As for the game, the Red Sox are in deep trouble. They have lost their third consecutive series and 6 of their last 9 heading into the big four game showdown with the New York Yankees. Their prized rookie Brayan Bello (0-1, 9.00) ERA was not ready for prime time as the Tampa Bay Rays pounded him for four runs in just four innings. The game would have been a lot worse if it hadn't been for some amazing plays to keep it as close with him on the mound. The horrible Sox offense continued to slump as they were blanked for six innings by Corey Kluber and scored one measly run against the Tampa bullpen. The Sox bullpen once again crapped themselves, allowing three runs of their own to put the game out of reach. The Rays actually had more walks than the Sox had hits as they easily took two of three from the Sox 7-1 at Fenway Park.
Naturally the Rays pounded Bello in his major league debut as Jarren Duran had to climb the wall to rob Josh Lowe of a home run to start the game. Yandy Diaz doubled off the Monster and Wander Franco ripped a base hit to center to score Yandy to put the Rays up for good 3 batters into the game. Ji-Man Choi hit a routine grounder to Trevor Story who not only failed to tag out Franco by Franchy Cordero dropped the throw to first for an error. Somehow Randy Arozarena hit into a double play to end the inning but the game was already over 1-0 Rays.
Kluber dominated the bottom of the first as Duran took strike three right down the middle to start. Christian Vazquez grounded out to short and JD Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning.
The beating continued in the top of the second as Xander Bogaerts made a great diving catch to rob Taylor Walls of a sure double to start. Kevin Kiermaier walked on ball four that went to the backstop but somehow Francisco Mejia struck out swinging. Christian Arroyo made a great diving play to rob Vidal Brujan of extra bases to end the inning. The Sox caught a break when Franco booted a routine grounder by Bogaerts to start the bottom of the second but Alex Verdugo popped up to right. Trevor Story took strike three right down the middle but Cordero got a lucky ground rule double down the right field line. Just like last night when the Sox got two men in scoring position, Arroyo hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.
The Rays continued the onslaught in the top of the third as Bello had to make a spectacular play to rob Josh Lowe of a sure double to start. Diaz walked on five pitches not even close but the home plate ump felt sorry for Bello so he rang up Franco for strike three. Naturally Choi got a base hit off the centerfield wall and Arozarena doubled high off the top of the centerfield wall to score both runners to ice the game. Arozarena took third on the play and Walls walked on a pitch not even close to put runners at the corners. Kiermaier effortlessly doubled off the right field wall to score Arozarena and Duran had to make a great diving catch to rob Mejia of a triple to end the inning with the Rays up 4-0. The Rays scored 3 runs with 2 outs with more hits in one inning than the Sox had most of last night's game.
The Sox continued their ineptitude in the bottom of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr got a lucky infield single to short to start. Naturally Duran lined out to right but Vazquez got a lucky base hit to center. Once again with two men on, Martinez barely beat out a double play ball and Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox are now third in all of baseball in stranding runners with 4 more already.
Bello's night was finished in the top of the fourth as Verdugo made a great diving catch to rob Brujan of a sure double to start. Lowe effortlessly pounded a double off the Monster and moved to third on the grounder to the mound by Diaz. Somehow Franco grounded out to second to end the inning. That was it for Bello who just like Josh Winckowski, looked absolutely horrible in his ML debut. He got rocked for 4 runs in just 4 innings which really should have been 8 or 9 if it wasn't for some amazing plays by the Sox defense.
Kluber dominated the bottom of the fourth as Verdugo popped up weakly to left to start. Story hit a weak liner to second and Cordero went down hacking as Kluber needed just 8 pitches to get out of the inning.
Jake Diekman came in to pitch the top of the fifth and froze Choi for strike three to start. Arozarena struck out swinging but Walls drew a walk. Walls was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Kluber continued his dominance in the bottom of the fifth as Arroyo popped up weakly to center on the first pitch. Four pitches later JBJ flied out to center and Duran grounded back to the mound on the first pitch he saw to end the inning. Kluber needed just 6 pitches to get out of the inning, pathetic.
Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Kiermaier grounded out to short to start. Mejia struck out swinging but Brujan walked. The Rays had more walks than the Sox had hits in this one. A wild pitch moved Brujan to second and as soon as the Rays had a runner in scoring position, Lowe effortlessly doubled high off the Monster to score him. Diaz and Franco drew back to back walks to load the bases before Choi walked home Lowe as boos rained down at Fenway. Arozarena bailed out the Sox when he lined what would have been ball 3 to Duran to end the inning with the Rays up 6-0.
The Sox quit in the bottom of the sixth as Vazquez grounded out to short to start. Martinez struck out swinging and Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning in short order.
Austin Davis came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Walls struck out swinging to start. Kiermaier took strike three and Mejia grounded out to second to end the inning. Calvin Faucher came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Verdugo grounded out to second to start. Somehow Story doubled to left but could only move to third on the fly out to right by Cordero. As usual with a man on third, Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox once again failed to get a hit with a runner in scoring position.
Tyler Danish came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Brujan singled to center to start. Lowe lined out to short but Diaz got a base hit to center. Franco popped up to short and Choi grounded out to second to end the inning. Shawn Armstrong came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and JBJ struck out swinging to start. Duran somehow doubled off the Monster but as usual Vazquez could only move Duran to third with a grounder to second. In the most shocking moment of the day, Martinez actually got a base hit to left to score Duran. A wild pitch moved JD to second but Bogaerts swung at ball four and grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 6-1.
Danish returned for the top of the ninth and Arozarena hit a home run all the way to Paris, France to get that run right back. Walls grounded out to first and Kiermaier was retired on a squibber in front of the plate but Mejia worked Tampas's NINTH walk of the game on four pitches not even close. Brujan grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Rays up 7-1.
Matt Wisler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and the Sox went quietly. Verdugo popped up to short, Story popped up to third and Cordero struck out swinging to end the game. The Rays walked more than the Sox got hit and beat them 7-1.
Jackass of the Night is Brayan Bello. He got hammered for four runs in four innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.
The Good:
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3.
Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless fifth inning.
Austin Davis pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
The Bad:
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4.
Christian Arroyo was 0 for 3.
Hiro Sawamura allowed 2 runs in the sixth inning.
The Ugly:
Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Franchy Cordero was just 1 for 4 with an error with 2 strikeouts.
Tyler Danish allowed a run in two innings of work.
Final Thoughts:
Asking a rookie to come up from the minors and pitch in a big game is a tall task and unfortunately Bello wasn't up to the challenge. Getting rocked for 4 runs in 4 innings wasn't what the Sox were looking for. It didn't help the bats got shut down by Corey Kluber. Its become apparent the Sox can't beat AL East teams. Any time they go up against the Rays, New York Yankees or Toronto Blue Jays they somehow forget how to execute at the plate, on the mound, on the bases and in the field. Once again the bullpen failed as they allowed 3 runs to put the game completely out of reach. Not that the bats were doing anything but a closer game might have been a little more interesting. Sox GM Chaim Bloom failed big time with this bullpen construction but the offense is definitely underperforming. Not having Devers for a few days is gonna be FUN with the Yankees coming to town isn't it? The loss drops the Sox to 45-37, tied with the Rays for the first wild card spot. The Sox now welcome the first place, unbeatable Yankees to Fenway for a four game beat down. Josh Winckowski (3-2, 3.12 ERA) gets pulverized by the Yankee bats while Gerrit Cole probably pitches a 3 hit shutout. The carnage begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment