Yesterday I said the Tampa Bay Rays were most likely playoff bound when the season is over and tonight showed exactly why as they defeated the Boston Red Sox. Nick Pivetta (8-6, 3.68 ERA) was tagged for 3 runs in the top of the first but the Sox battled back to tie the game. Then he fell apart in the sixth inning. The Rays rallied for four runs against him and Jake Diekman in relief. Hansel Robles was once again nailed for a run while the Sox could only muster one run against the Rays bullpen. Old friend Jeffrey Springs allowed 3 runs in 4 innings and the Rays pretty much slammed the door after that. The Sox were denied their first series win against an AL East opponent as the Rays took the game 8-4 at Fenway Park.
Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Rays wasted no time pounding him. Yandy Diaz doubled off the Monster and Harold Ramirez ripped a base hit to left to put runners at the corners. Wander Franco walked to load the bases but Isaac Parades popped up to short. Naturally Kevin Kiermaier hit a bases clearing double to center to put Tampa up big five batters into the game. Randy Arozarena was plunked but Taylor Walls hit a bullet to Trevor Story. Story doubled off Kiermaier to end the inning but the Rays were ahead 3-0.
Springs got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Rob Refsnyder grounded out to third but JD Martinez doubled to center. Xander Bogaerts helped the cause by launching his 7th home run of the year to cut the lead bit Christian Vazquez lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.
Rene Pinto struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Josh Lowe grounded out to second. Diaz doubled off the Monster again but Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck back instantly in the bottom of the second when Story clubbed his 14th home run of the season to tie the game. Franchy Cordero struck out swinging, Christian Arroyo grounded out to short and Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Franco got a base hit to right to start the top of the third but was foolishly doubled off first on a pop up to Story by Parades. Kiermaier grounded out to short to end the inning. Duran walked to start the bottom of the third but Refsnyder popped up to second. Duran swiped second but Martinez went down hacking. Bogaerts walked but Vazquez flied out to the centerfield wall to end the inning.
Arozarena struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Walls popped up to third. Pinto struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Story struck out swinging to start. Cordero lined out to second but Arroyo got a base hit to right. Dalbec got a base hit to left but Duran took strike three to end the inning.
Lowe took strike three to start the top of the fifth before Diaz grounded out to short. Ramirez also grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox squandered their best chance in the bottom of the fifth with Ryan Thompson now on the mound. Refsnyder got a base hit to right before Martinez also doubled to right. As usual Bogaerts grounded out to second, Vazquez popped up to short and Story struck out swinging to end the inning. It was posted that the Red Sox now have the lowest batting average in baseball with men on base and nobody out, pathetic.
As usual the Rays capitalized in the top of the sixth as Franco walked to start. Parades ripped a base hit to right to move Wander to third and Kiermaier did the honors by beating out a double play ball to score the go-ahead run. Arozarena effortlessly doubled to center and Walls scored Kiermaier with a sac fly to left. Pinto then singled off the glove of Bogaerts to ice the game by scoring Arozarena. That was it for Pivetta who saved his worst start in months for when the injured Sox needed it the most..he got hammered for 7 runs in just 5 2/3 innings. Jake Diekman came in and as usual walked Lowe before Diaz ripped a base hit to left to score Pinto. Ramirez forced Diaz at second to end the inning but the Rays matched the Red Sox entire production for the game in one inning to go up for good 7-3.
Brooks Raley came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and the Sox completely quit. Cordero and Arroyo both struck out swinging before Dalbec took a full count strike three right down the middle to end the inning.
Sox manager Alex Cora waived the white flag by bringing in Hansel Robles to pitch the top of the seventh. As usual he walked the first guy in Franco who promptly stole second. Parades ripped a base hit to center to score Franco with another run. Kiermaier walked and Arozarena beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Arozarena was thrown out at second and Walls took strike three to end the inning with the Rays up 8-3.
Shawn Armstrong came in for the bottom of the seventh and Duran doubled to left to start. Refsnyder grounded out to short but Martinez beat out a roller to short to put runners at the corners. All Bogaerts could do was score Duran with a sac fly to left and Vazquez grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 8-4.
Tyler Danish came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pinto singled to right to start. Lowe flied out to left but Diaz walked. Ramirez and Franco struck out swinging to end the inning. Colin Poche came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Story struck out swinging to start. Cordero walked but Arroyo flied out to right. Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning.
Parades flied out to center to start the top of the ninth but Kiermaier grounded out to second. Arozarena struck out swinging to end the inning. Jason Adam came in to close out the top of the ninth and Duran singled to center to start. Refsnyder singled to center but Martinez struck out swinging. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Vazquez was plunked to load the bases. Representing the tying run...Story popped up to short to end the game. The Rays had won it 8-4.
Jackass of the Night is Nick Pivetta. He got smoked for 7 runs in just 5 2/3 innings. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks to take the loss.
The Good:
Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a walk, stolen base and a run scored.
Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 5.
JD Martinez was 3 for 5 with a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a 2 run home run, a walk and 3 total rbis.
Tyler Danish tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Hansel Robles allowed a run in the seventh inning.
The Ugly:
Trevor Story was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 but was hit with a pitch.
Franchy Cordero was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.
Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Jake Diekman allowed an inherited run to score but none of his own in 1/3 of an inning.
Final Thoughts:
Its been happening all year but the Sox absolutely cannot hit in the clutch. They have the lowest batting average with men on base and tonight showed why. They had a chance to do damage in the seventh and ninth innings and came up empty both times. Meanwhile the Rays had no problem rallying in the sixth inning did they? That's why the Rays are most likely playoff bound and the Sox aren't. This was Boston's chance to win their first series against an AL East team all year and they failed miserably. Pivetta getting rocked, the bats striking out left and right plus another game with the bullpen allows runs all added to the misery. The Sox needed Pivetta to stay strong with Rich Hill and now Michael Wacha out and he got lit up by the Rays. What are the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays going to do to him if he can't beat the Rays? Now the rumor is Rafael Devers may miss a few games as well, just what they needed with a showdown against the Yankees looming right? The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 45-36, 1 game in front of the Rays for the first wild card. The Sox look to win their first AL East series all year tomorrow nightn and the good news is it looks like the Sox are going to call up top pitching prospect Brayan Bello to make his ML debut. Bello takes on Corey Kluber at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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