As for the game, Murphy's Law continued only this time it was manager Alex Cora that could do no right. After Reese McGuire went 2 for 3 last night, naturally Cora benched him for Kevin Plawecki tonight. The Kansas City Royals stole 4 bases off Plawecki which led to some of their runs scoring. Nick Pivetta had thrown just 86 pitches but was once again yanked after five innings. With the score tied 3-3, Cora brought in Darwinzon Hernandez in the seventh inning and he proceeded to give up 4 hits and 2 walks including the backbreaking 3 run home run to Salvador Perez. Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock and John Schreiber were all rested but the decision to go with Hernandez cost Cora the game. The pathetic Royals held the miserable Sox offense to just three runs and easily won the game 7-3 at Kauffman Stadium.
Live look at Alex Cora supporters
The Sox wasted no time getting to Royals starter Kris Bubic in the top of the first inning. Jaylin Davis walked, Tommy Pham doubled to right to move Jaylin to third and Rafael Devers cleared the bases with a base hit to left to put the Sox up just like that. Naturally the rally ended as Xander Bogaerts and JD Martinez both weakly flied out to right before Eric Hosmer made his Sox debut by flying out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.
The Royals wasted no time getting to Pivetta in the bottom of the first as MJ Melendez hit a home run all the way to St Louis instantly. Bobby Witt Jr effortlessly got a base hit in the hole at short, stole second and took third on a Salvador Perez fly out to center. Vinnie Pasquantino hit a sac fly to center to score Witt to tie the game. Hunter Dozier flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
The Sox offense was done for the night although Christian Arroyo got a lucky hit to center to start. Naturally Kevin Plawecki banged into a double play and Jarren Duran flied out into left to end the inning. The Royals threatened in the bottom of the second although Michael Massey grounded out to first to start. Michael A Taylor was ruled safe on a grounder to second but Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that he was out at first, the replays showed he was. Nate Eaton easily beat out a roller to third, Nicky Lopez effortlessly singled to center to move Eaton to third and Nicky stole second. Somehow Melendez struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox gave up in the top of the third as Davis struck out swinging to start. Pham flied out to right and Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. Somehow Witt Jr took strike three to start the bottom of the third before Perez flied out to center. Pasquantino grounded out to first to end the inning.
The misery continued in the top of the fourth as Bogaerts went down hacking to start. Martinez struck out swinging and Hosmer grounded pathetically back to the mound to end the inning. Dozier froze for strike three to begin the bottom of the fourth but Massey got a base hit to left. Taylor flied out to right but Massey swiped second. Eaton grounded out to third to end the inning.
Arroyo grounded out weakly to the mound to start the top of the fifth but Plawecki got a lucky hit to left. Duran tried to drop down a bunt but Plawecki was thrown out at second. Didn't matter anyway because Davis struck out swinging to end the inning. Lopez walked to start the bottom of the fifth but Melendez struck out swinging. Lopez effortlessly stole second but Witt Jr took strike three. Perez easily got a base hit to right to score Lopez and put Kansas City on top. Pasquantino laughed at Pivetta as he doubled to right but Dozier flied out to right to end the inning with Royals ahead 3-2. That was it for Pivetta as Cora threw in the towel on this one as Nick allowed 3 runs in just 5 innings.
The ineptitude continued in the top of the sixth as Pham took strike three right down the middle to start. Devers grounded out weakly to the mound and Bogaerts went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox haven't had a base runner reach second after the Devers base hit in the first. The returning Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Massey grounded out to short to start. Taylor grounded back to the mound and Eaton flied out to right to end the inning.
The Sox somehow fought back in the top of the seventh with Taylor Clarke on the mound. Martinez struck out swinging and Hosmer flied out to right, but Arroyo doubled to left. Shockingly Plawecki got a base hit to center to score Arroyo to tie the game. Duran walked and Alex Verdugo pinch hit for Davisn only to take strike three right down the middle to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Naturally Darwinzon Hernandez came in to blow the game in the bottom of the seventh by walking Lopez to start. Melendez got a base hit to right to move Lopez to third and Nicky scored on the Witt base hit to left. Perez ended matters with a three run bomb into the Baltic Sea and Sox fans worldwide threw a fit that Cora brought in Hernandez into a tie game only to give up 4 runs on 3 hits and a walk. Cora ended up getting thrown out of the game by umpire Bill Welke to save him from himself. To add insult to injury Hernandez walked Pasquantino and Kyle Isabel ran for him. Isabel got picked off, Dozier lined out to short and Massey struck out swinging to end the inning but Cora cost the Sox the game with them now trailing 7-3.
Dylan Coleman came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pham looked at strike three right down the middle to start. Devers drew a walk but Bogaerts lined out to right. Martinez popped up weakly to right to end the inning. Just for laughs, Hernandez came back for the bottom of the eighth and Taylor effortlessly singled to left to start. Somehow Eaton grounded into a double play and Lopez flied out to center to end the inning.
Scott Barlow came in to close out the top of the ninth and Hosmer walked to start. Arroyo forced Hosmer at second and Plawecki grounded into a double play to end the game. The Royals had won it 7-3.
Jackass of the Night should be Alex Cora but unfortunately its Darwinzon Hernandez. He turned a 3-3 game into 7-3 without recording an out.
The Good:
Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs batted in.
Christian Arroyo was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
The Bad:
Alex Verdugo struck out as a pinch hitter.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Jaylin Davis was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.
Tommy Pham was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.
Eric Hosmer was 0 for 3 but walked.
Kevin Plawecki was 2 for 4 with an rbi but allowed 4 stolen bases and hit into the game ending double play.
Jarren Duran was 0 for 2 but walked.
Nick Pivetta allowed 3 runs in just 5 innings of work.
Final Thoughts:
Just when you think the season couldn't get any worse, it does. The Sox score 3 total runs against a team that's notorious for giving up the long ball. The combination of piss-poor roster construction, injuries and down years by just about everyone has this one of the worst offenses in baseball. Its not just Bloom's fault, the magic seems to have worn off for Cora. Not that the Sox were going to score much anyway with their pathetic lineup, but bringing in Hernandez in a tie game in the seventh inning with your trio of terror rested is inexcusable. Just yet another bad move in a long line of them this season which can't end fast enough. Martinez just doesn't have it anymore, Duran and Verdugo regressed and the Sox aren't going to get much out of Reese McGuire, Pham and Hosmer. The only question is after the season, who pays the price? Cora? Bloom? Maybe both? Either way someone has to pay for the failure this year after coming two wins short of the world series last year. The loss dropped the Sox to 53-54, 4 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the third wild card. The Sox get shut down tonight in game two of this series by Zack Greinke of the Royals while Josh Winckowski (4-5, 5.00 ERA) gets lit up by the Royals offense. The massacre begins at 8:10 PM eastern time at Kauffman Stadium.
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