If the Boston Red Sox want to prove they can hang with the big boys, they're going to have to do better than to drop two of three games to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tanner Houck (3-4, 5.30 ERA) got blitzed in the first inning on a 2 run Corbin Carroll home run and a Josh Rojas rbi single. Geraldo Perdomo hit a home run in the bottom of the second and that was basically the game. Merrill Kelly held the Sox scoreless into the seventh inning when Alex Verdugo hit a bases loaded single to score Triston Casas. Rafael Devers then struck out to end the rally. Justin Turner hit a home run in the eighth inning but Raimel Tapia couldn't drive in the tying runs. The tying run came to the plate in the ninth inning but Miguel Castro slammed the door. The Diamondbacks had won it 4-2.
Kelly got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alex Verdugo popped up to third to start. Rafael Devers grounded out to first and Justin Turner struck out swinging to end the inning. Houck got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Pavin Smith flied out to center to start. Ketel Marte singled to right and Corbin Carroll hit a home run all the way to Texas to put the Diamondbacks up for good 3 batters into the game. Christian Walker struck a base hit to left, Lourdes Gurriel Jr singled to center and Josh Rojas singled to left to score Walker. Gabriel Moreno forced Rojas at second and Jake McCarthy lined out to left to end the inning with Arizona up 3-0.
Diamondbacks strike first
Masataka Yoshida singled to right to start the top of the second but Jarren Duran took strike three. Triston Casas also took strike three and Kike Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. The Diamondbacks got another run in the bottom of the second as Geraldo Perdomo hit a home run all the way to New Mexico to increase the lead. Smith grounded out to first, Marte struck out swinging and Carroll grounded out to second to end the inning with Arizona up 4-0.
Another home run
Enmanuel Valdez took strike three to start the top of the third but Connor Wong doubled to right. Verdugo moved Wong to third with a grounder to second but Devers grounded out to first to end the inning, Walker lined out to center to start the bottom of the third before Gurriel Jr grounded out to short. Rojas struck out swinging to end the inning.
Turner flied out to left to start the top of the fourth but Yoshida walked. Duran and Casas both struck out swinging to end the inning. Moreno lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before McCarthy took strike three. Perdomo was also caught looking to end the inning. That was it for Houck who lasted just 4 innings and allowed 4 runs.
Hernandez flied out to left to start the top of the fifth and Valdez lined out to center. Wong grounded out to third to end the inning. Joely Rodriguez came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Smith popped up to third to start. Marte singled to left and promptly stole second. Carroll flied out to center and Walker struck out swinging to end the inning.
Verdugo took strike three to start the top of the sixth before Devers also watched strike go by. Turner got a base hit to right but Yoshida was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Nick Pivetta took over on the mound for the bottom of the sixth and Gurriel Jr singled to left to start. Rojas flied out to center but Moreno got a base hit off the glove of Valdez. McCarthy took strike three but a wild pitch moved the runners over. Perdomo flied out to right to end the inning.
Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Casas got a base hit to right. Hernandez walked and Andrew Chafin came in to pitch to pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder. Refsnyder walked to load the bases but Wong flied out to left. Pablo Reyes pinch ran for Refsnyder and Verdugo got a base hit to left to score Casas. With a chance to tie or go-ahead....Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.
Verdugo tried to rally the guys
Smith lined out to short to start the bottom of the seventh before Marte flied out to right. Carroll struck out swinging to end the inning.
Kyle Nelson came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Turner greeted him with his sixth home run of the season. Yoshida singled off the glove of Nelson but Duran took strike three. Casas struck out swinging and Jose Ryuz came in to face Hernandez. Enrique walked and Raimel Tapia pinch hit for Reyes. Tapia flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox still down 4-2.
Walker flied out to right to start the bottom of the eighth and Gurriel Jr struck out swinging. Rojas flied out to right to end the inning.
Miguel Castro came in to close out the top of the ninth and Reese McGuire pinch hit for Connor Wong....only to strike out swinging. Verdugo got a base hit in the hole at third then moved to second on the grounder to short by Devers. Turner struck out swinging to end the game. The Diamondbacks had won 4-2.
Diamondbacks win
Disgruntled Jackass
Rob Refsnyder walked as a pinch hitter.
Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Reese McGuire struck out as a pinch hitter.
Jackass of the Night is Rafael Devers. He struck out with the bases loaded in the eighth inning and grounded out in the ninth inning representing the tying run.
The Good:
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 5 with an rbi.
Justin Turner was 2 for 5 with a home run.
Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 3.
Kike Hernandez walked twice in four plate appearances.
Rob Refsnyder walked as a pinch hitter.
Connor Wong was 1 for 3.
Joely Rodriguez pitched a scoreless fifth inning.
Nick Pivetta tossed 3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.
Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Raimel Tapia was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Reese McGuire struck out as a pinch hitter.
Tanner Houck allowed 4 runs in 4 innings off 6 hits.
The Ugly:
Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.
Honorable Mention:
Pablo Reyes ran for Refsnyder in the eighth inning.
Final Thoughts:
Another loss where the Sox couldn't deliver the knockout punch. Devers failed in the 7th and the 9th to get the tying runs in but he wasn't the only one. The Sox had men on base in the final innings and couldn't get it done. It didn't help Tanner Houck didn't have it tonight but they still should be good enough to score more than two runs with that many guys on base. This season was supposed to be better than last year but between starting pitching inefficiency and lack of offense, its starting to look just like 2022. The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 28-25, 10 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox return home to face the Cincinnati Reds starting this Tuesday night. Brayan Bello (3-2) takes on Ben Lively of the Reds. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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