As for the game, the season just gets worse for the Red Sox. They dropped their fifth game in a row as they invented a new way to lose to the Tampa Bay Rays. Spot starter Jake Bennett (1-2, 5.28 ERA) was rocked for 4 runs in 5 innings by the Rays offense and Ryan Watson allowed a run of his own to put the Rays up 5-0 after seven innings. Suddenly the Sox rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth highlighted by a three run Ceddanne Rafaela home run. Just when the Sox were back in it, Justin Slaten allowed a two run home run by Cedric Mullins in the bottom of the eighth. The Sox did get a Caleb Durbin home run in the ninth inning and the tying run to the plate, but Garrett Cleavinger struck out Andruw Monasterio to end the game. The Rays had swept the Red Sox out of Tampa Bay with a 7-5 victory over the Sox at Tropicana Field.
Dennis Rasmussen got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Bennett got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Yandy Diaz flied out to center to start. Austin Slater struck out swinging and Junior Caminero also went down hacking to end the inning.
Willson Contreras struck out swinging to start the top of the second inning and Mickey Gasper lined out to short. Masataka Yoshida lined out to right to end the inning. Ryan Vilade grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and Jonathan Aranda took struke three. Ben Williamson grounded out to first to end the inning.
Caleb Durbin got a base hit to right to start the top of the third but was forced at second by Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Kiner was thrown out at third trying to steal and Andruw Monasterio took strike three to end the inning. The Rays struck first in the bottom of the third as Nick Fortes doubled to center to start. Cedric Mullins dropped down a bunt to move Fortes to third and Taylor Walls hit a sac fly to center to score Fortes to put the Rays on top. Diaz popped up to third to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.
Duran struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth and Rafaela did the same. Abreu also went down hacking to end the inning. Slater flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Caminero got a base hit to right. Vilade popped up to short but Aranda singled to center. Williamson flied out to center to end the inning.
Contreras was hit with a pitch to start the top of the fifth but Gasper flied out to right. Yoshida got a base hit to right but Durbin popped up to first. Kiner grounded out to third to end the inning. The Rays finished off Bennett in the bottom of the fifth as Fortes doubled to center to start. Mullins struck out swinging but Walls dropped down a bunt single to move Fortes to third. Diaz singled in the hole at short to score Fortes and Slater doubled off the glove of Bennett into left field to score Walls. Caminero was intentionally walked to load the bases and Vilade hit a sac fly to right to score Diaz. Aranda forced Caminero at second to end the inning with the Rays up 4-0. That was it for Bennett as he got rocked for 4 runs in 5 innings off 7 hits and a walk.
Monasterio flied out to center to start the top of the sixth and Duran struck out swinging. Rafaela took strike three to end the inning. Ryan Watson came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth as Williamson grounded out to first to start. Fortes singled to left but Mullins popped up to third. Walls singled to right and Diaz got a base hit to left to score Fortes. Walls stole second and took third on a wild pitch, but Slater grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rays up 5-0.
Abreu struck out swinging to open the top of the seventh and Contreras went down hacking. Gasper walked but Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning. Caminero grounded out to third to start the bottom of the seventh and Vilade grounded out to second. Aranda flied out to left to end the inning.
Suddenly the Sox rallied in the top of the eighth with Cole Sulser on the mound. Durbin finally hit his first real home run and second of the season to start. Kiner walked but Monasterio struck out swinging. Old pal Steve Matz came in to face Duran and Jarren singled to center. Rafaela then pounded a three run bomb to bring the Sox within a run. Abreu grounded out to second and Casey Legumina came in to face Contreras. Willson grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.
Just as soon as the Sox clawed their way back, Justin Slaten pissed down his leg in the bottom of the eighth. Williamson popped up to second but Fortes singled to left. Chandler Simpson ran for Fortes and Mullins settled matter with a home run all the way to Toronto to ice the game. Walls flied out to center but Diaz singled to right to chase the incompetent Slaten. Greg Weissert struck out Slater looking to end the inning with the Rays up 7-4.
Hunter Feduccia came in for Slater with Garrett Cleavinger in to close out the top of the ninth. Gasper grounded out to first and Nate Eaton pinch hit for Yoshida. Eaton lined out to center but Durbin smacked his second home run of the game to cut the lead. Kiner walked to bring the tying run to the plate then took second on defensive indifference. Monasterio struck out swinging to end the game. The Rays had swept the Sox with a 7-5 victory.
Jackass of The Night is Justin Slaten. The Sox had just clawed back to make it a one run game and he allowed 2 runs in the bottom of the eighth.
The Good:
Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 3.
Caleb Durbin was 3 for 4 with 2 home runs.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa walked twice in four plate appearances, stole a base and scored a run.
Greg Weissert struck out the only man he faced.
The Bad:
Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Nate Eaton was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Jake Bennett allowed 4 runs in 5 innings off 7 hits and a walk.
The Ugly:
Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.
Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but the one hit was a 3 run home run.
Willson Contreras was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.
Mickey Gasper was 0 for 3 but walked.
Ryan Watson allowed a run in an inning of work.
Final Thoughts:
Nice to see Caleb Durbin wake up but it might be too little, too late. Shades of 2022, the Red Sox can't beat the AL East. Both the Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays have had their number this season. Even the Baltimore Orioles took 2 of 3 at Fenway last week. This season is eerily similar to 2022 with all the injuries and them being inept against the AL East. The sad part is they finally showed some life but Slaten couldn't hold the fort. A shutdown inning might have been the difference in the game if Durbin was going yard again. This season is circling the drain with a lot of the blame on Craig Breslow for putting the team together. Losing Alex Bregman and Rafael Devers and replacing them with Caleb Durbin and Masataka Yoshida has been an unmitigated disaster. Bennett didn't look good today so maybe that first start was just a fluke. Remember when the 2022 Sox had to rely on four rookies in the rotation when everyone got hurt, now they're up to 3 with Bennett, Payton Tolle and Connelly Early. They might get the first overall pick if things keep going the way they are. The loss dropped the Sox to 27-39. good for last place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action on Friday night at home against the Texas Rangers. Sonny Gray (7-1) takes on Jack Leiter of Texas. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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