Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Zack Kelly returned from the paternity list and Josh Winckowski was sent back down to Worcester. Get out AND STAY OUT!!!!
As for the game, what more can be said about the Boston bullpen? They have officially blown 24 saves this season and even if they blew just 15, they'd be in the playoffs picture right about now. Not only that, the Sox bats have the ML worst batting average with men in scoring position including the last place teams. Michael Wacha held the Tampa Bay Rays to just 2 runs in 6 innings of work while the Sox scratched out three measly runs against Luis Patino. The in the bottom of the seventh Jeurys Familia coughed up the lead and Zack Kelly allowed the go-ahead run to score. The Sox had a chance to tie the game in the top of the ninth but failed miserably as the Rays continued their season long dominance over the Red Sox with a 4-3 win at Tropicana Field.
The Sox wasted no time getting to Luis Patino in the top of the first inning although Tommy Pham struck out swinging to start. Alex Verdugo launched his ninth home run of the season to put Boston on top and Xander Bogaerts followed with a base hit to left. Rafael Devers flied out to center and Trevor Story grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.
The Rays wasted no time pounding Wacha in the bottom of the first as old pal Manny Margot effortlessly ripped a base hit to center to start. Somehow Randy Arozarena popped up to first but David Peralta easily singled to center to move Margot to third. Harold Ramirez laughed as he stuck his bat out and singled to right to score Margot with the tying run before Isaac Parades struck out swinging. Christian Bethancourt somehow forced Ramirez at second to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.
Patino effortlessly shut down the Sox in the top of the second as Triston Casas grounded weakly back to the mound, Kike Hernandez grounded out to shot and Franchy Cordero literally took strike three right down the middle to end the inning. Wacha got a lucky strikeout of Taylor Walls swinging to begin the bottom of the second but naturally Yu Chang absolutely smashed a double over the head of Cordero. Joe Siri moved Chang to third with a grounder to first and Margot...somehow struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox struck back in the top of the third as Kevin Plawecki hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Somehow Pham and Verdugo drew back to back walks but Bogaerts struck out swinging on a pitch that would have been ball four. Devers got a lucky bloop single to center to score Pham to put the Sox back on top. Verdugo went to third on the play and Story worked an 8 pitch at bat before doubling to left to score Alex with another run. Casas popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.
Somehow Arozarena flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Peralta also shockingly flied out to right. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning as Sox fans were completely confused at how the Sox didn't give up a run after scoring their own.
The bottom of the order did nothing as usual in the top of the fourth as Hernandez popped up weakly to second to start. Cordero struck out swinging on a pitch that bounced five feet in front of home plate and Plawecki grounded weakly back to the mound to end the inning. Shockingly Parades struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fourth but naturally Bethancourt effortlessly doubled to right. The Rays made a rare mental error when Bethancourt was thrown out at third on a grounder to the mound by Walls and Chang grounded out to third to end the inning.
Pham flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Verdugo got a lucky single to right. Verdugo moved to second on the grounder to short by Bogaerts and Devers was intentionally walked to get to Story. Once again every move an AL East opponent makes against the Red Sox worked out as Story forced Devers at second to end the inning. That would have been a double play too if there was only one out to boot. The Rays finally got to Wacha in the bottom of the fifth as Siri easily singled in the hole at short to start. The umps felt sorry for Wacha and rung up Margot for strike three but Arozarena worked a 9 pitch double off the wall that Cordero crashed into the wall trying to get. Siri scored and Cordero had to be carted off with what looked to be a broken ankle, never want to see guys get hurt. Rob Refsnyder came in to play left and robbed Peralta of a home run immediately after he came in. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning but the Rays were back in it down 3-2.
Old pal Jalen "Twin" Beeks came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Casas did what every other prospect did when they were called up....take strike three right down the middle to start. Hernandez struck out swinging on a pitch up at his eyes and Refsnyder lined out weakly to center to end the inning. Wacha returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth as Parades grounded out to first to start. Bethancourt grounded out to third and Walls struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Wacha who tossed 6 solid innings allowing just 2 runs.
Calvin Faucher came in to pitch the top of the seventh and somehow walked Plawecki to start. Naturally Pham struck out swinging and Verdugo forced Plawecki at second, but Bogaerts got a lucky single to right. Devers was unintentionally intentionally walked to load the bases and naturally Story struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rays laughed as Jeurys Familia came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh as Vidal Brujan pinch hit for Chang. Brujan was hit with a pitch and swiped second before moving to third on the grounder to second by Siri. Margot effortlessly doubled to left to score Brujan to tie the game and chase Familia. Sox GM Chaim Bloom refusing to get bullpen help at the deadline led to this. Zack Kelly came in and Margot moved to third on the Arozarena grounder to short. Peralta did the honors by effortlessly doubling to right to score Margot and put the Rays up for good. Ramirez lined out to left to end the inning with the game all but over, 4-3 Rays.
The Sox rolled over in the top of the eighth against Colin Poche as Casas once AGAIN took strike three right down the middle to start. Hernandez struck out swinging and Refsnyder went down hacking to end the inning. Say what you will about the useless bullpen but the Sox had just 6 hits in the game, pathetic. Kelly cruised in the bottom of the eighth as Parades grounded out to third to start. Bethancourt struck out swinging and Walls lined out to second to end the inning.
Pete Fairbanks came in to close out the top of the ninth and Reese McGuire pinch hit for Plawecki. Reese got a lucky single up the middle before Connor Wong ran for him. Naturally with a man on base Pham struck out swinging on a pitch three feet outside. Verdugo hit a double play ball to short to force Wong but Brujan threw the ball away to allow Verdugo to reach second on the error. Brujan was hurt on the play and Yandy Diaz took over for him as Bogaerts came to the plate with the game on the line. Guess what happened? Of course Bogaerts looked at a straight fastball right down the middle to end the game. A graphic showed the 2022 Red Sox officially have the WORST batting average in MLB with men in scoring which includes the Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers. They deserved this 4-3 defeat by the Rays.
Jackass of the Night is Jeurys Familia. He came in with a one run lead and blew it, taking the loss.
The Good:
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a walk, home run and 2 total runs scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5.
Rafael Devers was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.
Reese McGuire got a base hit as a pinch hitter.
Michael Wacha tossed 6 solid innings allowing 7 hits and 2 runs while striking out 7.
The Bad:
Triston Casas was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Franchy Cordero was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts before leaving the game.
Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
Tommy Pham was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.
Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 2 but walked.
Zack Kelly allowed the go-ahead run to score but none of his own in 1 2/3 innings.
Honorable Mention:
Connor Wong ran for McGuire in the ninth inning.
Final Thoughts:
That was the 24th blown save of the season for the Red Sox and if Chaim Bloom still has a job this November, hell has frozen over. Back in 2020 all the Sox needed was a decent rotation and they might have made the playoffs, Bloom said nah. In 2021 all the Sox needed was a better rotation and they might have won the World Series, Bloom said nah. In 2022 all the Sox needed was a good bullpen and rotation depth, Bloom said nah. Sox manager Alex Cora isn't infallible for his decisions this season but he's been given very little to work with by Bloom. That's only the half of it, even with the bullpen woes the Sox bats managed just 6 hits in the game. Once they get men on, especially in scoring position, very rarely do they get a hit when it matters. Trevor Story coming up empty with the bases loaded in the seventh pretty much sealed their fate. Not to mention Triston Casas is supposedly the savior at first base but is refusing to swing the bat. Hopefully its just first week jitters but he looks completely lost so far. Then again, most everyone looks lost as soon as there is a runner at second base. If the bullpen only blew half of the leads they'd be 79-57 right now, right there in the thick of things. As it is, they're one step closer to elimination in a season that can't end fast enough. The loss dropped the Sox to 67-69, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox next defeat at the hands of an AL East team comes tomorrow night against the Rays. Garrett Cleavinger goes for Tampa against Rich Hill (6-5) of the Red Sox. The humiliation begins at 6:40 PM at Tropicana Field.
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