IN
As for the game, just when you think the Red Sox have hit rock bottom, they continue to invent new ways to lose. In a game the Boston bats finally broke out with NINETEEN hits and ten runs.....they got clobbered by the Baltimore Orioles who couldn't miss, hitting five home runs and scoring 15 runs of their own. 8 out of 9 batters had at least one hit and 7 of them had at least an rbi. Kutter Crawford (3-5) didn't have it as Baltimore nailed him for 9 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Hiro Sawamura and Ryan Brasier both took a beating as well, allowing six runs combined to put the game out of the reach. The sad part was the Sox trailed 10-4 and battled back to make it 10-9 but Brasier made it 15-9 in the blink of an eye. If that wasn't bad enough, both Xander Bogaerts and Alex Cora got tossed in a game the Sox had to have to keep their barely existent playoff hopes alive. As it was, the Orioles crushed the Sox by a football score of 15-10 at Camden Yards.
Orioles starter Jordan Lyles got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Pham doubled to left to start. Alex Verdugo moved him to third with a grounder to first but Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging on a full count pitch not even close. Rafael Devers popped up weakly to center to end the inning. Crawford got the ball in the bottom of the first and Cedric Mullins effortlessly doubled to right to begin. Somehow Adley Rutschman took strike three and Anthony Santander lined out to second. Ryan Mountcastle flied out to center to end the inning.
Shockingly the Sox took the lead in the top of the second as Christian Arroyo got a base hit to center to start. Eric Hosmer flied out to left but Rob Refsnyder doubled to left. Reese McGuire popped up to right but Kike Hernandez doubled to left to score both runners. Pham struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 2-0.
Hernandez drives in a pair
Naturally the lead lasted 8 seconds in the bottom of the second as Kyle Stowers flied out to left to start. Austin Hays caught Devers asleep with a bunt single but Rougned Odor took strike three. Ramon Urias singled to right and Jorge Mateo ended the game by hitting a 3 run home run to Brazil to put the O's on top. Mullins flied out to left to end the inning with the O's ahead 3-2.
Verdugo tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to open the top of the third before Bogaerts also singled to right. Devers hit a 400 foot out to dead center to move both runners over and Verdugo scored
on the Arroyo grounder to short to tie the game. Hosmer beat out a roller to short to put runners at the corners and Refsnyder dumped a base hit to left to score Bogaerts, giving the Sox the lead. Refsnyder took second on the throw home but McGuire took strike three to end the inning with Boston ahead 4-3.
Once again the lead lasted 8 seconds in the bottom of the third as Rutschman effortlessly singled to left to start and Santander hit a home run all the way to Nebraska to put the O's up for good. Mountcastle grounded out to third but Stowers got a base hit to center. Hays doubled to left and Odor hit a sac fly to score Stowers, but Hays was thrown out at third to end the inning with the game already over 6-4 Orioles.
Hernandez tried to start a rally by beating out a single to second to start the top of the fourth but Pham struck out swinging. Verdugo flied out left and Bogaerts got rung up for strike three in a pitch not even close. Bogaerts barked at home plate umpire Todd Tichenor and was thrown out of the game. Sox manager Alex Cora stormed out of the dugout and got in Tichenor's face, getting the heave ho as well. The Sox pretty much lost the game, their best hitter and their manager in one fell swoop.
Hernandez moved from center to short with Jarren Duran coming in to play center to start the bottom of the fourth. Urias grounded out to short and Mateo lined out to left but Mullins doubled AGAIN to right. Rutschman put the exclamation on the beat down with a home run all the way to Georgia to ice the game. Santander hit a rocket off the left field wall and FINALLY that was it for Crawford. In a game the Sox desperately needed to have Crawford was straight batting practice, allowing 9 runs in just 3 2/3 innings off 11 hits and 3 home runs. Hiro Sawamura came in and Mountcastle laughed as he effortlessly homered into the Baltic Sea while the entire league laughed at the Red Sox again. Stowers gave the Sox dugout the middle finger as he easily ripped a base hit to center and Hays walked to keep it going. Hosmer had to make a diving catch to rob Odor of a sure double to end the inning with the O's massacre continuing, 10-4.
Keegan Akin came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Odor threw a routine grounder by Devers away for an error to start. Arroyo somehow singled to left and Hosmer made Odor pay with a base hit to right to score Devers. Arroyo took third on the play but Refsnyder struck out swinging at a pitch up in his eyes. McGuire took first on a rare catcher's interference call to load the bases but Hernandez struck out swinging. Suddenly Pham clubbed a bases clearing double to left to cut the lead and Verdugo ripped a base hit to center to score Pham. Duran walked on four pitches not even close to put the tying run at second and that was it for Akin. Nick Vespi came in to face Devers and Rafael...flied out weakly to right to end the inning with the Sox still down 10-9.
Ryan Brasier was summoned to stop the bleeding in the bottom of the fifth and naturally Urias hit a home run all the way to Neptune to kill Boston's momentum. Arroyo needed to make a diving catch to rob Mateo of a sure double and Mullins walked on five pitches not even close. Rutschman effortlessly doubled to right and Santander pounded a ground rule double to center to finally ice the game. Mountcastle added the exclamation point with a bullet to center to score Santander and took second when Duran misplaced the ball. Pham had to literally climb the left field wall to rob Stowers of a home run and Hays hit a routine grounder to short.....that Hernandez whiffed on for a technical "double" to score Santander and erase the top of the inning like it never happened. Acting Sox manager Wil Venable sent up the white flag as he brought Jeurys Familia in to pitch to Odor and Bobby Dalbec in for Pham who just got up and left the field disgusted. Odor struck out swinging but the O's had 18 hits and led 15-9.
Arroyo refused to give up and got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth but Hosmer said the hell with it and grounded into a double play. Refsnyder doubled to left before McGuire ripped a base hit to right to score Refsnyder and chase Vespi. Dillon Tate came in to face Hernandez but naturally McGuire got himself thrown out at second trying to move on a pitch to the backstop to end the inning with the Sox down 15-10.
Somehow Urias flied out to left to start the bottom of the sixth and Mateo popped up to second. Mullins walked but Rutschman grounded out to second to end the inning.
Hernandez grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh and Dalbec lined out to right. Somehow Verdugo beat out a roller to short and that was it for Tate. Cionel Perez came in to face Duran and Jarren ripped a base hit to right. Once again needing Devers to come through...he struck out swinging at a pitch over his head to end the inning. Say what you will about the pitching but Devers came up twice with the Sox needing a big hit and failed both times. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Santander lined out to center to start. Mountcastle grounded out to second and Stowers struck out swinging to end the inning.
Arroyo lined out to center to start the top of the eighth and Hosmer grounded out to first. Refsnyder walked and Venable sent Kevin Plawecki instead of JD Martinez to pinch hit. Naturally Plawecki forced Refsnyder at second to end the inning. Matt Strahm came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Hays took strike three to start. Odor lined out to center but Urias was hit with a pitch. Mateo struck out swinging to end the inning.
Felix Bautista came in to close out the top of the ninth and Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Dalbec ripped a base hit to center but Verdugo popped up to short. Duran flied out to center to end the game. The O's had won it 15-10.
Jackass of the Night is Ryan Brasier. The Sox were right back in the game and he put it out of reach by allowing 5 runs in the fifth inning
The Good:
Tommy Pham was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis and a run scored.
Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 2.
Alex Verdugo was 3 for 6 with an rbi and a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a run scored before getting ejected.
Jarren Duran was 1 for 2 with a walk.
Christian Arroyo was 3 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Eric Hosmer was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.
Rob Refsnyder was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.
Reese McGuire was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis.
Jeurys Familia tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Matt Strahm pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Kutter Crawford took the loss by allowing 9 runs in just 3 2/3 innings off 11 hits.
Hiro Sawamura allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 1/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
Its not even worth getting mad at this point of how BAD the Sox are. The Sox pounded out 19 hits and 10 runs and still got creamed. The problem is the whole entire team forgot how to hit home runs. The O's hit 5 tonight alone and the Sox haven't had 5 total in a week. In fact, the Sox are on pace for their lowest home run total since 2014, another last place finish. Also you can't blame Sox GM Chaim Bloom for drafting Crawford and Brayan Bello because they were Dave Dombrowski guys, but its uncanny that ALL FOUR rookies the Sox have brought up this year have ERA's over 5. You would think one out of four would at least give you something. Tomo Ohka and Paxton Crawford were brought up in 2000 with the wild card on the line and even though the Sox failed to win, Crawford and Ohka had ERA's in the 3's to at least give the team a chance. Brayan Bello, Crawford, Josh Winckowski and Connor Seabold have been straight batting practice since they've been called up. It was definitely unfair to bring up Bello and Winckowski and trot them out against the AL East in July but if they were any good, they would have responded. Still, Crawford getting mangled today just goes to show that NOTHING has gone right this season. Pham leaving with a back injury and possibly not playing again this season is the icing on the cake. On the lighter side, its worth noting the fans in Camden are back. Sox fans remember six years ago when Baltimore was fighting for first place with Toronto and Boston there was less than 20,000 people at Camden. The announced crowd last night was almost 35,000. talk about an improvement. Guess the underdog story has gripped Baltimore and that's damn good for baseball. See, that's how things USED to be around here. Even with the Sox bloated payrolls, years like 2003, 2016 and even last year where the Sox weren't expected to do much yet made the playoffs were fun. There's been no fun this year apart from 3 weeks in June. With Martinez all washed up, Chris Sale, James Paxton and Trevor Story out for the season and Bogaerts unhappy about his contract situation, this year has been an out and out FAILURE all around. The Sox continue to play out the string as another one of their "sneeze on them and they're hurt" prized free agents Michael Wacha (7-1) gets the start against the Orioles against Kyle Bradish. The game begins at 4:05 PM tomorrow afternoon at Oriole Park in Camden Yards.
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