As for the game, another day another loss to an AL East team. The Sox season isn't just going down the drain, it's rocketing at light speed to last place in the AL East. The Sox are losing players as much as they are losing game and tonight was no different. Chris Sale made his long awaited debut with 5 shutout innings and the Sox scored two runs off Corey Kluber. Then it was all downhill as Trevor Story was hit in the wrist and had to leave the game. Taylor Walls hit a line drive off the wrist of Matt Strahm who threw the ball away to allow the Rays to tie the game. Franchy Cordero then bounced a throw home to allow the winning run to score. Alex Verdugo got picked off third in the next half inning and that was it. The Sox bats did nothing the rest of the way and the Rays beat the Sox 3-2 at Tropicana Field.
Kluber dominated the Sox in the top of the first inning as Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Christian Vazquez and the returning Rafael Devers all went down hacking to end the inning. Sale made his season debut in the bottom of the first as Yandy Diaz grounded back to the mound to start. Harold Ramirez got a base hit to right but Christian Bethancourt flied out to right. Isaac Parades lined out to short to end the inning.
The Sox had no chance in the top of the second as Xander Bogaerts popped up to first to start. Alex Verdugo flied out to center and Trevor Story lined out to short to end the inning. Randy Arozarena grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and Ji-Man Choi struck out swinging.
Kluber remained perfect in the top of the third as Franchy Cordero struck out swinging to start. Bobby Dalbec went down hacking and Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to left to start. The Rays threatened in the bottom of the third as Yu Chang singled to center to start. Brett Phillips took strike three but Diaz walked. Ramirez lined out to center and Bethancourt took strike three to end the inning.
Duran walked to start the top of the fourth but Kluber kept the no hitter intact when Vazquez banged into a double play. Devers grounded out to short to end the inning. Parades effortlessly doubled to left to start the bottom of the fourth and Arozarena moved Isaac to third with a grounder to second. Choi grounded out to second on the first pitch he saw and Taylor Walls flied out to center to end the inning. Sale needed just three pitches to get the three outs he needed.
Bogaerts struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth but Verdugo broke up the no-hitter with a base hit to left. All of a sudden Trevor Story swung and missed on a pitch that hit him in the hand. Story fell down clutching his hand and had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the local ICU. Jeter Downs took his place and blooped a base hit to left to move Verdugo to third. Cordero dropped down a safety squeeze bunt to score Verdugo and move Downs to second to give the Sox the lead. Phillips fell down trying to catch a routine pop up by Dalbec and it fell in for an rbi triple to score Downs. JBJ grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.
Chang took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Phillips went down hacking. Diaz grounded out to third to end the inning. That was it for Sale who tosses 5 shutout innings in his return while striking out 5.
Kluber dominated the top of the sixth as Duran grounded out to first to start. Vazquez struck out swinging again but Devers got a base hit to center. Bogaerts lined out to right to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came in to blow the game in the bottom of the sixth as Ramirez beat out a roller to short to start. Bethancourt lined out to short but Parades walked. Arozarena struck out swinging and that was it for Brasier. Matt Strahm came in to face Choi but Rays manager Kevin Cash countered by bringing in Francisco Mejia to pinch hit. Naturally Mejia ripped a base hit to center to score Ramirez and Strahm threw a line drive by Walls away to score Parades. Cordero fired home and the ball bounced off Vazquez allowing Mejia to score the go-ahead run. Somehow Strahm had to be rushed to the same ICU Story is at and Kaleb Ort came in to pitch to Chang. Chang took strike three to end the inning but the Rays were up for good 3-2.
Old pal Jalen "Twin" Beeks came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Verdugo tried to start a rally with a double to left. Somehow Downs got a base hit to left to move Verdugo to third....but Verdugo compounded the terrible night by foolishly getting picked off third. Cordero took strike three right down the middle but Dalbec walked. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Bradley and popped up to first to end the inning. If the Sox were at Fenway they'd be thunderous booed.
John Schreiber came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Phillips struck out swinging to start. Diaz struck out swinging and Ramirez was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning.
Josh Lowe came in for Ramirez to staert the top of the eighth and Sox manager Alex Cora continued to make all the wrong moves by having Connor Wong pinch hit for Duran...only to strike out swinging on a pitch not even close. Vazquez popped up to third and Devers popped up to short to end the inning. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Jonathan Aranda pinch hit for Bethancourt. Aranda grounded out to short and Parades popped up to third, but Arozarena walked. A wild pitch moved Arozarena to second but Mejia grounded out to second to end the inning.
Brooks Raley came in to close out the top of the ninth and Bogaerts popped up to first to start. Verdugo struck out swinging but Downs drew a walk to put the tying run on. Naturally Cordero struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox didn't hit a ball out of the infield after Verdugo was picked off and lost the game 3-2.
Rays win
Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Ryan Brasier was charged with 2 runs in the sixth inning.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jackass of the Night is a take your pick tonight. I'll go with Alex Verdugo on the principle of getting picked off third with nobody out to kill a rally.
Jackass Verdugo
The Good:
Jeter Downs was 2 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.
Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 2 with a walk and an rbi.
John Schreiber pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Chris Sale tossed 5 shutout innings in his season debut allowing 3 hits and a walk while striking out 5.
Kaleb Ort retired the only man he faced.
Hiro Sawamura tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Connor Wong struck out as a pinch hitter.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Trevor Story was 0 for 1 before leaving with injury.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 2.
Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Ryan Brasier was charged with 2 runs in the sixth inning.
Matt Strahm committed an error and allowed an unearned run.
The Ugly:
Jarren Duran was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Franchy Cordero was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error but walked.
Final Thoughts:
This season fell apart in less than three weeks. 4/5 of the starting rotation got hurt, Trevor Story got hurt and Matt Strahm got hurt. No idea how long Strahm will be out but that could be the season for Story because wrist injuries are the worst. Nomar Garciaparra was never the same after he hurt his in 2001 and while that's a drastic example, it would be unfair to expect Story to hit well anytime soon. The offense is already struggling as it is, losing him will make it even worse in this crucial month. Just another sign that it isn't their year. Sale looked good today and once again Sox manager Alex Cora pulling him after 5 cost the Sox the game. If he goes one more inning they might not have needed Strahm and Brasier. Hope Strahm, Story and the guys already injured get well soon because the Sox are falling too far behind with 2 1/2 months still to go. It doesn't look good right now, that's for sure. At least Chris Sale is back, right? The loss dropped the Sox to 47-41, 14.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night in game three of this four game set against the Rays when Josh Winckowski (3-3) gets the start against Rays ace Shane McClanahan. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Tropicana Field.
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