Well that was embarrassing. The Boston Red Sox not only lost to the lowly Chicago Cubs but Rich Hill somehow sprained his knee and had to leave the game in the fifth inning. Naturally after he left, the Cubs turned a 5-3 Sox lead into a 6-5 Cubs lead in about eight seconds flat against Hansel Robles (1-3, 5.70 ERA). The Sox broke out to a 4-0 lead on a Jarren Duran home run and a Jackie Bradley Jr bases clearing double but the Cubs got three back against Hill and Tyler Danish in the bottom of the fifth. Duran drove in another run in the top of the fifth but the bullpen fell apart in the bottom of the sixth as Robles and Jake Diekman allowed 3 runs to put Chicago ahead. All in all Sox pitching gave up TEN walks in this one game as they couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat. It all added up to an embarrassing 6-5 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
The Sox didn't waste a second scoring off Cubs starter Adrian Sampson in the top of the first inning as Jarren Duran launched the first pitch to dead center for his first home run of the season. Rafael Devers grounded out to first but JD Martinez singled to left. Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to right to put runners at the corners but Alex Verdugo grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.
Hill got the ball in the bottom of the first and Christipher Morel took strike three to start. Wilson Contreras struck out swinging but Ian Happ doubled to center. Patrick Wisdom struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox caught a break when Wisdom booted a grounder by Trevor Story for an error to start the top of the second. Franchy Cordero followed with a base hit to left and Christian Vazquez walked to load the bases with nobody out. Jackie Bradley Jr stepped up big with a bases clearing double in the gap in center to put the Sox up big. Duran grounded back to the mound but JBJ moved to third on a grounder to second by Devers. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox now led 4-0.
Jackie clears the bases
Narciso Crook lined out to center to start the bottom of the second and Yan Gomes grounded back to the mound. PJ Higgins walked on four pitches not even close but Nelson Velazquez forced him at second to end the inning.
Bogaerts lined out to center to start the top of the third before Verdugo grounded out to second. Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Andrelton Simmons grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Morel grounded out to third. Contreras drew a walk but Happ grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Cordero led off the top of the fourth with a base hit to right but Vazquez immediately banged into a double play. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning. Wisdom flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Crook grounded out to third. Gomes also grounded out to third to end the inning.
Duran grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Devers got a base hit to right. Martinez struck out swinging and Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Cubs struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Higgins walked on 5 pitches not even close and Duran crashed into the Ivy as Velazquez motored around for an rbi triple. Simmons popped up to center but Morel grounded out to short to score Velazquez. Conteras walked on four pitches not even close, Happ ripped a base hit to right and Wisdom was plunked to load the bases. Hill started clutching his knee and had to be helped off the field after being eventually charged with 3 runs in just 4 2/3 innings. Tyler Danish came in and Rafael Ortega pinch hit for Crook, drawing a walk to score Contreras. Alfonso Rivas pinch hit for Gomes and flied out to center to end the inning with the Cubs only down 4-3.
Duran misplays it and the Cubs have life
The Sox responded in the top of the sixth as Verdugo lined out to center to start. Story worked a 9 pitch at-bat before getting a base hit in the hole at second to chase Sampson. Brandon Hughes came in to face Cordero and struck him out swinging. Vazquez got a base hit to center and Sox manager Alex Cora rolled the dice by bringing in Rob Refsnyder to pinch hit for Bradley. Refsnyder walked to load the bases and Duran punched a base hit to center. Story scored easily but Vazquez was gunned down at home to end the inning with the Sox ahead just 5-3.
Hansel Robles came in to blow the game in the bottom of the sixth although Higgins struck out swinging to start. Velazquez flied out to left but Simmons walked and Morel smashed a two run home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to tie the game. Contreras walked and Happ doubled to center to put the go-ahead run at third. Wisdom walked on four pitches not even close and FINALLY Cora yanked the incompetent Robles with the bases loaded. Jake Diekman came in to pour gas on the fire and Nico Hoerner pinch hit for Ortega. Naturally Diekman uncorked a wild pitch to complete the meltdown, scoring Conteras with the go-ahead run. Hoerner walked to re-load the bases but Rivas took a blown full count strike three to end the inning with the Cubs ahead 6-5.
The Sox quit in the top of the seventh as Devers took strike three to start. Scott Effross took over for Hughes and Martinez flied out to center. Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Higgins doubled to right to begin. Velazquez struck out swinging but Simmons drew a walk. Morel banged into a double play to end the inning.
Former Sox prospect Chris Martin came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Verdugo got a base hit to left to put the tying run on. He stayed there as Story struck out swinging and Cordero took strike three. Vazquez was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Contreras took strike three to begin the bottom of the eighth but Cordero booted a routine grounder by Happ for an error. Wisdom went down hacking and Hoerner lined out to first to end the inning.
David Robertson came in to close out the top of the ninth and Refsnyder flied out to right to start. Durran grounded out to first and Devers grounded out to second to end the game. The Cubs had won it 6-5.
Sox lose the game and Hill
Jackass of the Night is Hansel Robles. He blew the lead in the bottom of the sixth
The Good:
Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total rbis.
Franchy Cordero was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 2 with 3 rbis.
Rob Refsnyder walked in two plate appearances.
Hiro Sawamura tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Rich Hill was charged with 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings before leaving with an injury.
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4.
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4.
Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored 2 runs.
Tyler Danish allowed an inherited runner to score but got the final out of the fifth inning.
Jake Diekman allowed an inherited runner to score but got the final out of the sixth inning.
Final Thoughts:
Losing to the worthless Cubs is not how you wanted this month to start knowing what is at stake beginning Monday night. Not only that, this was an easily winnable game. Duran misplaying the ball in the fifth inning led to the huge rally and Robles melting down again led to the lead being blown. Once again after they fell behind the bats went completely silent. More importantly Hill suffered a sprained knee and will be out at least a month to recover. That's not good news for the Sox who are already without Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Sale. It looks like the Sox may have to call up top pitching prospect Brayan Bello sooner rather than later. For those that don't know, he blitzed through Portland and Worcester in short order and he's only 23 years old. He's going to be thrown right in the fire with the Sox having a death march through the AL East coming up. The less said about today's disaster the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 43-34, 1 game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the first wild card spot. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Cubs when Josh Winckowski (3-1) takes on Alec Mills of Chicago. The game begins at 7:10 PM eastern time at Wrigley Field.
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