The O's pounded Perez in the top of the second as Austin Hays doubled to left to begin. Pat Valaika singled Hays to third and Rio Ruiz singled home Hays. Ramon Urias walked to load the bases and Cedric Mullins ended the game early by doubling home Valaika and Ruiz. Alberto lined out to left and Urias tried for home but he was thrown out at home. Iglesias lined out to right to end the inning but it was 3-0 Baltimore.
JD Martinez singled to center to start the bottom of the second but was forced at second by Christian Vazquez. Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed but Bobby Dalbec walked. Vazquez then foolishly tried to steal third and was thrown out by a mile to end the inning.
Mountcastle grounded out to third to start the top of the third but Severino singled to left. Hays took strike three and Valaika lined out to right to end the inning. Michael Chavis grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third but Christian Arroyo singled to left. Arroyo moved to second on the Verdugo grounder but Devers flied out to left to end the inning.
The Rays finished off Perez in the top of the fourth as Ruiz doubled to left to begin. Urias hit a ground rule double to right to score Ruiz and was sacrificed to third by Mullins. Alberto hit a sac fly to center and the final kick in the pants was none other than Iglesias hitting a home run all the way to Belarus. Mountcastle grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the O's had iced it 6-0. Perez ended his season as it started, with a dud. He lasted 4 innings and allowed 6 runs.
The Sox didn't even try in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Martinez and Vazquez both struck out swinging to end the inning.
Dylan Covey came in to get hammered in the top of the fifth although Severino grounded out to third to start. Hays singled to left but Valaika flied out to right. Ruiz doubled home Hays and Urias singled to center to score Rio. Mullins took strike three to end the inning with the O's up 8-0.
The Sox would not be shutout in the bottom of the fifth as JBJ singled to center to start. Dalbec singled to left and Chavis was plunked to load the bases. Arroyo banged into a double play but JBJ scored to cut the lead. Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 8-1.
JBJ scores
The O's beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the sixth as Alberto grounded out to third to start. Iglesias also grounded out to third and Mountcastle grounded out to short to end the inning. Devers grounded out to third to start the bottom of the sixth but Bogaerts singled to left. Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning.
The O's tagged Covey in the top of the seventh although Severino grounded out to third to start. Hays grounded out to short but Valaika hit a home run all the way to South Korea to increase the lead. Ruiz grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 9-1 O's.
Cobb returned for one last inning in the bottom of the seventh and Vazquez singled to center to start. JBJ reached on an error by Urias to put runners at the corners but Dalbec struck out swinging. Chavis banged into a double play to end the inning.
The bench emptied in the top of the eighth as Jonathan Arauz took over for Devers, Tzu-Wei Lin took over at short, Kevin Plawecki took over for Vazquez and Domingo Tapia came in to pitch. Urias lined one off of Tapia that knocked him unconscious but the ball went to Dalbec for the out. Tapia had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to Brigham & Women's ICU. Phillips Valdez came in to pitch and Mullins grounded out to second. Alberto was plunked and old friend Bryan Holaday pinch hit for Iglesias. Holaday walked and Mountcastle singled home Alberto. Severino grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 10-1 Baltimore.
Shawn Armstrong came in for the bottom of the eighth and Arroyo flied out to center to start. Verdugo lined out to right and Arauz struck out swinging to end the inning.
Cesar Puello took over for Martinez, Chavis went to second, Arroyo went to short and Lin took over on the mound for the top of the ninth. Yes, Sox manager Ron Roenicke thought it would be funny to have Lin pitch the ninth. Hays responded by hitting a home run into the Atlantic Ocean to start. Valaika singled to center but Ruiz flied out to left. Urias doubled to right but Mullins lined out to third. Alberto doubled home both runners to wrap up the scoring. Holaday flied out to center to end the inning. Hell, 3 runs allowed in 1 inning wasn't even the worst pitching performance of the season so Lin can hang his hat on that with the Sox down 13-1.
The scoreboard says it all
Old friend Travis Lakins came in to finish off the Sox season at Fenway in the bottom of the ninth. Lin took strike three and Puello grounded out to second, but Plawecki singled. Naturally JBJ struck out swinging to end the game. The O's won the final game at Fenway this season 13-1.
Jackass of the Night is Martin Perez. Not that the Sox were touching Cobb but putting the Sox in a 6-0 hole after 4 innings wasn't making things easier.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3.
JD Martinez was 1 for 3.
Christian Vazque was 1 for 3.
Kevin Plawecki was 1 for 1 at the plate.
Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 2 with a walk.
Christian Arroyo was 1 for 3.
Domingo Tapia retired the only man he faced.
The Bad:
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3.
Jonathan Arauz struck out in his only at bat.
Tzu-Wei Lin struck out at the plate and allowed 3 runs in the top of the ninth.
Cesar Puello was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Dylan Covey allowed 3 runs in 3 innings of work.
Phillips Valdez allowed a run in the eighth inning.
The Ugly:
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 3 but walked.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.
Michael Chavis was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch.
Final Thoughts:
This was a fitting end to the final game at Fenway this season. Sox management clearly had no desire to win and intentionally put a team on the field that wasn't even competitive. The fact fans weren't allowed in the stands gave them carte blanche to continue to put one bum after another on the mound to give up runs in bunches. A lot of old school fans wonder if the majority of the pitchers that took the mound this season will ever see the big leagues again. The Sox still have 3 games left but their little hot streak guaranteed them a finish no worse than 3rd to last in all of baseball. Unless Pittsburgh or Texas passes on Kumar Rocker or Jack Leiter, the Sox are going to have to settle for the top 5 Tool Bat in the country....that's if they even stay in the position they're in. They may take 2 out of 3 in Atlanta and leapfrog the Orioles. As for this game, how fitting that a team that wasn't designed to win had an infielder pitching the final inning. Doesn't get more pathetic than that. If fans are allowed at Fenway next season, unless the Sox greatly improve in the off-season, who's going to pay Fenway prices to watch THIS? The loss dropped the Sox to 22-35, last place in the AL East. The Sox play their final three games on the road in Atlanta beginning tomorrow night. Sox fans wanting to tank can rejoice because its going to be a "bullpen" game when Chris Mazza (1-2, 5.40 ERA) goes up against Kyle Wright of the Braves at 7:10 PM at Truist Park.
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