Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Garrett Whitlock has been placed on the Injured List after he tripped and fell off the mound in his last appearance. In his place the Sox called back up Tyler Samaniego. Normally jamming your knee would fix itself in a matter of days, but knowing this year's Red Sox team, he'll be out until August.
As for the game, its been a theme the past week for the Red Sox bullpen to collapse into itself and tonight against the Atlanta Braves was no different. The Sox fought to a 2-2 tie with the Atlanta Braves with rookie Payton Tolle matching zeroes with former Sox ace Chris Sale. Then in the top of the sixth, Danny Coulombe and Greg Weissert allowed 5 runs combined to put the game away. Jovani Moran and Ryan Watson were tagged for 3 runs combined as well while Sale was relieved by a flawless Braves bullpen. The Braves tossed 4 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits while the Sox allowed 8 runs off 6 hits and 3 walks as Atlanta took this one 10-2 at Fenway Park.
Tolle got the ball in the top of the first inning and Ronald Acuna Jr struck out swinging to start. Mauricio Dubon popped up to second and Matt Olson lined out to right to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally against Sale in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran grounded out to short to start. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right but Wilyer Abreu doubled to left. Willson Contreras walked but Andruw Monasterio struck out swinging to end the inning.
Ozzie Albies struck out swinging to open the top of the second and Austin Riley did the same. Michael Harris grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Nick Sogard grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third but the alert Isiah Kiner-Falefa challenged a strike three call and won, earning a walk. Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging but Caleb Durbin got a base hit to center to move Kiner to third. Naturally with a runner on third, Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Braves almost struck first in the top of the third as Jorge Mateo doubled to center to start. Dominic Smith grounded out to second to move Mateo to third but Sandy Leon struck out swinging. Acuna walked and stole second, but Dubon flied out to left to end the inning. Rafaela doubled to left to start the bottom of the third and Abreu dropped down a bunt to move him to third. Contreras was hit with a pitch but Monasterio struck out swinging. Sogard grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Braves struck first in the top of the fourth as Olson singled to center to start. Albies doubled to left but Riley struck out swinging. Harris grounded out to second but Mateo got a base hit off of Tolle to score Olson. Smith blooped a base hit to left to score Albies but Leon struck out swinging to end the inning with the Braves up 2-0.
The Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth as Kiner walked to start. Narvaez lined out to center but Durbin doubled to left to score Kiner. Duran got a base hit to left to score Durbin but Rafaela struck out swinging. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Acuna Jr walked to start the top of the fifth but Dubon popped up to first. Olson struck out swinging and here came Sox manager Chad Tracy to a chorus of boos. Once again pulling an Alex Cora by yanking a guy too early, Tolle allowed 4 runs in 4 2/3 innings. Tyron Guerrero came in and Albies beat out a roller to third. Acuna stole third but Riley grounded out to second to end the inning.
Contreras got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fifth but Monasterio took strike three. Sogard struck out swinging and Contreras was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.
Danny Coulombe came in to crap his pants in the top of the sixth as Harris caught Durbin asleep with a bunt single to start. Mateo and Smith drew back to back walks to load the bases and chase Coulombe. Geeg Weissert came in to face pinch hitter Eli White, so the Braves countered by pulling White for Mike Yastrzemski. Naturally Yaz walked and Acuna hit a grand slam to ice the game as Fenway booed. Dubon flied out to center, Olson flied out to left and Albies also flied out to left to end the inning with the Braves ahead 7-2.
What a disaster
Chadwick Tromp took over behind the plate with Tyler Kinley on the mound for the bottom of the sixth. Kiner got a base hit in the hole at short to start but Narvaez struck out swinging. Durbin flied out to left and Duran grounded out to first to end the inning.
Jovani Moran came in to take a beating in the top of the seventh as Riley took strike three to start. Harris hit a home run all the way to the Hoth System but Mateo struck out swinging. Smith flied out to center to end the inning with the Braves ahead 8-2.
Home run Harris
Reynaldo Lopez came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela flied out to right to start. Abreu grounded out to third and Contreras lined out to short to end the inning.
Tromp grounded out to short to start the top of the eighth and Acuna grounded out to third. Dubon lined out to a sliding Rafaela to end the inning. Monasterio flied out to right to start the bottom of the eighth and Marcelo Mayer pinch hit for Sogard. Mayer flied out to right but Kiner got a base hit to right. Narvaez lined out to left to end the inning.
Ryan Watson came in to take a beating in the top of the ninth and Olson doubled to center to start. Albies then hit a home run all the way to New Hampshire to wrap up the scoring. Riley took strike three, Harris grounded out to second and Mateo flied out to center to end the inning with the Braves up 10-2.
Dylan Dodd came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Durbin popped up to first to start. Duran struck out swinging and Rafaela did the same to end the game. The Braves had won it 10-2.
Jackass of the Night is Greg Weissert. He put the game out of reach by allowing a run via walk and a grand slam to Acuna.
The Good:
Willson Contreras was 1 for 2 with a walk, hit by pitch and stolen base.
Wilyer Abreu was 1 for 3.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.
Caleb Durbin was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.
Tyron Guerrero got the final out of the fifth inning.
The Bad:
Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Nick Sogard was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 1
Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Danny Coulombe was charged with 3 runs in the sixth inning
Ryan Watson allowed 2 runs in an inning.
The Ugly:
Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.
Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.
Payton Tolle allowed 2 runs in just 4 2/3 innings off 5 hits and 2 walks.
Jovani Moran allowed a run in 2 innings of work.
Final Thoughts:
Sox fans have had enough of this team and we're only two months into the season. The offense started coming around and then the bullpen faltered. Now it was both in today's game, the Sox scored just 2 runs while allowing 10. This time it was the middle relievers that got lit up and the Sox bats took the night off once the Braves took the lead. How many more games are Sox fans going to put up with this before Fenway starts to empty? Its clear no one wants to see this team lose night after night so what are they going to do about it? Are the front office going to throw Craig Breslow the GM under the bus or are they going to blow the team up? They already fired the manager so you can't blame Alex Cora and his staff anymore. Somebody has to pay for this and the question is who and when. The loss dropped the Sox to 23-32, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Cleveland for a three game set with the Guardians beginning tomorrow evening. Tyler Samaniego (0-2) is the opener for Brayan Bello against Slade Cecconi of Cleveland. The game begins at 8:10 PM eastern time at Progressive Field.
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