It was a bad day for Boston sports as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their second round NBA playoff series and the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Boston Red Sox in 10 innings. Casey Stengel from beyond the grave would love this year's Red Sox team. The former manager of the hapless 1962 Mets once quipped "I've been in this game a hundred years but I've seen new ways to lose, I never knew existed before." Tonight was one of those nights for the Sox. Martin Perez held the Blue Jays hitless for 6 innings while the Red Sox took a 2-0 lead. Perez ended up giving up a run in the seventh as Austin Brice and Ryan Brasier coughed up the lead in the eighth. The normally reliable Phillips Valdez (1-1, 2.05) allowed 4 runs in the top of the tenth and the Jays went from being no-hit to winners 6-2 in ten innings at Fenway Park.
Perez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Cavan Biggio hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Randal Grichuk flied out to left but Teoscar Hernandez walked. Vladimir Guerrero Jr lined out to right to end the inning. Tijuan Walker got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Alex Verdugo took strike three to start. Rafael Devers popped up to short and Xander Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Perez cruised in the top of the second inning as Lourdes Gurriel Jr flied out to center to start. Jonathan Villar grounded out to third and Joe Panik struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second although JD Martinez grounded out to short to start. Christian Vazquez took strike three but Jackie Bradley Jr pounded his fourth home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Michael Chavis singled to center and stole second, but Bobbu Dalbec whiffed to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
Danny Jansen struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Santiago Espinal grounded out to short. Biggio flied out to left to end the inning. Yairo Munoz lined out to short to start the bottom of the third before Verdugo grounded out to second. Devers popped up to first to end the inning.
Grichuk whiffed to start the top of the fourth before Hernandez flied out to right. Guerrero Jr walked and Gurriel Jr hit a routine grounder to second, but Chavis booted it. Guerrero tried for home but Chavis recovered to throw him out at the plate to end the inning.
The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts singled to short to start. Martinez singled to left but Vazquez lined out to right and JBJ hit into a double play to end the inning.
Perez cruised in the top of the fifth as Villar grounded out to short to start. Panik was retired on a squibber in front of the plate and Jansen whiffed to end the inning. Chavis popped up to first to start the bottom of the fifth before Dalbec grounded out to second. Munoz flied out to right to end the inning.
Perez struck out Espinal swinging to open the top of the sixth but Biggio walked. Grichuk banged into a double play to end the inning. Perez had no-hit the Jays through six, unbelievable. The Sox tried to get Perez some runs when Verdugo singled to center to start the bottom of the sixth. Devers forced Verdugo at second and Bogaerts went down hacking, but Martinez singled Devers to third and Vazquez walked to load the bases. Anthony Kay was brought in to pitch to JBJ and he walked him to increase the lead. Chavis whiffed to end the inning which could have broken open the game, but the Sox still led 2-0.
The no-no went out the window instantly in the top of the seventh when Hernandez singled to left to start. Guerrero Jr flied out to right but Gurriel Jr got a hit to right. Villar flied out to right but Panik singled up the middle to score Hernandez and chase Perez. Perez did the best he could but ran out of gas in the seventh, allowing just 3 hits and a run in 6 2/3 innings. Austin Brice came in to face Jansen but Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez pinch hit for Danny. Brice walked Tellez and Travis Shaw pinch hit for Espinal only to go down swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.
Reese McGuire took over behind the plate in the bottom of the seventh and Dalbec whiffed to start. Munoz singled to center but Verdugo flied out to center. Devers singled to short to chase Kay. Thomas Hatch came in and Bogaerts popped up to first to end the inning.
The Sox coughed the lead up in the top of the eighth as Biggio doubled to center to start. Grichuk walked and that was it for Bryce. Ryan Brasier came in and Biggio moved to third on a balk and scored on a wild pitch, only the Red Sox. Hernandez whiffed, Guerrero Jr grounded out to second and Gurriel Jr grounded out to short but the game was tied 2-2.
Martinez doubled to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Vazquez whiffed. Martinez moved to third on the JBJ grounder but Chavis popped up to first to end the inning.
Matt Barnes came in for the top of the ninth and Villar took strike three to start. Panik singled to right but McGuire went down hacking. Shaw took strike three to end the inning. Dalbec walked to put the winning run on in the bottom of the ninth but Ryan Borucki came in to pitch. Tzu-Wei Lin pinch ran for Dalbec but Munoz whiffed. Verdugo flied out to left but Devers walked. Rafael Dolis replaced Borucki and Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.
The Jays pounced on Phillips Valdez in the top of the tenth with Derek Fisher pinch running for Shaw at second base. Biggio walked and both runners moved over on Grichuk's grounder to first. Hernandez then hit a home run all the way to Buffalo to put the game out of reach. Guerrero Jr whiffed but Gurriel Jr hit the killshot with a home run all the way to Chelsea. Villar and Panik drew back to back walks but McGuire grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays up 6-2.
Bogaerts started the bottom of the tenth at second base but Martinez whiffed. Vazquez walked but JBJ and Chavis both whiffed to end the game. The Jays had gone from no-hit to winning the game 6-2.
Jackass of the Night is Phillips Valdez. He allowed 4 runs in the top of the tenth to take the loss.
The Good:
JD Martinez was 3 for 5.
Martin Perez allowed just one run in 6 2/3 innings for the no-decision.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Austin Brice was charged with a run in just 1/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked twice.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but walked, homered, drove in 2 runs and scored a run.
Michael Chavis was just 1 for 5 with two strikeouts and an error but stole a base.
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.
Yairo Munoz was just 1 for 4.
Ryan Brasier allowed the tying run to score but none of his own in an inning of work.
Honorable Mention:
Tzu-Wei Lin pinch ran for Dalbec in the bottom of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
The 1962 Mets look pretty good right now to watch instead of the Red Sox this year. At least the 62 Mets were a comedy of errors, there's nothing funny about the Sox refusing to put a competitive team on the field. The Sox worthless bullpen blew another lead but the impotent offense only scratched out two runs. Literally the Jays didn't have a hit through 6 innings and went on to score 6 runs in the next 4. The Sox can't hit the broad sign of a barn and the Jays can outscore them in one inning. The season can't end fast enough for Perez or the Red Sox. The players themselves have a right to be frustrated when management clearly gave up on them in February and made no attempt to improve the team at all. Thank goodness there are only 22 games left in the season. The loss dropped the Sox to 12-26, last place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox play a doubleheader with the Blue Jays. Zack Godley goes for the Sox up against Tanner Roark in Game 1 at 4:00 PM at Fenway Park.
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