Rays Blank, Sweep Sox (9/7/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Franchy Cordero was placed on the Injured List with a sprained ankle and considering how few games are left in the season, that might be it for him. Eric Hosmer is also not coming back so Sox GM Chaim Bloom's trades are not working out at all. Abraham Almonte was called up to take Cordero's place.

                                                                    OUT

                                                                        IN

As the nails continue to be pounded into the Boston Red Sox coffin, you just have to shake your head and laugh at this point. Nick Pivetta (9-11, 4.29 ERA) and the Red Sox bullpen held the Tampa Bay Rays to just four hits and a run the entire game....great right? Well old pal Jeffrey Springs and the Tampa bullpen held the Sox to just 6 hits and NO runs. The Sox had runners on base including two at a time in several innings but couldn't deliver a single clutch hit. The only run of the game was Taylor Walls driving in Francisco Mejia in the top of the fifth inning. The Sox got the tying run on in the ninth inning but Pete Fairbanks slammed the door. The Sox continued their September slide by dropping this game 1-0 at Tropicana Field. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Springs got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez doubled to left to start. Tommy Pham and Alex Verdugo struck out swinging, but Trevor Story walked. JD Martinez flied out to right to end the inning. Pivetta got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Yandy Diaz walked to start. Brandon Lowe flied out to left and Diaz swiped second. Harold Ramirez struck out swinging but Randy Arozarena walked. David Peralta struck out swinging to end the inning.

Christian Arroyo grounded out to third to begin the top of the second before Rob Refsnyder lined out to right. Triston Casas grounded out to short to end the inning. Manny Margot lined out to second to start the bottom of the second and Francisco Mejia did the same. Ji-Man Choi walked but Taylor Walls flied out to right to end the inning.

Connor Wong flied out to right to start the top of the third before Hernandez lined out to short. Pham flied out to right to end the inning. Diaz flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Lowe struck out swinging. Ramirez lined out to center to end the inning.

Yonny Chirinos came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Verdugo flied out to left to start. Story got a base hit to left and Martinez walked, but Arroyo struck out swinging. Refsnyder also struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rays beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth as Arozarena grounded out to short to start. Peralta grounded out to first and Margot grounded out to short to end the inning.

Casas lined out to center to begin the top of the fifth and Wong struck out swinging. Hernandez and Pham stroked back to back singles but Verdugo grounded out to short to end the inning. The Rays struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Mejia doubled to center to start. Choi flied out to center to move Mejia to third and he scored on the Walls infield roller to short. Walls stole second and took third on the Diaz grounder to short, but Lowe grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                       Mejia is all smiles

Story grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth before Martinez grounded out to short. Arroyo doubled to left and Refsnyder took strike three to end the inning. That was it for Pivetta as John Schreiber came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth. Ramirez struck out swinging but Arozarena got a base hit to right. Peralta grounded out to short to move Randy to second but Margot grounded out to first to end the inning. Pivetta went five innings allowing just 2 hits and 3 walks before Schreiber got the job done here.

                                                      Pivetta deserved better

Colin Poche came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Casas struck out swinging to start. Wong grounded out to second and Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Matt Strahm came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Mejia flied out to left to start. Isaac Parades pinch hit for Choi and flied out to right, but Walls doubled to left. Diaz was intentionally walked and Christian Bethancourt pinch hit for Lowe. Strahm's pitch went to the backstop and Walls tried to score, getting thrown out at home to end the inning.

Jason Adam came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pham got a base hit to right to start. Pham took second on a wild pitch and Verdugo walked to put the go-ahead run on. Story beat out a double play ball and promptly stole second. Martinez flied out to right and Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning. Zack Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Bethancourt flied out to left to start. Ramirez grounded out to second and Arozarena did the same to end the inning.

Pete Fairbanks came in to close out the top of the ninth with Jose Siri taking over for Arozarena. Abraham Almonte made his Sox debut by pinch hitting for Refsnyder....and striking out swinging. Casas walked and Reese McGuire pinch hit for Wong. McGuire took strike three and Hernandez popped up to right to end the game. The Rays had won the game 1-0.

                                                             Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Christian Arroyo. He had 2 men in scoring position in the eighth and failed to get them in.

                                                           Jackass Arroyo

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 5.

Tommy Pham was 2 for 4.

Trevor Story was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.

One of the few times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Nick Pivetta held the Rays to just 1 run in 5 innings allowing 2 hits and 3 walks.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Matt Straham pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Zack Kelly pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Abraham Almonte struck out as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Reese McGuire struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 but walked.

Triston Casas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

What more can be said about this season other than they lost it by being unable to beat their own division. All season long they lost series or got swept by the Toronto Blue Jays, the Rays, the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Yankees. Subsequently, 4 of the top 6 teams in the American League are the four teams previously mentioned. The Sox walked into a buzzsaw this season and injuries to their rotation in June and July sealed their fate. They had plenty of chances to win this one but couldn't push a run across. Even taking Pivetta out after 5 seemed like a bad idea but the bullpen held it down. Its been a lost season and with both Franchy Cordero and Eric Hosmer not coming back, the pressure is on Chaim Bloom. Every move he made backfired big time beginning in the off-season and the team has suffered because of it. There's only 24 games of torture remaining but it won't be painless. The loss dropped the Sox to 67-71, good for last place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox now travel to Baltimore to get their brains beat in by the Orioles for three games. Brayan Bello (1-4) goes for the Sox against Austin Voth. The game begins at 7:05 PM on Friday night at Camden Yards.