Boston Red Sox fans are ready to riot after just four games into the season mostly due to the fact the off-season additions are failing hard so far. Tonight it was Ranger Suarez (0-1, 8.31 ERA) and Johan Oviedo's turn to bite the big one against the Houston Astros. The Astros lit up Suarez for 4 runs and knocked him out in the fifth inning. Oviedo gave up 4 runs of his own as the Astros hit four home runs as a team. Meanwhile the sputtering Red Sox offense mustered just 4 hits and a run against Lance McCullers Jr and Ryan Weiss. Caleb Durbin dropped to 0-14 on the season and the Sox dropped to 1-3 as the Astros defeated the Red Sox 8-1 at Daikin Park.
McCullers got the ball in the top of the first inning and Roman Anthony struck out swinging to start. Trevor Story struck out swinging and Jarren Duran grounded out to first to end the inning. Naturally the Astros pounded Suarez in the bottom of the first inning as Jose Altuve got a base hit in the hole at short to start. Yordan Alvarez got a base hit to right and Isaac Parades got a base hit to center to load the bases. Carlos Correa grounded into a double play but Altuve scored to put the Astros up for good just four batters into the game. Christian Walker popped up to third to end the inning with the Astros up 1-0.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second as Willson Contreras struck out swinging to start. Wilyer Abreu took strike three right down the middle and Caleb Durbin continued his cold streak by grounding out weakly to short to end the inning. Cam Smith popped up to second to start the bottom of the second and Jake Meyers popped up to first. Yainer Diaz singled to left but Brice Matthews took strike three to end the inning.
The ineptitude continued in the top of the third as Marcelo Mayer grounded out to first to start. Carlos Narvaez got a base hit to right but naturally Ceddanne Rafaela grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Astros iced the game in the bottom of the third as Altuve got a base hit to right and Alvarez hit a home run all the way to Nogales. Paredes popped up to second, Correa lined out to right and Walker struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was over, 3-0 Astros.
Anthony flied out to right to start the top of the fourth and Story struck out swinging. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Smith grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth before Meyers flied out to left. Diaz grounded out to third to end the inning.
Contreras struck out swinging to begin the top of the fifth but Abreu got a base hit to left. Durbin grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Astros poured it on in the bottom of the fifth as Matthews hit a home run all the way to Nicaragua to start. Altuve walked but Alvarez struck out swinging. Say goodbye to Suarez who got lit up for 4 runs in 4 1/3 innings in his Sox debut. Johan Oviedo made his Sox debut by promptly throwing a wild pitch and hitting Paredes. Correa forced Paredes at second and Walker took strike three to end the inning with the Astros up 4-0.
Suarez sucked tonight
Mayer grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth before Narvaez struck out swinging. Rafaela popped up to short to end the inning. The Astros poured it on in the bottom of the sixth as Smith doubled to left to start. Meyers singled to left to move Smith to third and Cam scored on the sac fly to center by Diaz. Matthews flied out to center and Meyers was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Astros up 5-0.
The Sox got their only run of the game in the top of the seventh as Anthony grounded out to second to start. Story doubled to left, Duran walked and Contreras beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Abreu pounded a ground rule double into the right field stands to sore Story. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Durbin and struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.
Abreu does it again
The Astros got the run right back in the bottom of the seventh as Isiah Kiner-Falefa came in to play third. Altuve hit a home run all the way to Neptune but Alvarez grounded out to first. Paredes hit one up the elevator shaft but Correa got a base hit to right. Walker doubled to center to score Correa and Smith walked. Meyers took strike three to end the inning with Houston on top 7-1.
Altuve joins the fun
Ryan Weiss came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Mayer walked to start. Narvaez struck out swinging, Rafaela lined out to center and Anthony watched strike three go by to end the inning. To say the Sox had checked out mentally would be an understatement. The Astros wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eigth as Diaz grounded out to short to start. Matthews struck out swinging but Altuve hit a home run all the way to Russia to make this one a rout. Alvarez grounded out to first to end the inning with the Astros up 8-1.
Another one for Altuve
Nick Allen came in for Paredes for the top of the ninth and Story popped up to short to begin. Duran struck out swinging and Contreras grounded out to second to end the game. The Astros had won 8-1.
Astros win
Nice debut, Jackass
Jackass of the Night is Ranger Suarez. He got lit up for 4 runs in 4 1/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.
The Good:
Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 3 with an rbi.
Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3.
The Bad:
Roman Anthony was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Willson Contreras was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Chad Durbin was 0 for 2.
Masataka Yoshida struck out as a pinch hitter.
Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3.
Johan Oviedo allowed 4 runs in 3 2/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.
Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2 but walked.
Honorable Mention:
Isiah Kiner-Falefa played third base in the final two innings.
Final Thoughts:
Fans are panicking already as its uncanny how the Sox get off to slow starts every single year. Not since 2018 have the Sox looked competent through the first week of the season. In the era of the 3 wild cards where every win counts, slow starts doom teams come late September. Suarez and Oviedo look horrible, Contreras and Durbin look horrible and Sonny Gray was awful on Saturday. Its only four games but you'd think SOMEONE would step up. The problem is with the losses of Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman, everyone else thinks they have to swing for the fences to pick up the slack and that's not going to help. The Sox are better off playing small ball because swinging for the fences clearly isn't working the first four games of the season. The only bright side of Oviedo getting beat up is it saved the bullpen for tomorrow. They're going to need it because the Sox look to snap their three game losing streak when Brayan Bello makes his season debut against Hunter Brown of Houston. The game begins at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Daikin Park.
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