For the first time all season the Boston Red Sox got thoroughly beaten soundly. The Chicago White Sox successfully swept a doubleheader against the Red Sox and put the exclamation point on with a decisive win they controlled from start to finish. Not since the first three games of the year have the Red Sox looked this incompetent on offense and in this game, nothing went right. Old BoSox prospect Michael Kopech and the Chicago bullpen held the Red Sox to just 4 hits and a single run in 7 innings. Martin Perez (0-1, 5.93 ERA) failed to make it out of the fourth inning. Hiro Sawamura gave up his first earned run and the White Sox took Game 2 of the doubleheader 5-1 at Fenway Park.
Just like in Game 1, the White Sox pounced immediately in the top of the first inning. Nick Madrigal singled to right, Luis Robert singled to center and Yoan Moncada singled to left to load the bases with nobody out. Jose Abreu forced Robert at second but Madrigal scored to give the White Sox the lead. Yermin Mercedes took strike three and Leury Garcia lined out to left to end the inning with Chicago up 1-0.
Kopech got the ball and cruised in the bottom of the first as Kike Hernandez led off with a grounder to short. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging and JD Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning.
Perez recovered in the top of the second as Andrew Vaughn took strike three to start. Zack Collins lined out to right and Danny Mendick took strike three to end the inning. Kopech cruised in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogerts hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging and Marwin Gonzalez went down hacking to end the inning.
Perez worked his way out of trouble in the top of the third as Madrigal lined out to left to start. Robert doubled to center and took third on a wild pitch before Moncada was plunked. Abreu banged into a double play to end the inning. Christian Vazquez started the bottom of the third with a grounder to short and Hunter Renfroe took strike three. Franchy Cordero grounded out to first to end the inning.
The White Sox iced it in the top of the fourth as Mercedes hit a home run all the way into the Indian Ocean to start. Garcia singled past Perez and moved to second on a grounder by Vaughn. Collins took strike three but Mendick singled home Garcia to ice the game and chase Perez. Sox manager Alex Cora has no faith in his starters this season and its going to kill the bullpen, but Perez did himself no favors by allowing 4 runs in 3 2/3 innings. Austin Brice came in and Vazquez had Mendick picked off but threw the ball onto the Mass Pike for an error. Madrigal took advantage by doubling home Mendick to increase the lead. Robert lined out to third to end the inning with the ChiSox ahead 4-0.
The BoSox blew their only rally in the bottom of the fourth as Hernandez walked to start. Verdugo singled Kike to second and that was it for Kopech, he too would be taken out too soon as Matt Foster came in. Martinez put the Sox on the board with a base hit to center to score Hernandez, but Bogaerts flied out to center. Devers popped up to third and Gonzalez flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox only scratched out one run and trailed 4-1.
Brice walked Moncada to start the top of the fifth but Abreu hit into another double play. Mercedes struck out swinging to end the inning. The BoSox offense was done for the day as they did nothing in the bottom of the fifth. Vazquez and Renfroe both whiffed but Garrett Crochet was brought in to pitch to Cordero. Sox manager Alex Cora countered by having Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Cordero. Dalbec got a base hit to center but Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning.
Hiro Sawamura got tagged in the top of the sixth as Garcia singled to short, Vaughn doubled to right and Collins walked to load the bases with nobody out. Mendick popped up to left but Madrigal scored Garcia with a sac fly to wrap up the scoring. Robert flied out to center to end the inning but it was 5-1 Chicago.
Evan Marshall came in for the bottom of the sixth and Verdugo flied out to left to start. Martinez popped up to second but Bogaerts hit a ground rule double into the right field stands. Devers grounded out to short to end the inning.
Phillips Valdez had worked Game 1 and he came back to work the top of the seventh of Game 2. Moncada struck out swinging, Abreu flied out to left and Mercedes grounded out to second to end the inning. ChiSox closer Liam Hendriks came back to close out the bottom of the seventh and Gonzalez flied out to right to start. Vazquez popped up to second and Renfroe earned a hat trick with a swinging strikeout to end the game. The ChiSox had won it 5-1.
Jackass of the Night is Martin Perez. He got rocked for 4 runs in just 3 2/3 innings to take the loss.
The Good:
Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3.
JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with an rbi.
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3.
Bobby Dalbec got a base hit as a pinch hitter.
Phillips Valdez tossed a scoreless seventh inning.
The Bad:
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Marwin Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and an error.
Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Franchy Cordero was 0 for 1.
Hiro Sawamura allowed a run in the sixth inning.
The Ugly:
Kike Hernandez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.
Austin Brice allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 innings.
Final Thoughts:
This was the first time since opening weekend that the Red Sox looked completely incompetent. Its easy to see why, their starters are average at best and they didn't swing the bats well today. They only scored 3 runs in 14 innings and that's not going to cut it. The seven inning games can hurt or help and they certainly hurt in game 1 but Game 2 was the first time the Sox got beaten badly since the third game of the season. The nine game winning streak was totally a fluke and unfortunately the REAL team will probably be a .500 team most of the year, especially if they don't hit well. Only Vazquez, Martinez and Bogaerts are hitting above .275 and having 6 out of your 9 hitters swing and miss more often than not is not a recipe for success. Now its one thing for Dalbec and Arroyo to go through growing pains, they KNEW Gonzalez, Hernandez, Renfroe and Cordero were average. The Sox can't rely on Vazquez, Devers, Martinez and Bogaerts every game and if they have to, that's not a good sign for future success. Worse is batters may be starting to figure out Sawamura. With Matt Barnes the only reliable arm in the bullpen, the Sox needed Sawamura, Garrett Whitlock and Darwinzon Hernandez to step up and that may be too much to ask. If this all seems like doom and gloom, that's the vibe they give off. Still, it was only one day and tomorrow is a new one. The BoSox look to bounce back tomorrow morning for their annual Patriots Day game. Nathan Eovaldi (2-1, 2.08 ERA) goes for Boston up against Lucas Giolito of Chicago. The game begins at 11 AM at Fenway Park.
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