Are you actually kidding me Boston Red Sox? On a day when highly touted prospect Josh Winckowski (0-1, 12.00 ERA) made his major league debut, the Boston Red Sox bats fell asleep against the lowly Baltimore Orioles. Former Red Sox prospect Denyi Reyes and the Baltimore bullpen held the Sox to just one run through the first eight innings, Meanwhile Winckowski lasted just three innings after allowing 4 runs in the third inning capped off by a Rougned Odor three run homer. The Boston bullpen valiantly held the O's scoreless the next six innings and the Sox did rally in the bottom of the ninth. With the tying run at the plate after Christian Arroyo knocked in Bobby Dalbec, Kike Hernandez grounded into a double play to end the game. The Sox had lost the nightcap 4-2 to the Orioles at Fenway Park.
Winckowski made his ML debut in the top of the first inning and Cedric Mullins grounded out to second to start. Austin Hays got a base hit to center but Anthony Santander flied out to left. Ryan Mountcastle walked and a passed ball moved both runners over, but Adley Rutschman walked to load the bases. Ramon Urias grounded out to first to end the inning and Winckowski was out of the jam. Former Red Sox prospect Denyi Reyes got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Kike Hernandez led off with a fly out to left. Rafael Devers grounded out to second and Trevor Story popped up to second to end the inning.
Rougned Odor struck out swinging for Josh's first pro K to begin the top of the second. Jorge Mateo grounded out to second on the first pitch he swung at but Ryan McKenna lined the first pitch HE saw to right for a base hit. Mullins was called out on strikes on a bad call to end the inning. Alex Verdugo grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and Christian Vazquez flied out to center. Franchy Cordero got a base hit to right and Bobby Dalbec singled to left, but Jackie Bradley Jr lined out to short to end the inning.
The Orioles struck first in the top of the third as Hays singled to center again to start. Hays swiped second and Santander walked, but Winckowski did manage to strike out Mountcastle swinging on a nasty sinker. Somehow Rutschman lined out to left but Urias naturally lined a base hit to center to score Hays and Odor laughed as he hit a backbreaking three run home run to Neptune to ice the game. Mateo doubled to center but McKenna was frozen for strike three to end the inning with the O's up for good 4-0. That was it for Winckowski who made one mistake to Odor but allowed 4 runs in just 3 innings in his ML debut.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Arroyo grounded back to the mound to start. Hernandez popped up to third and Devers flied out to right to end the inning.
Austin Davis came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Mullins popped up to third to start. Hays grounded out to short and Santander struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Story doubled over the head of Mateo to start. Verdugo flied out to right but Vazquez got a base hit to center to score Story to put Boston on the board. Cordero walked to bring the tying run to the plate but Dalbec struck out swinging. That was it for Reyes as Joey Krehbiel came in to pitch to Bradley. Naturally JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.
Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Mountcastle struck out swinging to start. Rutschman popped up to first and Urias popped up to third to end the inning. Arroyo struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Hernandez hit a ground rule double into the right field stands. Devers flied out to left and Story lined out to right to end the inning,
Tyler Danish came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Odor popped up to second to start. Mateo grounded out to short and McKenna grounded out to second to end the inning. Felix Bautista came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Verdugo grounded out to third to start.? Vazquez got a base hit to center but Cordero struck out swinging. Dalbec took strike three to end the inning.
Jake Diekman came in to pitch the top of the seventh and immediately walked Mullins. Hays popped up to second, Santander flied out to right and Mountcastle took strike three to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as JBJ grounded out to second to start. Arroyo grounded out to second but Hernandez singled to right to chase Bautista. Cionel Perez came in to pitch to Devers and Rafael forced Hernandez on the first pitch to end the inning.
Sox manager Alex Cora threw in the towel in the top of the eighth by bringing in Matt Barnes to pitch the top of the eighth. Rutschman grounded out to second to start but Arroyo threw a grounder by Urias into the Red Sox bullpen for an error to move Ramon to second. Odor flied out to the centerfield wall to move Urias to third and Mateo flied out to a running JBJ to end the inning. Story took strike three to start the bottom of the eighth before Verdugo grounded out to third. Vazquez doubled off the top of the centerfield wall and Xander Bogaerts pinch hit for Cordero. Jorge Lopez came in to pitch to Xander and Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning.
Phillips Valdez came in to pitch the top of the ninth and McKenna got a base hit to right to begin. Mullins forced him at second and Hays banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox caught a break in the bottom of the ninth when Dalbec reached on an error by Mateo to start. JBJ got a base hot to right to move Dalbec to third and Bobby scored when Arroyo beat out a double play ball. Representing the tying run....Hernandez grounded into a double play to end the game. The O's had won it 4-2.
Jackass of the Night is Rafael Devers. He was 0 for 4 and left two runners on base in a game decided by two runs.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 5.
Christian Vazquez was 3 for 4 with an rbi.
Franchy Cordero was 1 for 2 with a walk.
Austin Davis tossed a scoreless inning.
Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless inning.
Tyler Danish pitched a scoreless inning.
Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless inning.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless inning.
Phillips Valdez tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Josh Winckowski took the loss by allowing 4 runs in just 3 innings. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks.
The Ugly:
Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Christian Arroyo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Final Thoughts:
Just when you think the Sox are going to turn the corner, they lose again. Winckowski definitely struggled but only made one big mistake to Odor. The real key to the game was the Boston bats falling asleep again and only scratching out two runs. Bogaerts and JD Martinez resting had a lot to do with it but with the way everyone else was swinging the bat lately, you'd think they would have rose to the occasion just once. The only bright spots was the bullpen pitched a shutout for 6 innings and Vazquez is on a hot streak. The worst part is they've now lost two of the first three games played against the Orioles with two remaining. Going 3-2 or worse against them is pathetic and maybe its time to start thinking of rebuilding after all. Why waste Martinez, Vazquez, Bogaerts and Devers if they're not going to be re-signed? If Chaim Bloom still thinks he's in Tampa Bay and allows those four to walk just to bring up Jarren Duran, Marcelo Mayer, Connor Wong and Alex Binelas.....may as well send him packing too. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-25, good for 4th place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Orioles when Nick Pivetta (3-4, 4.25 ERA) takes the mound against Bruce Zimmermann of Baltimore. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.
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