As for the game, when you call up a spot starter and he doesn't pitch well, you pretty much have no chance to win the game. Tonight the Kansas City Royals blitzed Cooper Criswell (3-4, 4.50 ERA) for five early runs. Salvador Perez, Adam Frazier, Vinnie Pasquantino and Bobby Witt Jr all drove in runs to put the game away early. Ceddanne Rafaela knocked in Jamie Westbrook in the bottom of the second but Cole Ragans shut down the Sox the rest of the way, going 7 innings. Greg Weissert allowed a run in the eighth and the Royals had won this game 6-1 at Fenway Park.
The Royals wasted no time getting to Criswell in the top of the first as Adam Frazier got a base hit to center to start. Bobby Witt Jr got a base hit to left and Vinnie Pasquantino singled in tbe hole at short. Salvador Perez hit a sac fly to left to score Frazier and both runners moved over on the Michael Massey grounder to first. Old friend Hunter Renfroe flied out to left to end the inning with the Royals up 1-0.
Ragans got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rob Refsnyder got a base hit off the glove of Pasquantino to start. Jarren Duran flied out to left, Tyler O'Neill popped up to second and Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Royals iced the game in the top of the second as MJ Melendez doubled down the right field line to start. Maikel Garcia dropped down a bunt to move Melendez to third and Kyle Isbel walked. Frazier got a base hit to center to score Melendez, Witt was hit with a pitch to load the bases and Pasquantino hit a sac fly to right to score Isbel. Perez got a base hit to left and Frazier scored, but Witt was thrown out at home on the play to end the inning with the Royals up 4-0.
The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Connor Wong struck out swinging to start. Romy Gonzalez grounded out to short but Jamie Westbrook doubled to left. Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to center to score Westbrook then took third on a wild pitch. David Hamilton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.
Massey lined out to right to start the top of the third and Renfroe grounded out to third. Melendez singled to left, Garcia got a base hit to center and Isbel walked to load the bases. Frazier lined out to second to end the inning. Refsnyder grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third and Duran grounded out to first. O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Royals got another run in the top of the fourth as Witt Jr hit a home run all the way to Chicago to start. Pasquantino grounded out to second, Perez popped up to second and Massey also grounded out to second to end the inning with the Royals up 5-1.
Devers got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Wong forced him at second. Gonzalez grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Renfroe flied out to left to start the top of the fifth. Melendez struck out swinging and Garcia grounded out to third to end the inning.
Westbrook grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Rafaela popped up to short. Hamilton grounded out to short to end the inning.
Criswell returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Isbel grounded out to second to start. Frazier popped up to third and Witt hit obe up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Criswell got hammered for 5 runs in 6 innings off 9 hits and 2 walks.
Refsnyder walked to start the bottom of the sixth but Duran struck out swinging. O'Neill flied out to center and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning.
Cam Booser came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Pasquantino popped up to short. Perez flied out to right and Massey grounded out to second to end the inning. Wong flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Gonzalez grounded out to second. Westbrook took strike three to end the inning.
Greg Weissert came in to get tagged in the top of the eighth as Renfroe popped up to short to start. Melendez hit a home run all the way to Angola but Garcia took strike three. Isbel flied out to center to end the inning with the Royals up 6-1.
Home run Melendez
Freddy Fermin took over behind the plate for the bottom of the eighth with Chris Stratton now on the mound. Rafaela beat out a roller to third and Hamilton drew a walk. Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Refsnyder and struck out swinging. Duran and O'Neill also struck out swinging to end the inning.
Frazier hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the ninth and Witt flied out to center. Pasquantino flied out to right to end the inning. Nick Anderson came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Devers grounded out to second to start. Wong grounded out to third and Dominic Smith pinch hit for Gonzalez. Smith grounded out to first to end the game. The Royals had won it 6-1.
Jackass of The Night is Cooper Criswell. He got rocked for 5 runs in 6 innings off 9 hits and 2 walks.
The Good:
Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 2 with a walk.
Jamie Westbrook was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 3 with an rbi.
Cam Booser pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
The Bad:
Wilyer Abreu struck out as a pinch hitter.
Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Connor Wong was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3.
Dominic Smith was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
David Hamilton was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.
Greg Weissert allowed a run in two innings of work.
Final Thoughts:
Some days you get routed early and lose all hope, this was one of those days. As soon as the Sox were down by 5 they just turned it off. One of the reasons the Sox might not make the playoffs this year is having to start guys like Criswell or have "openers" because they don't have a true ace. The New York Yankees have Gerrit Cole and the Los Angeles Dodgers have Tyler Glasnow and Yobu Yamamoto. The Sox have Tanner Houck. It would have been nice to see the Sox rally but right from the get go they got taken off their game. Hopefully tomorrow will be different, The loss dropped the Sox to 51-43, 6 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Royals when Kutter Crawford (5-7) goes for the Sox against Seth Lugo of Kansas City. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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