The good news was the Boston Bruins eliminated the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of their first round NHL playoff series, the bad news was the Boston Red Sox fell to the Philadelphia Phillies. Normally winning 4 games out of 5 is fun but not when the fifth game is the last one you play. The Phillies jumped on Eduardo Rodriguez (5-3, 5.06) and the Boston Red Sox for 4 runs in the bottom of the first and cruised from there. Zach Wheeler dominated the Red Sox, allowing just a home run to Franchy Cordero in 7 1/3 innings while striking out 12. The game ended early when Brad Miller hit a 3 run homer off Rodriguez in the first and Wheeler dominated from there. The Phillies got 2 runs off of Phillips Valdez and the game was never in doubt as they won 6-2 at Citizens Bank Park.
Wheeler got the ball to start the top of the first and Kike Hernandez lashed a base hit to right to start. Danny Santana and Rafael Devers both struck out swinging before Christian Vazquez grounded out to second to end the inning. Rodriguez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Andrew McCutchen popped up to third to start. Rodriguez hit Odubel Herrera in the ass who stole second on the swinging strikeout of Jean Segura. Rhys Hoskins stuck his bat out and hit it through the vacant hole at second to score Herrera to put the Phillies up for good. Hoskins swiped second, Alec Bohm walked and Brad Miller effortlessly pounded a home run off the left field foul pole to ice the game. Andrew Knapp grounded out to third to end the inning with the Phillies up 4-0.
The Sox gave up in the top of the second as Hunter Renfroe grounded out weakly to third, Marwin Gonzalez popped up weakly to left and Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning. Ronald Torreyes hit one up the elevator shaft before Wheeler the pitcher struck out swinging on ball four to embarrass Rodriguez some more. McCutchen struck out swinging to end the inning but Rodriguez had already thrown 55 pitches.
The Sox quit in the top of the third as Franchy Cordero struck out swinging to begin. Rodriguez himself struck out swinging and Hernandez lined out to right to end the inning. Rodriguez got Herrera to ground out to first on the first pitch of the bottom of the third before Segura grounded out to short. Hoskins walked but Bohm grounded into a force to end the inning.
The Sox sleptwalked through the top of the fourth as Santana struck out swinging to start. Devers flied out to left and Vazquez took strike three to end the inning. Rodriguez froze Miller for strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Knapp was also fooled for strike three. Torreyes singled to center and the whole ballpark laughed at Rodriguez when Wheeler the pitcher got a base hit to left. McCutchen took strike three to end the inning.
Wheeler effortlesly cruised in the top of the fifth as Renfroe popped up to first to start. Gonzalez struck out swinging and Dalbec flied out to center. The Sox had not had a baserunner since the first batter of the game. Despite lifting his other pitchers well before 90 pitches when cruising, Sox manager Alex Cora sent Rodriguez out at 93 pitches for the bottom of the fifth and naturally Herrera doubled to right to begin. Segura walked and FINALLY Rodriguez was pulled. Hiro Sawamura came in and struck out Hoskins swinging before Bohm flied out to center. Miller struck out inning to end the inning to close the book on E-Rod. Rodriguez got just 12 outs on 103 pitches while allowing 4 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks. As Dennis Eckersley would say, YUCK!
More of the same in the top of the sixth as Cordero grounded out to first to start. Michael Chavis pinch hit for Sawamura and grounded out to second, but Hernandez singled to center for the first Sox hit since the first. Santana walked but Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Matt Andriese came in to pitch, Hernandez moved to center and Chavis stayed at second with Santana leaving the game in the bottom of the sixth. Knapp flied out to right, Torreyes grounded out to short and Wheeler lined out to third to end the inning.
Vazquez popped up to short to begin the top of the seventh before Renfroe struck out swinging. Gonzalez was hit with a pitch but Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning. Wheeler tossed 7 shutout innings while striking out 11, bad offense by the Red Sox. Andriese returned for the bottom of the seventh and McCutchen grounded out to second to start. Herrera and Segura stroked back to back base hits before Hoskins beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Bohm took strike three to end the inning.
Somehow the Sox got a run in the top of the eighth when Cordero of all people smashed his first home run of the season to break up the shutout. Chavis struck out swinging and that was it for Wheeler. Jose Alvarado came in to pitch and Hernandez grounded out to third. Kevin Plawecki pinch hit for Andriese and grounded out to third to end the inning with the Phillies ahead 4-1.
Phillips Valdez came in for the bottom of the eighth and Miller lined a base hit to right. Knapp dropped down a bunt but Valdez booted it for an error. Torreyes dropped down a bunt to move the runners over and this time Valdez threw to first for the out. Matt Joyce pinch hit for Alvarado and was intentionally walked to set up a double play. The gamble failed as McCutchen hit a sac fly to center to score Miller and Herrera poked a double into the left field corner to score another run. A ball got away from Vazquez but managed to throw out Joyce in a run down to end the inning with the Phillies ahead 6-1.
Archie Bradley came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Devers cracked a too-little, too-late home run to left to start. Vazquez lined out to right but Renfroe walked. Alex Verdugo pinch hit for Gonzalez and hit a double play ball to second, but Torreyes threw the throw the first away to allow Verdugo to reach second. Dalbec grounded out to second to end the game. The Phillies had won it 6-2.
Jackass of the Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. E-Rod once again got smacked around for 4 runs in 4 innings to put the Sox behind for good.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4.
Franchy Cordero was 1 for 3 with a solo home run.
Hiro Sawamura tossed a scoreless fifth inning.
Matt Andriese pitched 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Marwin Gonzalez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Michael Chavis was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.
Phillips Valdez allowed 2 runs in the eighth inning.
The Ugly:
Danny Santana was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but hit a home run.
Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Only the Red Sox could win 4 games out of 5 and lose ground in the AL East. The New York Yankees won their 6th game in a row on a walkoff and the Tampa Bay Rays rallied for 4 runs in the top of the ninth to win their 10th straight game. Rodriguez looked scared out of his mind and his confidence looks shot. Not only was his velocity down, but he nibbled and nibbled which is what pitchers do when they don't trust their stuff. If Rodriguez doesn't trust his stuff, what good is he? He's now lost three straight decisions and looked terrible in all three of them. That piece of crap home run by Miller turned out to be the difference in the game. Valdez stunk the joint out but the game was decided by that point anyway. The real controversy is after removing pitchers when they're doing well between 80-95 pitches, why did Alex Cora send Rodriguez out for the fifth inning after throwing 93 pitches down four runs? If he wanted to squeeze one more inning to save the bullpen, WHY COULDN'T HE HAVE DONE THAT WITH HIS STARTERS IN GAMES HE WAS WINNING? Sawamura got out of the fifth with no damage done but that could have been crucial if the Sox rallied. Unfortunately there was no rally as Verdugo, Xander Bogaerts and JD Martinez were given the day off and the rest of the team played like they had no chance. Tip your cap to Wheeler and the Phillies for playing well today. The loss dropped the Sox to 29-19, tied for first place with the Rays in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox come home for a two game set with the Atlanta Braves. Garrett Richards (4-2, 3.72 ERA) takes on Charlie Morton of the Braves on Tuesday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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