Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. The Sox activated right handed pitcher Brayan Bello from the Injured List to make today's start against the Los Angeles Angels. Jarren Duran was also called up from Worcester to give him one last chance to show something. For corresponding moves, Bobby Dalbec was sent back to Worcester and Jake Faria was designated for assignment. The Sox desperately need Bello to step up after taking his lumps last year and working with Pedro Martinez in Spring Training. Duran better show something or he's had it. If Dalbec ripped the cover off the ball, it might have been Triston Casas that got sent down but he didn't. Faria was expendable anyway and most likely go back to Worcester. If he doesn't come back to Worcester, Sox GM dumpster dove to sign 31 year old left handed pitcher Brennan Bernardino off waivers from the Seattle Mariners. Two years ago the Sox signed Yacksel Rios from Seattle and got something out of him, Bloom is hoping lightning strikes twice. He was 2-0 with a 2.20 ERA for Tacoma last year so at least he can get minor league batters out.
As for the game, the good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of their first round NHL playoff series. The bad news was after an hour long rain delay, the Los Angeles Angels for the fourth game in a row jumped out to a first inning lead against the Red Sox. For the only game in the series, that lead held. After an hour long rain delay to start, the Angels pounced on Sox starter Brayan Bello (0-1, 16.68 ERA) for four first inning runs. The Angels got another run in the second as Sox got a run against Angels starter Shohei Ohtani. It looked like advantage Red Sox when another hour and 25 minute rain delay took both starters from the game. The Sox rallied for three runs off the Angels bullpen while Kutter Crawford tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings in relief. The Sox got the tying run to second base in the ninth but Rob Refsnyder and Masa Yoshida failed to bring it home as the Angels had held on to win 5-4 on Patriots Day at Fenway Park.
Bello got the ball to start the top of the first inning and immediately imploded. Zach Neto took strike three but Shohei Ohtani hit an absolute rocket off the centerfield wall. Taylor Ward was hit with a pitch and Hunter Renfroe hit a home run all the way to Saudi Arabia to put the Angels up for good four batters into the game. Gio Urshela walked, Jake Lamb hit another rocket base hit to center and Brandon Drury scored Urshela with a sac fly to ice the game. Logan O'Hoppe absolutely crushed a base hit off the Monster but Brett Phillips struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels ending it early 4-0.
Renfroe jacks one
Neto got his first Major League hit with a base hit to left to start the top of the second before moving to third on another rocket base hit by Ohtani to right. Somehow Ward struck out swinging on a slider in the dirt but Renfroe scored Neto with a grounder to short. Urshela golfed a fly out to left to end the inning but the Angels were up 5-1.
After another delay to replace the clay on the diamond and Ohtani's pitch clock, Triston Casas popped up to center to start the bottom of the second. Kike Hernandez took strike three right down the middle and Reese McGuire struck out swinging to end the inning.
Jake Lamb got a base hit when Hernandez broke the wrong way to open the top of the third inning. Hernandez then dove and missed another base hit by Drury. O'Hoppe and Phillips struck out swinging before the rains came again on a 2-2 count to Neto. An hour and 25 minutes later, Bello was out of the game after 2 2/3 innings and five runs allowed. Kutter Crawford came in and got Zeto to fly out to right to end the inning.
Damn rain
Tucker Davidson came in to pitch for Ohtani with Shohei moving to DH for the bottom of the third. Arroyo grounded out to short to start before Duran took strike three. Tapia struck out swinging to end the inning.
Ohtani flied out to center to start the top of the fourth before Ward grounded out to short. Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a huge rally in the bottom of the fourth as Devers doubled to center to start. Refsnyder grounded out to second but Yoshida walked. Casas walked to load the bases but Hernandez lined out to first. McGuire flied out to center to end the inning.
Urshela grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth but Lamb got a base hit to left. Drury flied out to right and O'Hoppe grounded out to third to end the inning. Arroyo grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fifth but Duran doubled to left. Tapia struck out swinging and Devers grounded out to third to end the inning.
Phillips struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth before Zeto hit a routine grounder to Hernandez. Kike dove on the ball and wrestled with it for an error and it made Crawford laugh so hard that Kutter threw the pickoff throw away and threw a routine grounder by Ohtani into the bleachers for three errors in back to back plays. McGuire stepped up by gunning down Ohtani at second and Ward grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox finally rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Refsnyder got a base hit to left to start. Yoshida flied out to right and that was it for Davidson. Aaron Loup came in and Casas doubled to right. Hernandez hit a sac fly to score Refsnyder and McGuire beat out a roller to the mound to score Casas. With the tying run at the plate....Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.
Renfroe took strike three to start the top of the seventh before Urshela grounded out to second. Lamb grounded out to first to end the inning. Luis Rengifo took over for Lamb and Matt Moore came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Duran walked to start before swiping second base, only for Tapia to strike out swinging. Devers lined out to center and Refsnyder did the same to end the inning.
Drury flied out to right to start the top of the eighth before O'Hoppe popped up to first. Phillips struck out swinging to end the inning. Jose Quijada came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Yoshida grounded out to second to start. Casas flied out to center but Hernandez got a base hit to center. Justin Turner pinch hit for McGuire only to fly out to center to end the inning.
Connor Wong took over behind the plate with Crawford returning for the top of the ninth. Zeto flied out to right, Ohtani lined out to center and Ward struck out swinging to end the inning. Give credit to Crawford who tossed 6 1/3 innings of relief allowing just 1 hit while striking out 5.
The Sox rallied in the bottom of the ninth against Carlos Estevez when Alex Verdugo pinch hit for Arroyo to start. Verdugo singled to center but Duran went down hacking. Tapia walked and Devers got a base hit to right to score Verdugo. With the tying run at second....Refsnyder struck out swinging and Yoshida popped up to third to end the game. The Angels had won it 5-4.
Angels win
Jackass Bello
Jackass of the Night is Brayan Bello. He lasted just 2 2/3 innings and put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of by allowing 5 runs on 8 hits and a walk.
The Good:
Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with an rbi.
Triston Casas was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Reese McGuire was 1 for 3 with an rbi.
Alex Verdugo singled and scored as a pinch hitter.
Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.
Kutter Crawford was outstanding in relief, tossing 6 1/3 innings of 1 hit ball while striking out 5.
The Bad:
Justin Turner was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Chris Arroyo was 0 for 3.
The Ugly:
Raimel Tapia was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked twice and scored a run.
Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.
Masa Yoshida was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.
Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3 with an rbi but struck out and committed an error.
Honorable Mention:
Connor Wong caught the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
This game was a sucker punch to the gonads. The Sox were in a 5-1 hole when mother nature put the kibosh on not only Brayan Bello's bad start but Shohei Ohtani on the mound as well. It looked like the Sox were going to pull it out with the outstanding relief effort of Kutter Crawford and the Sox bats chipping away. They had the tying run on or at the plate in the final three innings but couldn't get it done. Its a shame because the Sox could have used the series sweep especially as a confidence boost of being able to turn a huge negative into a positive. Still, Bello looked rusty but he won't be pitching that bad too often. If Crawford can pitch like that more often, that's a big weapon either in long relief or the rotation if Corey Kluber and Chris Sale can't get their acts together. The bats are still insufficient but the Sox are hoping Duran can give them a spark. If he can't, there's always Enmanuel Valdez if and when he gets the call. All in all it was a frustrating loss but there were some good signs to improve on. The Sox now welcome the Minnesota Twins to town for a three game set. Chris Sale gets the start for the Sox up against Sonny Gray of Minnesota tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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