox went quietly as Vazquez whiffed to start and Pillar flied out to the right field wall. JBJ popped up to left to end the game. The Sox mustered just 4 hits as the Jays had grinded it out 2-1.
Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with Rafael Devers. He couldn't hit the broad side of a barn when all the Sox needed was one run every single time he stepped to the plate.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, a stolen base and a run scored.
Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Zack Godley pitched 4 scoreless innings.
Josh Osich tossed a scoreless inning.
Phillips Valdez pitched a scoreless 6th inning.
Ryan Brasier struck out the only man he faced.
Jeffrey Springs tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 1 before being removed.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4.
Jose Peraza was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Heath Hembree allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.
Marcus Walden took the loss with a run allowed in the eighth inning.
The Ugly:
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a walk.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Kevin Pillar was 0 for 3 at the plate but threw out Gurriel Jr at home to preserve the lead at the time.
Final Thoughts:
This was one of the most frustrating losses out of all 9 because they had the best chance to win the game. Most of the time they've been down by 5 runs within 30 seconds and the offense goes through the motions the rest of the way, but they went through the motions in this one with the game on the line. Devers, Martinez and Benintendi aren't just slumping, they're LOST at the plate. JBJ going into an extended slump is nothing new, he's been doing it for 7 years. The other three there's something very wrong with them. The word on the street is Benintendi is single and lonely, Devers misses Alex Cora and JD "quit" on the Sox. Maybe a trade is in order since the Sox have 5 outfielders in Pillar, Benintendi, Verdugo, Bradley and Martinez. As much as JBJ, Pillar and Benintendi have played well in the past, one of them may have to go. There's not much to complain about on the pitching side because Walden and Hembree have been solid this season. If the Sox mustered any offense then they could have overcome the bad outings. The loss dropped the Sox to 5-9 on the season, 4.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to rebound when they send Nathan Eovaldi (1-1, 3.94 ERA) up against Matt Schoemaker at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.
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