May, Cards Edge Sox (4/10/26)

If the "sell the team" chants were loud at Fenway Park earlier this week, they're going to be even louder when the Boston Red Sox return if they keep putting up games like this one. Last year potential AAA MVP James Tibbs was part of the Rafael Devers package and he was sent to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Dustin May last July. May was so incompetent that he was released in September. Naturally May held the Sox to just one earned run in 6 innings in tonight's game for the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards got a run against Connelly Early but the Sox rallied for two runs in the fourth. After Early was once again pulled too soon, the Cards pounced on Zack Kelly for two runs. With the anemic Red Sox offense doing nothing, that was all the Cards needed to win the game 3-2 at Busch Stadium.

                                                       "No offense again"

May got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Caleb Durbin grounded out to third but Masataka Yoshida was hit with a pitch. Willson Contreras was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Early got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and JJ Wetherholt flied out to center to begin. Ivan Herrera singled to right but was forced at second by Alex Burleson. Jordan Walker struck out swinging to end the inning.

Wilyer Abreu got a base hit to right to start the top of the second but Trevor Story took strike three. Marcelo Mayer flied out to center and Carlos Narvaez grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Cards struck first in the bottom of the second as Ramon Urias doubled to center to start. Masyn Winn walked and Jose Fermin got a base hit to left to load the bases with nobody out. Pedro Pages struck out swinging but Victor Scott hit a sac fly to left to score Urias. Wetherholt walked to reload the bases but Herrera struck out swinging to end the inning with the Cards up 1-0.

                                                          Cards take the lead

Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to first to start the top of the third and Duran did the same. Durbin took strike three to end the inning. Burleson grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third but Walker got a base hit to right. Urias lined out to center but Winn was hit with a pitch. Fermin took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth inning as Yoshida grot a base hit to right to start. Contreras flied out to right but Abreu got a base hit to right to move Masataka to third. Story beat out a double play ball and Wetherholt threw the ball away for an error to score Yoshida. Mayer singled inside the bag at first and both runners pulled off a double steal, Story stealing home to give the Sox the lead. Narvarez grounded out to short to end the inning with Boston ahead 2-1.

                                                         Story steals home

Pages grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth but Scott got a base hit inside the bag at first. Wetherholt grounded out to first and Herrera struck out swinging to end the inning.

Thomas Saggese took over for Winn to start the top of the fifth and Rafaela lined out to second to start. Duran popped up to third and Durbin lined out to short to end the inning. Sox manager Alex Cora blew the game in the bottom of the fifth as Burleson flied out to center to end Early's day. He threw just 86 pitches and allowed just a run in 4 1/3 inning but was yanked. Zack Kelly came in and Walker singled to left. Urias walked and Saggese got a base hit to left to score Walker. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Germin hit a sac fly to left to score Urias. Pages flied out to left to end the inning with the Cards up 3-2. Great managing!

                                                       Wasn't around long enough

Yoshida grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth and Contreras struck out swinging. Abreu popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox had scored just 1 earned run against Dustin May, they should be ashamed of themselves. Tyler Samaniego came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Scott walked to start. Wetherholt walked but Herrera struck out swinging. Burleson flied out to center and that was it for Samaniego. Greg Weissert got Walker to ground out to second to end the inning.

Ryne Stanek came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Story grounded out to third to begin. Mayer popped up to first and Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. Urias flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh and Saggese lined out to center. Fermin struck out swinging to end the inning.

Nathan Church came in to play left with JoJo Romero on the mound to start the top of the eighth. Rafaela doubled to right and moved to third on the Duran liner to center. Durbin was hit with a pitch but Yoshida took strike three. Contreras flied out to center to end the inning. Jovani Moran came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Pages doubled to left to start. Pages popped up a bunt to Durbin and Wetherholt struck out swinging. Herrera was intentionally walked and Burleson struck out swinging to end the inning.

Riley O'Brien came in to clsoe out the top of the ninth and Abreu grounded out to second to start. Story grounded out to short and Mayer struck out swinging to end the game. The Cards had won it 3-2.

                                                            Cards win

Jackass of the Night is Zack Kelly. He allowed the game winning runs to score in just 2/3 of an inning.

                                                              Great job Jackass

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3.

Connelly Early allowed just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings on 5 hits and 2 walks.

Tyler Samaniego got the first two outs of the sixth inning.

Greg Weissert tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Jovani Moran tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4.

Willson Contreras was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Chad Durbin was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base, drove in a run and scored a run.

Marcelo Mayer was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base.

Final Thoughts:

This season went to hell in a hand basket real quick and its a total organizational failure. The roster isn't designed to score runs but every single button Alex Cora pushes doesn't work this year. Pulling Early after just 86 pitches only for the bullpen to blow it is par for the course. How do you get beat by Dustin May who was all but washed up last September? Its just an embarrassing time to be a Sox fan losing 9 of their first 13 games, many of which just simply due to no offense. They had Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers and not only lost both, but didn't replace them. Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin are supposed to be the replacements but haven't gotten the job done so far. Once again, that's on Sox GM Craig Breslow more than Alex Cora but his managerial decisions have been dreadful. How do you keep Roman Anthony on the bench in the eighth inning during a rally? Nothing is going right so far this season and we still have a long way to go. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night in St. Louis when Ranger Suarez goes for the Sox against Kyle Leahy of the Cardinals. The game begins at 7:15 PM eastern time at Busch Stadium.