If there's been one drawback this season for the Boston Red Sox so far, its Garrett Richards (0-2, 6.48 ERA). Sox GM Chaim Bloom's 10 million dollar investment once again fell flat on his face, this time against the Toronto Blue Jays. Richards gave up a run 3 batters into the game and ended the second inning down 4-0. He left in the fifth inning and the Sox started to chip away, eventually coming within a run at 4-3 at the end of the eighth. The other drawback this season, Josh Taylor, pissed any chance of a comeback away by allowing a few runs in the top of the ninth. Once again Richards failed as a starter and the Sox paid for it by dropping a 6-3 game to the Jays at Fenway Park.
Richards immediately threw up on himself in the top of the first inning as Cavan Biggio walked to start. Bo Bichette was plunked and Vladimir Guerrero Jr slashed a base hit to left to score Biggio to put the Jays up for good 3 batters into the game. Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez banged into a double play and Randal Grichuk grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 1-0 Jays.
Jays starter Trent Thornton got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Kike Hernandez popped up to short to start. Alex Verdugo singled to right but JD Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning.
The Jays struck again in the top of the second as Marcus Semien got a base hit to left to begin. Semien swiped second and Josh Palacios walked as fans started booing Richards. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position and Semien scores on the Lourdes Gurriel Jr sac fly. Danny Jansen walked to put runners at the corners and Palacios scored on the grounder to second by Biggio to increase the lead. Bichette lined a base hit to center to score Jansen and the boo's got even louder. Guerrero Jr pounded a double off the Monster but Tellez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-0, brutal!
The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogaerts flied out to left to begin. Rafael Devers somehow doubled to center but could only move to third on the Christian Vazquez grounder to the mound. Marwin Gonzalez lined out to first to end the inning.
Richards recovered in the top of the third as Grichuk struck out swinging to start. Semien flied out to center and Palacios struck out swinging to end the inning. Tommy Milone came in to pitch the bottom of the third and Bobby Dalbec singled in the hole at short to start. Franchy Cordero, Hernandez and Verdugo all struck out swinging to end the inning.
Gurriel Jr grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth and Jansen lined out to left. Biggio walked and was picked off...but Richards threw the ball away for an error. Bichette grounded out to short anyway to end the inning. The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the fourth when Martinez doubled to center to start. Martinez moved to third on the Bogaerts grounder to second and scored on the Devers grounder to short. Vazquez lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.
The end came for Richards in the top of the fifth as Guerrero Jr walked to start. Tellez lined out to right and Grichuk flied out to center, but Semien walked on a full count. Sox manager Alex Cora had seen enough and pulled the plug on Richards before things could get any worse. Richards once again wasn't good enough, allowing 4 runs in 4 2/3 innings while walking SIX batters. Hiro Sawamura came in and struck out Palacios swinging to end the inning.
The Sox inched closer in the bottom of the fifth as Gonzalez doubled to center to start before Dalbec beat out a grounder to third. Christian Arroyo pinch hit for Cordero and struck out swinging, chasing Milone from the game. David Phelps came in and Hernandez doubled home Gonzalez and made himself the tying run. Verdugo took strike three but Martinez walked to load the bases. With a chance to tie the game....Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.
Sawamura returned for the top of the sixth and Gurriel Jr singled to center to start. Jansen grounded into a double play and Biggio struck out swinging to end the inning. Ryan Borucki came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Devers grounded back to the mound to start. Vazquez took strike three but Gonzalez doubled to left. Dalbec whiffed badly to end the inning.
Phillips Valdez came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Bichette took strike three to start. Guerrero Jr grounded out to shirt and Tellez struck out swinging to end the inning. Arroyo walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Hernandez flied out to left and Verdugo banged into a double play to end the inning.
Austin Brice came in for the top of the eighth and Grichuk singled off of him to start. Semien singled in the hole at short but Palacios flied out to left. Gurriel Jr beat out a double play ball and swiped second, but Jansen grounded out to third to end the inning. Jonathan Davis came in for Palacios with Rafael Dolls now on the mound. Martinez struck out looking but Bogaerts golfed a home run just over the Monster to cut the lead. Vazquez walked and Gonzalez reached on a throwing error by Biggio to put the winning run on.... but Dalbec grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.
Just when the Sox were clawing back in the game, Josh Taylor screwed it all up in the top of the ninth inning. Biggio struck out swinging but Bichette beat out a little roller to Taylor. Guerrero Jr walked and Alejandro Kirk pinch hit for Tellez. Kirk singled to right to score Bichette and move Guerrero Jr to third. Grichuk singled to center to score Guerrero Jr and move Kirk to third. Santiago Espinal pinch ran for Kirk but Semien struck out swinging. Davis walked but Gurriel Jr grounded out to third to end the inning with the Jays up 6-3.
Tim Mayza came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Arroyo singled to right to begin. Arroyo moved to second on the Hernandez grounder and Verdugo earned a hat trick with a swinging strikeout. Anthony Castro replaced Mayza and Martinez grounded out to third to end the game. The Jays had won it 6-3.
"This sucks" - Verdugo
Taylor the Jackass
Jackass of the Night is Josh Taylor. Yeah Richards stunk the joint out but Taylor put the game out of reach by getting shelled in the top of the ninth.
The Good:
Marwin Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4.
Christian Arroyo was 1 for 2 with a walk.
Hiro Sawamura tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Phillips Valdez tossed a scoreless seventh inning.
Austin Brice pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Franchy Cordero struck out in his only at bat.
Garrett Richards lasted just 4 2/3 innings and took the loss allowing 4 hits and 6 walks.
The Ugly:
Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Final Thoughts:
The most chilling stat about Richards to show you just how incompetent he's been is he has not thrown a single pitch with a lead as a member of the Red Sox. The Sox either lose the game or come back once he's gone. The fact he hasn't had a 1-2-3 first or second inning by now is downright embarrassing. But wait there's MORE! Apparently he's blaming tonight's loss on the weather saying he doesn't even have a jacket packed. Coming off the heels of his blaming his defenders for being out of position the last game, he's giving off some major John Lackey 2011 vibes. Between his body language, demeanor and lack of faith in his stuff....he's become a disservice to not only fans but his team. Every time the offense has to bail them out and tonight they couldn't do it. The Sox came back down 4-0 to make a game of it but couldn't get the clutch hit they needed. The fact that the Sox looked beyond mad after the game is a good sign. Last year this team was down 3 or 4 runs and were doomed, this year at least they not only could bop their way back but also shut down the other team. Its a shame the work of Sawamura, Brice and Valdez was undone by Taylor but that's the way things go sometimes. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night when the Seattle Mariners come to Fenway for a four game set. The undefeated Nick Pivetta (2-0, 3.68 ERA) takes the hill against Justin Dunn of the Mariners. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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