As for the game, what else can be said about this year's team that hasn't already been said? For the fourth game in a row the Tampa Bay Rays utterly dominated the Sox in all aspects of the game thus proving that Sox GM Chaim Bloom is a complete fraud. He went into the season banking on Corey Kluber (0-3, 6.92 ERA) anchoring the rotation and instead he's sinking the ship the way he's been pitching. The Sox actually broke out to a 3-1 lead on a Justin Turner rbi going into the bottom of the fifth but Kluber completely fell apart. Still, the game was still 3-2 Sox when Kluber was lifted but Richard Bleier allowed both inherited runners to score and four of his own all in one inning. The Sox offense went to sleep after that, the Rays got another run against Kutter Crawford and it all added up to a series sweep by a superior team with a fraction of the payroll. The Rays had won the game 9-3 at Tropicana Field.
The Red Sox actually struck first against old buddy Jeffrey Springs in the top of the first inning although Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to start. Justin Turner also went down hacking but Rob Refsnyder of all people clobbered his first home run of the season to give the Red Sox the lead. Triston Casas grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
Naturally the Rays immediately responded in the bottom of the first when Yandy Diaz sent the fourth pitch he saw all the way to the moon to tie the game. Brandon Lowe struck out swinging, Randy Arozarena popped up to first and Wander Franco struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
Bobby Dalbec took strike three to start the top of the second before Kike Hernandez grounded out to second. Reese McGuire took strike three to end the inning. Luke Raley lined a double down the right field line to start the bottom of the second but Harold Ramirez popped up to second. Taylor Walls struck out swinging and Josh Lowe popped up to second to end the inning.
Yu Chang struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Christian Arroyo lined out to left. Verdugo grounded out to third to end the inning. Francisco Mejia struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the third before Diaz flied out to center. Lowe struck out swinging to end the inning.
Unfortunately Springs felt something pop in his shoulder warming up and had to leave due to injury in the top of the fourth. Garrett Cleavinger came in ice cold and Turner greeted him with a double to left. Refsnyder took strike three but Casas walked. Somehow Turner stole third and Dalbec walked to load the bases to chase Cleavinger. Kevin Kelly came in and Hernandez just barely beat out a double play ball to score Turner to put Boston on top. Reese McGuire lined out to right to end the inning. The Sox not breaking the game open was a microcosm of their bad offense but still were ahead 2-1.
Kluber responded in the bottom of the fourth by punching out Arozarena to start. Franco also struck out swinging and Raley flied out to right to end the inning. It looked like Kluber had turned the corner after giving up the solo shot to Diaz, damn.
The Sox got another run in the top of the fifth although Chang grounded out to short to start. Arroyo smacked a double to left and moved to third on the grounder to the mound by Verdugo. Turner stepped up with a bloop singled to center to score Arroyo with another run. Refsnyder was plunked but Casas lined out to center to end the inning.
Things went south for Kluber immediately in the bottom of the fifth as Ramirez doubled to left to begin. Walls moved Ramirez over to third with a grounder to second and Josh Lowe walked to put runners at the corners. Mejia ripped a base hit to right to score Ramirez but Diaz lined out to right. Sox manager Alex Cora then made the biggest mistake of the game by removing Kluber for Richard Bleier. Kluber had thrown just 76 pitches and was one out away from preserving not only the lead but his first win of the season. Instead he'd eventually be saddled with a loss and 4 runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings. The floodgates opened as Brandon Lowe effortlessly singled to center to score Josh Lowe with the tying run. Arozarena laughed as he ripped a base hit to right to score Mejia. Franco was plunked as Sox fans in St. Pete started booing like crazy. Manny Margot pinch hit for Raley and dropped down a bunt and Bleier threw to the wrong base to score Brandon Lowe. Cora had fallen asleep because he kept Bleier in to face Ramirez and Harold cleared the bases with a double to left to ice the game. Cora could be heard snoring in the dugout as Verdugo had to climb the right field wall to rob Walls of a home run to end the inning. What started as a 3-1 lead with Kluber dealing turned into an 8-3 Rays lead, way to go Cora.
The Sox were deflated in the top of the sixth as Dalbec struck out swinging to start. Hernandez lined out to right and McGuire took strike three to end the inning. Kutter Crawford came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Josh Lowe grounded out to second to start. Mejia struck out swinging and Diaz flied out to right to end the inning.
Braden Bristo came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Chang drew a walk to start. Arroyo struck out swinging but Chang took second on a wild pitch. Verdugo lined out to left and Turner popped up to third to end the inning. Brandon Lowe wrapped up the scoring by hitting a home run all the way to Taiwan to start the bottom of the seventh. Arozarena popped up to short, Franco flied out to right and Margo grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rays ahead 9-3.
Refsnyder popped up to short to start the top of the eighth before Casas struck out swinging. Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning. Ramirez got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Walls flied out to center. Josh Lowe struck out swinging and Mejia popped up to third to end the inning.
Bristo came back to close out the top of the ninth and Hernandez grounded out to third to start. McGuire struck out swinging and Chang flied out to center to end the game. The Sox did not have a hit after the Turner rbi and the Rays had won it 9-3.
Jackass of the Night is Richard Bleier. He allowed 2 inherited runners to score and four of his own to put the game out of reach.
The Good:
Justin Turner was 2 for 4 with an rbi, a stolen base and a run scored.
Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 3 with a home run and a hit by pitch.
Christian Arroyo was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
The Bad:
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Reese McGuire was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Corey Kluber took the loss by getting charged with 4 runs in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed 4 hits and a walk while striking out 7.
The Ugly:
Triston Casas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.
Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.
Yu Chang was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Kutter Crawford allowed a run in 3 innings of work while striking out two.
Final Thoughts:
Like I said yesterday, the only silver lining to the Red Sox getting mauled by other teams and finishing in last place is the end of Cora and Bloom in Boston. Bloom put this inexcusable roster together and for 3 years now Cora's been a complete analytical puppet for Bloom. My hair brained theory is that when Cora was hired back to manage in 2021 he became a total Yes-Man for Bloom and the whole "no third time through the order" nonsense because he was grateful to have his job back. He was never like that in 2018 or 2019 but today it cost them. Had Kluber been allowed to get the final out, its an entirely different ballgame. Instead not only did he lift Kluber, he left Bleier in to rot when he had nothing. You don't see Kevin Cash making those mistakes on the other side very often. This is, without hyperbole, the worst offense talent wise the Red Sox have had in our lifetimes. There's been down years before with guys underperforming or all washed up but look at the lineup they threw out today. Apart from Verdugo and Turner, none of them should be starting on a Major League team. Casas has been a failure since he got called up last September and Dalbec has been on a two year decline. Injuries and Bloom letting Xander Bogaerts walk forced Hernandez, Arroyo and Refsnyder into starting roles and they're simply not getting it done. Its an unmitigated disaster and Bloom should definitely lose his job for it. He was handed a team that had stumbled in 2019 but had won 108 games and the World Series in 2018 and completely flushed it down the toilet. The only difference between him and Harry Frazee is Harry did it intentionally, what's Bloom's excuse? Oh it gets better, the Sox now return home to an angry Fenway Park to face Mike Trout, Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Angels in a four game set with the Patriots Day game on Monday featuring Ohtani pitching. This could knock the Sox out of contention early. Patrick Sandoval starts for the Angels against Tanner Houck of the Red Sox tomorrow evening at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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