If the Boston Red Sox had a legitimate closer this season they would be right up there with the New York Yankees and the Houston Astros in terms of the best record in baseball. Instead Sox GM Chaim Bloom made a fatal mistake of not having one and its contributed to 13 blown saves this year including tonight's game. The Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead on George Kirby and the Seattle Mariners but Seattle rallied for 4 runs against Sox starter Michael Wacha. JD Martinez clocked a 2 run homer in the fifth to put Boston ahead but Seattle tied it in the seventh inning. Bobby Dalbec smashed a home run in the top of the ninth but Hansel Robles blew a 2 out, 2 strike chance by allowing a game tying single by Abraham Toro and a walkoff base hit by Dylan Moore to lose the game. The Sox now have 13 blown saves as the Mariners rallied to win the game 7-6 at T-Mobile Park.
Kirby got the ball in the top of the first inning and Trevor Story reached on an error by JP Crawford to start. Rafael Devers clocked his 13th home run of the season to put Boston on top 6 pitches into the game. JD Martinez popped up to second but Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to center. Bogaerts swiped second but Alex Verdugo could only move him to third with a grounder to short. Christian Vazquez stepped up with a base hit to right to score Bogaerts and swiped second after. Franchy Cordero grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.
Wacha got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jesse Winker struck out swinging to begin. Ty France hit a routine pop up to right but Cordero tried to catch it in his hat for an error. Julio Rodriguez singled to right and Crawford also lined one into right to load the bases. A wild pitch scored France and Eugenio Suarez walked to reload the bases. Story dropped a liner by Adam Frazier that scored Rodriguez buy Abraham Toro popped up to short. Taylor Trammell struck out swinging to end the inning but Wacha threw 35 pitches and the Mariners were down just 3-2.
Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Jackie Bradley Jr got a base hit to right. Story struck out swinging and Devers popped up to third to end the inning. The Mariners got to Wacha in the bottom of the second although Cal Raleigh grounded out to short to start. Winker got a base hit to right but France lined out to left. Rodriguez then hit a home run all the way to Alaska to put the Mariners on top. Crawford and Suarez got back to back base hits but Frazier forced Suarez at second to end the inning with the Mariners up 4-3.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third as Martinez grounded out to short to start. Bogaerts also grounded out to short and Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning. Wacha settled down in the bottom of the third as Toro flied out to center to start. Trammell lined out to center and Raleigh grounded out to third to end the inning.
Vazquez lined out to center to start the top of the fourth before Cordero took strike three. Dalbec flied out to right to end the inning. Winker struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before France doubled to left. A wild pitch moved France to third but Rodriguez popped up to short. France got picked off third to end the inning.
The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as JBJ lined out to center to start. Story grounded out to second but Devers drew a walk. Martinez pounded his seventh home run of the season to put Boston on top and Bogaerts grounded out to third...BUT WAIT! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that Xander was safe and replays showed that he was. Verdugo grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.
Crawford popped up to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Suarez was plunked. Despite just throwing 91 pitches, that was it for Wacha who was mostly ineffective, allowing 4 runs in 4 1/3 inning. Jake Diekman came in and Frazier banged into a double play to end the inning.
Penn Murfee came in to pitch the top of the sixth inning and Vazquez flied out to center to start. Cordero struck out swinging and Dalbec went down hacking to end the inning. Toro struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth and Trammell flied out to left. All of a sudden Raleigh and Winker walked before France was plunked to load the bases, chasing Diekman from the game. Ryan Brasier got Rodriguez to force France at second to end the inning.
Ryan Borucki came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning and JBJ grounded out to second to start. Story dropped a base hit to right but Devers banged into a double play to end the inning. The A's struck back in the bottom of the seventh as Crawford beat out a roller to third to begin. Suarez struck out swinging and Frazier lined out to second, but Sox manager Alex Cora brought in Matt Strahm to face Toro. Strahm uncorked a wild pitch to move Crawford to second and JP scored on the Toro double to left to tie the game. Dylan Moore pinch hit for Trammell and Moore grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 7-7.
Diego Castillo came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Martinez flied out to center to begin. Bogaerts struck out swinging and Verdugo was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Austin Davis came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Raleigh struck out swinging to start. Winker grounded out to second and France went down hacking to end the inning.
Paul Sewald came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Vazquez grounded out to third to begin. Cordero went down hacking and down 2-2 in the count, Dalbec pounded his fifth home run of the season to put the Sox on top. JBJ swung at air to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-5.
Hansel Robles came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Rodriguez grounded out to second to start. Crawford walked and Suarez got a base hit to left with Sam Haggerty running for Luis. Frazier lined out to right and one strike away from victory.....Toro singled to center to score Crawford. Moore then smashed a base hit to center to score Crawford and win the game. The Sox got walked off 7-6 by Moore and the Mariners.
Mariners win
Nice going Jackass
Jackass of the Night is Hansel Robles. He was one strike away from the save and the Mariners scored two runs to hand him the loss.
The Good:
Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk, a two run homer and 2 total runs scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Jake Diekman tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Austin Davis pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Franchy Cordero was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Michael Wacha was charged with 4 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. He allowed 8 hits and a walk.
Ryan Brasier was charged with a run in an inning of work.
The Ugly:
Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run homer.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Matt Strahm allowed the tying run to score in the bottom of the seventh inning but none of his own.
Final Thoughts:
Make it 13 blown saves for the Boston Red Sox. If the Sox had only blown 7, that would still be too much but they'd actually be ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays and the Tampa Bay Rays right now. Despite all the woes the Red Sox have had this season just having a legitimate closer would have them among the best teams in baseball even with their historically bad offense to start the year. The offense was pretty good in this one but Wacha just had to have his worst start of the season and yet another Robles meltdown. Its clear Hansel is not cut out to be a closer so the Sox need to go get one, especially with Matt Barnes on the Injured List. Now would be a great time to put Garrett Whitlock back in the closer's spot and have Tanner Houck as a starter again. Its frustrating because the rotation as been solid all season and the offense has finally come around yet the bullpen continues to blow games. Thankfully the Sox can get an experienced late inning reliever anywhere and they have the prospects to go get one. They better make a move quick because the Sox are going into a death march against the AL East in about a month. Until then they need to do something about the bullpen or they won't survive. As for this game, the less said of it will be better for all of us. The loss dropped the Sox to 31-29, good for fourth place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Mariners when they send Nathan Eovaldi to the mound up against Robbie Ray of Seattle. The game begins at 4:10 PM at T-Mobile Park.
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