As for the game, another kick in the ass in a season full of them. The St. Louis Cardinals tore a page out of the script from twenty years earlier when they rallied late to beat the Red Sox. The Sox took a 4-2 lead after five innings due to home runs from Enmanuel Valdez and Connor Wong. James Paxton made his long awaited Red Sox debut and delivered five gutty innings to keep the Sox in front. Then Josh Winckowski crapped his pants by allowing three runs in the sixth. The Sox scratched out two runs to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth but Kenley Jansen (1-1, 3.09 ERA) allowed three runs in the top of the ninth including a two run pinch hit home run by Nolan Gorman. The Sox went quietly in the ninth and the Cardinals had won the game 8-6 at Fenway Park.
Paxton made his Sox debut in the top of the first inning and the Cardinals wasted no time getting to him. Tommy Edman took strike three but Paul Goldschmidt singled to left. Willson Contreras took strike three but Nolan Arenado hit a home run all the way to Sweden to put the Cards up just four batters into the game. Juan Yepez grounded out to second to end the inning but the Cardinals led 2-0.
Wainwright got the ball in the bottom of the first and Alex Verdugo watched strike three go by to start. Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to center but Justin Turner grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Dylan Carlson flied out to right to start the top of the second before Paul Dejong struck out swinging. Lars Nootbaar walked but Andrew Krizner flied out to right to end the inning. Rafael Devers flied out to left to start the bottom of the second but Jarren Duran drew a walk. Triston Casas banged into a double play to end the inning.
Edman flied out to right to start the top of the third but Goldschmidt singled to right. Contreras flied out to right but Arenado got a hit to left. Yepez struck out swinging to end the inning. Kike Hernandez flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Enmanuel Valdez took strike three. Connor Wong grounded out to short to end the inning.
Paxton dazzled in the top of the fourth as Carlson took strike three to start. Both Dejong and Nootbaar watched strike three go by to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Verdugo doubled to left to start. Yoshida flied out to right but Turner walked. Both runners moved over on the Devers grounder to first and scored on the Duran single to right. Casas doubled to right but some idiot touched the ball for fan interference. Naturally Hernandez grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Paxton returned for the top of the fifth and Knizner flied out to center to start. Edman took strike three and Goldschmidt went down hacking to end the inning. That was it for Paxton who who threw 87 pitches in his return allowing just 2 runs in 5 innings of work.
The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Valdez pounded his second home run of the season and Connor Wong smashed his fourth for back to back jacks. Verdugo lined out to first but Yoshida doubled to right. Turner flied out to right and Devers flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.
The lead didn't last long as Josh Winckowski came in to blow it in the top of the sixth. Contreras hit a home run into the outer reaches of Mongolia to cut the lead then Arenado got a base hit to center. Brendan Donovan pinch hit for Yepez and singled to right before Carlson got a base hit to right to load the bases. De Jong grounded into a double play but Arenado scored to tie the game. That was it for Winckowski as Richard Bleier came in to face Nootbaar. Lars doubled to left to score Donovan to put the Cardinals on top but Knizner popped up to first to end the inning with the Cardinals up 5-4.
Andrew Pallante came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Duran grounded out to third to start. Casas singled to center but Hernandez grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Edman grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh but Goldschmidt singled to center. Conteras grounded into a double play to end the inning. Valdez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh before Wong struck out swinging. Genesis Cabrera came in to pitch to Verdugo and Alex went down hacking to end the inning.
Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the eighth as Arenado grounded out to short to start. Donovan grounded out to second and Carlson grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the eighth as Yoshida walked to start. Turner walked and Devers hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to score Yoshida with the tying run. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Duran but Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol countered by bringing in Ryan Helsey to pitch to him. Sox manager Alex Cora countered that by having Railmel Tapia hit for Refsnyder and Bobby Dalbec in to run for Turner. Tapia grounded out to second but Dalbec scored to put the Sox on top. Casas flied out to right but it was 6-5 Sox.
Kenley Jansen came in to vomit up his intestines in the top of the ninth as DeJong walked to start. DeJong stole second, then scored on the Nootbaar single to center. Nootbaar took off for second and Wong threw the ball over the third baseman's head for no reason for an error to move Lars to third. Nolan Gorman pinch hit for Knizner and hot a home run to Cuba to ice the game. Edman doubled to left and that was it for Jansen. Ryan Brasier came in and Goldschmidt took strike three. Contreras grounded out to third but Arenado singled to left. Edman came around third but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning with the Cards up 8-6
Tres Barrera came in to catch the bottom of the ninth and Valdez struck out swinging to start. Reese McGuire pinch hit for Wong and also went down hacking. Verdugo whiffed to end the game. The Cardinals had won it 8-6.
Cardinals win
Jackass Jansen
Raimel Tapia drove in a run in his only plate appearance.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Jackass of The Night is Kenley Jansen for blowing the save. He allowed 3 runs to put the game out of reach.
The Good:
Masataka Yohida was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Justin Turner walked twice and scored a run in four plate appearances.
Bobby Dalbec scored a run as a pinch runner.
Jarren Duran was 1 for 2 with a walk and 2 rbis.
Raimel Tapia drove in a run in his only plate appearance.
Triston Casas was 2 for 4.
James Paxton allowed 2 runs in 5 innings of work. He allowed 4 hits and a walk while striking out nine.
Richard Bleier tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Brennan Bernardino tossed a scoreless inning.
Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless ninth inning after Jansen was out.
The Bad:
Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Reese McGuire struck out as a pinch hitter.
Josh Winckowski allowed 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.
Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a home run but struck out and committed an error.
Honorable Mention:
Rob Refsnyder "pinch hit" in the bottom of the eighth.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox had this game in the bag but Jansen blew one of his only saves all season tonight. These are the games the Sox can't afford to lose in the era of the three wild cards because even as mediocre as they are, they're going to be in the hunt as long as they don't suffer any catastrophic injuries. The Cardinals are under .500 for a reason and this is a huge loss in the grand scheme of things. The Sox need to start winning these games to gain some ground on the other teams in the AL East. Paxton pitched well too so things may be looking up if he can rediscover his former form he had in New York and Seattle. Hopefully the Sox can put this loss in the rear view mirror because that was BAD. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-17, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Cardinals when Chris Sale takes the mound against Steven Matz. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.
The Sox had this game in the bag but Jansen blew one of his only saves all season tonight. These are the games the Sox can't afford to lose in the era of the three wild cards because even as mediocre as they are, they're going to be in the hunt as long as they don't suffer any catastrophic injuries. The Cardinals are under .500 for a reason and this is a huge loss in the grand scheme of things. The Sox need to start winning these games to gain some ground on the other teams in the AL East. Paxton pitched well too so things may be looking up if he can rediscover his former form he had in New York and Seattle. Hopefully the Sox can put this loss in the rear view mirror because that was BAD. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-17, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Cardinals when Chris Sale takes the mound against Steven Matz. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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