Rays Pound Sox, Take Two of Three (8/12/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Phillips Valdez was sent down to Worcester after his dreadful performance in last night's game and Tanner Houck was called up to make today's start against the Tampa Bay Rays. Houck didn't get much run support this season but he's pitched better than his record indicates.

                                                                           OUT

                                                              IN

As for the game, what did I tell ya? After the Sox scored 20 runs last night against the Tampa Bay Rays they scratched out just ONE tonight as the AL East front runners dominated the Sox on their home field. Tanner Houck (0-3, 2.92 ERA) remains winless on the season as he was smacked around for 4 runs in just 5 innings. Meanwhile the Rays "bullpen game" actually worked as Drew Rasmussen and Colin McHugh held the Sox to just 1 run in 6 innings combined. The Rays put the game away with a four run rally in the eighth against Austin Davis and Yacksel Rios to take two of three in this crucial series with the Sox including this game 8-1 at Fenway Park.

Houck got the ball in the top of the first inning and Brandon Lowe flied out to center to start. Wander Franco flied out to left but Nelson Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning. Rasmussen got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Kike Hernandez walked to start. Jarren Duran struck out swinging and Xander Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the inning.

Austin Meadows grounded out to first to start the top of the second before Joey Wendle flied out to center. Yandy Diaz singled to right but Brett Phillips struck out swinging to end the inning. Rafael Devers popped up to short to start the bottom of the second before JD Martinez took strike three. Huntr Renfroe grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Rays struck first in the top of the third inning as Kevin Kiermaier singled to center to start, Mike Zunino struck out swinging but Kevin Plawecki inexplicably threw the ball into the right field bleachers to allow Kiermaier to take second and third on the error. Lowe made Plawecki pay with a sac fly to score Kiermaier but Franco grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                    Kiermaier is a menace on the bases

Plawecki flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Marwin Gonzalez took strike three. Franchy Cordero struck out swinging to end the inning.

Houck cruised in the top of the fourth as Cruz struck out swinging to start. Meadows lined out to short and Wendle took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Hernandez walked to start. Duran flied out to center and Bogaerts flied out to right but Devers doubled to center to score Hernandez with the tying run. Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                      Devers drives in a run

Houck struck out Diaz swinging to start the top of the fifth before Phillips went down hacking. Kiermaier singled to right but Zunino went down swinging to end the inning. Collin McHugh came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Renfroe grounded out to third to start. Plawecki beat out an infield single to short but Gonzalez took strike three. Cordero whiffed to end the inning and the Sox wouldn't have a hit the rest of the game.

Houck fell apart in the top of the sixth as Lowe singled off the glove of Devers to start. Franco then hit a home run off the centerfield wall and Cruz doubled to left to chase Tanner. The one time Houck was allowed to go 6 innings he crashed and burned, being charged with 4 runs in 5 plus innings. Josh Taylor came in to pitch and Meadows grounded out to second to move Cruz to third but Wendle struck out swinging. Diaz was intentionally walked and Kevin Cash sent in Manny Margot to pinch hit for Phillips. Sox manager Alex Cora countered by bringing in Hansel Robles to pitch to Margot but he walked him anyway to load the bases. Robles then BALKED home Cruz and intentionally walked Kiermaier to reload the bases. Zunino struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rays up 4-1.

                                                          Houck crashed in the sixth

The Sox quit in the bottom of the sixth as Hernandez grounded out to short to start. Duran struck out swinging again and Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lowe walked to start the top of the seventh before Franco flied out to left. Cruz flied out to right and that was it for Robles. Austin Davis came in to punch out Meadows swinging to end the inning.  JT Chargois came in for the bottom of the seventh and Devers lined out to center to start. Martinez flied out to right and Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Rays pounced in the top of the eighth as Wendle tripled to right to start. Diaz was intentionally walked and Yacksel Rios came in to vomit up his intestines. Margot hit a sac fly to center to score Wendle and Kiermaier doubled to left. Zunino then iced the game with a home run all the way to Nigeria to put the game out of reach. Lowe flied out to center and Franco grounded out to first to end the inning with the Rays ahead 8-1.

                                                     Zunino launches a home run

Louis Head came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Plawecki flied out to right to start. Gonzalez popped up to first and Cordero struck out swinging to earn the hat trick to end the inning.

Rios returned for the top of the ninth and Cruz flied out to right to start. Meadows grounded out to first and Wendle grounded out to short to end the inning. Ryan Sherriff came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and  Hernandez walked for the third time today. Duran took strike three for his third strikeout of the day and Bogaerts forced Hernandez at second. Devers took strike three to end the game. The Rays had won it 8-1.

                                                  Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Tanner Houck. He got lit up for 4 runs in just 5 plus innings and put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                    Jackass Houck

The Good:

Kike Hernandez walked 3 times and scored a run.

Josh Taylor got the first two outs of the sixth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Marwin Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Franchy Cordero was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Hansel Robles balked in a run in an inning of work.

Austin Davis was charged with 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

Yacksel Rios allowed 2 inherited runners to score and two of his own in 2 innings of work.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Kevin Plawecki was 1 for 3 but made an error.

Final Thoughts:

What an utter disaster. The Sox usually never score runs after winning a blowout but there's a difference in not scoring and looking completely lifeless. The Sox amassed just 2 hits in the game and 3 walks by Hernandez. The most concerning thing is the lack of offense from Duran, Gonzalez and Cordero at the bottom of the order. Its obvious Duran isn't ready yet, Gonzalez should be riding the bench and trading Andrew Benintendi for Cordero and "prospects" has completely blown up in Sox GM Chaim Bloom's face. He was supposed to be home run or nothing like Wily Mo Pena but he can't even get on base yet alone hit home runs. The Sox ship is sinking with their bullpen arms tired from overuse and now a black hole in the bottom of the order. There's rumors Kyle Schwarber won't even be back until the end of August and who knows when Chris Sale will pitch. All in all the Rays are starting to pull away in the AL East and the Sox are running out of time to get their act together. The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees are right behind them and the Sox may not even make the playoffs if they keep sliding the way they are. Unless Schwarber comes out of the gate swinging and Sale pitches like he does in 2017, the Sox are in big trouble. The loss dropped the Sox to 66-51, 5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome in the horrible Baltimore Orioles and hope to get back on track against a team that's 38-75 going into the series. Tomorrow night Nick Pivetta (8-4) takes the mound against Spenser Watkins of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Massacre Rays (8/11/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Christian Vazquez was placed on the Bereavement List and Connor Wong was called up from Worcester to take his place. Condolences go out to Vazquez.

                                                                OUT

                                                                    IN

As for the game, holy mackerel what an epic beat down. The Sox have been in a tailspin for about a month now and they took their frustrations out on the Tampa Bay Rays. Their offense has been struggling for weeks and they put out a week's worth of offense in one game against the Rays. The bats pounded the Rays for TWENTY runs off of 19 hits. JD Martinez was 4 for 4, Hunter Renfroe was 3 for 5 and Xander Bogaerts hit a 3 run home run off catcher Francisco Mejia...yes you read that right. Meanwhile Nathan Eovaldi (10-7, 3.92 ERA) was outstanding, holding the Rays to one run in seven innings of work while striking out 10 batters. A huge rally in the ninth against Phillips Valdez made the final score a bit better but overall this was a straight demolition as the Sox won the game 20-8 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Heather Hunter approves of the win

Eovaldi got the ball in the top of the first inning and Brandon Lowe struck out swinging to start. Ji-Man Choi struck out swinging and Nelson Cruz flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox began the massacre against Josh Fleming in the bottom of the first as Kike Hernandez doubled to center to begin. Hunter Renfroe doubled down the right field line to score Hernandez and Bogaerts doubled into the gap in center to score Hunter. Rafael Devers grounded out to short to move Bogaerts to third and Xander scored on the base hit by JD Martinez to left. Kevin Plawecki banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were up 3-0.

                                                        Renfroe starts to party

Austin Meadows got a base hit to center to start the top of the second before moving to second on a wild pitch. Wander Franco popped up to third before Randy Arozarena struck out swinging. Joey Wendle struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Marwin Gonzalez grounded out to third to start. Bobby Dalbec walked but Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Hernandez doubled to left and Renfroe doubled home both runners to ice the game. Bogaerts drew a walk but Devers grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                             All smiles for the Sox so far

Brett Phillips struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Francisco Mejia flied out to center. Lowe took strike three to end the inning. Martinez got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the third before moving to second on a Plawecki grounder to first. Gonzalez grounded to short to move Martinez to third and Dalbec was intentionally walked to put runners at the corners. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Choi flied out to center to start the top of the fourth before Cruz grounded out to short. Meadows popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fourth as Hernandez singled to center to start. Renfroe walked but Bogaerts struck out swinging. Devers ripped a double to left to score Hernandez and Martinez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Plawecki walked home Renfroe and Gonzalez slapped a base hit to right to score Devers. Dalbec got a base hit to right to score Plawecki and Martinez to chase Fleming. Dietrich Enns came in to pitch and Duran moved the runners over with a grounder to first. Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 10-0.

                                                          Sox pour it on

Franco struck out swinging to open the top of the fifth but Arozarena doubled to left. Wendle grounded out to short and Phillips struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox were relentless in the bottom of the fifth although Renfroe popped up to first to start. Bogaerts and Devers drew back to back walks and Martinez singled to right to score Bogaerts. Plawecki flied out to center but Gonzalez walked to load the bases. Dalbec cleared the bases with a scintillating triple into the right field corner to increase the lead. Duran flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up two touchdowns 14-0.

                                                             Dalbec with a triple

The Rays struck back in the top of the sixth although Mejia grounded out to second to start. Lowe hit a home run all the way to New Mexico to cut the lead but Choi grounded out to third. Jordan Luplow pinch hit for Cruz and struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rays up 14-1.

                                                        Lowe hits one out

Hernandez lined out to right to start the bottom of the sixth before Renfroe popped up to second. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jonathan Arauz took over for Devers to give him the night off to start the top of the seventh and Meadows hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Franco walked but Arozarena struck out swinging and Wendle flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Eovaldi who was outstanding by striking out 10 Rays while allowing just the solo shot to Lowe in 7 innings.

                                                     Eovaldi gets it done

Arauz grounded out to third to start the bottom of the seventh but Martinez doubled to left. Plawecki struck out swinging and Gonzalez popped up to first to end the inning.

The bench emptied in the top of the eighth as Franchy Cordero took over for Hernandez, Connor Wong took over behind the plate and Yacksel Rios came in to pitch. Phillips and Mejia both grounded out to first and Lowe struck out swinging to end the inning. Mejia himself took over on the mound to take a beating in the bottom of the eighth with Mike Zunino coming in to catch. Dalbec was plunked and Duran ripped a base hit to right to move Dalbec to third but Cordero popped up to third in foul territory. Renfroe got a base hit to left to score Dalbec and Bogaerts pounded his 17th home run of the year to increase the lead. Arauz popped up to third but Martinez was plunked as well. Wong then hit a triple into the centerfield triangle and scored on the base hit to right by Gonzalez. Dalbec flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 20-1.

                                                       Bogaerts with a 3 run shot

All of a sudden the Rays sprang to life in the top of the ninth against Phillips Valdez as Choi singled to right to begin. Luplow walked, Choi took third on a wild pitch and Meadows walked to load the bases. Franco singled to right to score Choi but Arozarena struck out swinging. Wendle got  abase hit to left and Phillips cleared the bases with a grand slam. Mejia grounded out to second but Zunino hit a home run all the way to Uranus to further cut the lead. Imagine if the Sox had been leading 7-1? Choi grounded out to second to end the game as the Sox had won it 20-8.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of the Night is Nathan Eovaldi. He tossed 7 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 10 Rays.

                                                           Eovaldi The Hero

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored.

Hunter Renfroe was 3 for 5 with a walk, 4 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with 2 walks, 4 total rbis, 3 runs scored and a 3 run homer.

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

JD Martinez was 4 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Connor Wong tripled and scored a run in his only at bat.

Marwin Gonzalez was 2 for 5 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, 5 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Yacksel Rios pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Franchy Cordero was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 2 at the plate.

Phillips Valdez allowed 7 runs in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Its only one game but the Sox took their frustrations out on the Rays big time. They've been in a slide since the All-Star break and for one night they made the Rays and their fans suffer for four hours. The Sox couldn't miss tonight and more importantly, Eovaldi looked damn good against a possible playoff opponent. The only drawback in the game was Valdez but relievers have off-nights all the time. He would have been pulled a lot sooner if the game was closer than what it was. The bats knocked around one of the best teams in the league and that's an encouraging sign moving forward. The only problem is usually when the Sox go off on a game like this, they have absolutely nothing for the next day. Hopefully that's not the case but don't be surprised if the Sox don't score more than 3 runs tomorrow. Their only hope to take the rubber game of this series is if Tanner Houck can pitch a shutout. The win improved the Sox to 66-50, 4 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. Houck (0-2) gets the ball up against rookie Drew Rasmussen of Tampa. The game begins at 4:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Tigers Drop Sox, Lose Fifth Straight (8/3/21)

Before the game the COVID bug that hit the New York Yankees has made its way to the Boston Red Sox. Closer Matt Barnes was placed on the Covid list and Marwin Gonzalez was activated to take his place on the roster. This could be the beginning of an epidemic.

                                                                            OUT

                                                                 IN

As for the game, the Sox are fading fast as they have lost five straight games. Once again it was the offense that couldn't get a clutch hit against the mediocre Detroit Tigers. The Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning on 3 hits but had just 6 hits and no runs the rest of the game. Wily Peralta was lifted in the fifth inning for Detroit but the Tigers bullpen pitched a shutout the rest of the way. Meanwhile Garrett Richards (6-7, 5.21 ERA) lasted just 4 innings and allowed 3 runs in another ineffective start. Miguel Cabrera hit his 498th career home run and Akil Baddoo put the Tigers up for good in the fifth inning. It all added up to another loss as the Tigers beat the Sox 4-2 at Comerica Park.

                                                   Foamy is on strike until the Sox hit better

The Sox did strike first by accident in the top of the first although Peralta got Jarren Duran to ground out to second to start. Rafael Devers popped up to third but Jeimer Candelario threw a routine grounder by Xander Bogaerts away for a two base error. JD Martinez got a lucky base hit to right to score Bogaerts to put Boston on top. Alex Verdugo grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                Sox strike first

Richards got the ball in the bottom of the first and Akil Baddoo popped up to first to start. Jonathan Schoop lined out to center and Robbie Grossman struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Hunter Renfroe pounded his 17th home run of the season to increase the lead. Marwin Gonzalez came off the Injured List and struck out swinging but Christian Vazquez grounded out to short. Franchy Cordero got a base hit to left but Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                Renfroe hits one out

The Tigers struck back in the bottom of the second as Miguel Cabrera hit his 498th career home run to start. Candelario grounded back to the mound, Eric Haase struck out swinging and Harold Castro went down hacking to end the inning with the Tigers down 2-1.

                                                    Miggy hits #498

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Devers grounded out to short to start. Bogaerts and Martinez stroked back to back base hits but Verdugo banged into a double play to end the inning.  Will Castro struck out looking to start the bottom of the third before Baddoo flied out to right. Schoop popped up to second to end the inning.

Renfroe flied out to center to begin the top of the fourth but Gonzalez struck out swinging. Vazquez singled to center but Cordero grounded out to third to end the inning. The Tigers started to take control in the bottom of the fourth inning as Grossman singled in the hole at short to start. Cabrera singled to left and Candelario walked to load the bases with nobody out. Haase struck out swinging but Castro scored Grossman with a sac fly to tie the game. Castro grounded out to first to end the inning and good on Richards for holding the Tigers to just the 1 run after the bases were loaded. As it was, the game was tied 2-2.

                                                               Castro ties the game

Duran popped up to third to start the top of the fifth and Devers grounded out to third. Bogaerts and Martinez drew back to back walks to chase Peralta from the game. Kyle Funkhouser came in and got Verdugo to strike out swinging to end the inning. The Tigers jumped ahead in the bottom of the fifth as Hill walked to start. Baddoo doubled to center to score Hill and chase Richards from the game. Dr. Quick Hook pulled Richards after just 4 plus innings and 3 runs allowed. Hiro Sawamura came in and Schoop struck out swinging. Grossman walked but Cabrera banged into a double play to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 3-2.

                                                     "Get lost, Richards" - Cora

Joe Jimenez came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Renfroe struck out swinging to start. Gonzalez grounded out to second but Vazquez got an infield single to third. Cordero grounded out to third to end the inning. Hansel Robles came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Candelario struck out swinging to start. Haase singled to center but Castro went down hacking. Castro whiffed as well to end the inning.

Duran tried to start a rally with a base hit off of Michael Fulmer to begin the top of the seventh. Devers and Bogaerts both went down swinging but Duran swiped second base. Martinez went down swinging to end the inning. Yacksel Rios came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Hill took strike three to start. Baddoo went down swinging but Schoop doubled to left and Grossman singled him home to ice the game. Cabera struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 4-2.

                                                          Grossman ices it

Jose Cisnero came in to pitch the top of the eighth and the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Verdugo grounded out to third, Renfroe grounded out to first and Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning. Austin Davis came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Candelario grounded out to third to begin. Haase flied out to left and Zack Short pinch hit for Castro. Short went down hacking to end the inning.

Gregory Soto came in to close out the top of the ninth and Vazquez flied out to right to start. Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Cordero and struck out swinging but Duran kept the game going with a base hit in the hole at second. Duran took second on defensive indifference but Devers took strike three to end the game. The Tigers had won it 4-2.

                                                      Tigers win

Jackass of the Night is Rafael Devers. He was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts including striking out in the ninth inning with the game on the line.

                                                             Jackass Devers

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with a stolen base.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4.

Franchy Cordero was 1 for 3.

Hiro Sawamura pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

Hansel Robles tossed a scoreless inning.

Austin Davis pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Marwin Gonzalez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec struck out as a pinch hitter.

Garrett Richards took the loss by allowing 3 runs in just 4 innings.

Yacksel Rios allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Final Thoughts:

Its become an epidemic at this point as the Sox have dropped 5 straight games. The offense is out of sync and Cora doesn't trust the starters. Once again the bullpen did the best they could, holding the Tigers to 1 run in 4 innings but this is too much work. How many times is Cora going to pull the starters early and use the bullpen until they have nothing left? This is going to bite them down the road for sure. The offense needs an overhaul because they haven't been able to get anything going in a week and tonight's game was a microcosm of that. Duran had a couple of hits and a stolen base, this could be the start of him developing into a legit leadoff hitter. The Sox better break out of this funk soon or else they're going to fall too far behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East race. The New York Yankees have caught fire so the Sox now have to worry about them again as well. The loss dropped the Sox to 63-45 on the season, 1.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to Eduardo Rodriguez (7-6) to save the day against the Tigers. Casey Mize gets the start for Detroit and the game begins at 8:10 PM at Comerica Park.

Sox Trade for Robles, Davis & Fall To Rays (7/30/21)

Before the game the Sox made their deadline moves. The Sox sent 23 year old Portland Sea Dogs pitcher Alex Scherff to the Minnesota Twins for former Los Angeles Angels closer Hansel Robles and Michael Chavis to the Pittsburgh Pirates for lefty reliever Austin Davis. Davis and Robles are depth moves to bolster the bullpen if the A-Team falls apart and on top of that, Brandon Workman was designated for assignment. To take Chavis' place, Jonathan Arauz was called up from Worcester. Hiro Sawamura was also activated to replace Workman. Its a shame Workman couldn't rediscover the magic he had in 2019 but its time to move on. Davis and Robles will be activated soon and they'll both be needed with Hiro Sawamura out with a shoulder injury. These were depth moves by the Sox as the bullpen were used A LOT so far this season. Chavis could never get over his Kit Keller Syndrome and Kyle Schwarber is on the way so hopefully Pittsburgh can find use for him.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, the Tampa Bay Rays are making a march toward first place in the AL East and it looks like the Red Sox can't stop them. The motivated Tampa bats pounded Sox starter Martin Perez (7-7, 4.56 ERA) for 6 early runs while Tampa starter Josh Fleming held the Sox bats to just 3 runs in 5 innings. The Rays bullpen shut out the Sox the rest of the way as home runs by Mike Zunino, Randy Arozarena and Yandy Diaz paced the Rays offense. The Sox are in serious danger of falling out of first place after the Rays beat them 7-3 at Tropicana Field.

                                                      Randy Quaid is angry again

Fleming got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez led off with a base hit to left. Alex Verdugo and Xander Bogearts both struck out swinging before JD Martinez flied out to right to end the inning. As usual the Sox fell behind right from the start as Perez got tagged in the bottom of the first inning. Randy Arozarena grounded out to third to start before Nelson Cruz grounded out to short. Austin Meadows walked and Yandy Diaz hit a home run all the way to Orlando to put the Rays up for good 4 batters into the game. Wander Franco struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rays ahead 2-0.

                                                                   Diaz puts the Rays up early

Once again the Sox rolled over in the top of the second inning as Hunter Renfroe flied out to left to start. Christian Vazquez flied out to center and Bobby Dalbec also flied out to center to end the inning. Somehow Perez kept the Rays off the board in the bottom of the second as Brandon Lowe struck out swinging to start but Bobby Dalbec dropped a pop up by former Sox prospect Manny Margot for an error. Mike Zunino struck out swinging and Ji-Man Choi grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the third as Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Somehow Jonathan Arauz got a base hit to left but Hernandez took strike three. Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rays struck again in the bottom of the third although Arozarena grounded out to short to start. Cruz singled to center but Meadows popped up to first. Diaz singled to center and Franco doubled home both runs to ice the game. Lowe flied out to center to end the inning with the Rays ahead 4-0.

                                                           Franco is all smiles

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth as Bogaerts singled in the hole at second to start. Martinez struck out swinging but Renfroe walked. Vazquez singled to right to score Bogaerts but was thrown out at second trying to stretch. That mistake proved costly as Dalbec ripped a base hit to left that scored Renfroe with another run. Duran singled and Arauz walked to load the bases. Needing a clutch hit to tie the game....Hernandez popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                   Dalbec drives in a run

The Rays took the rally personally in the bottom of the fourth as Margot flied out to left to start. Zunino hit a home run all the way to Sarasota to increase the lead but Choi grounded out to second. Arozarena then hit a home run into the Atlantic Ocean before Cruz singled to center. Meadows lined out to second to end the inning but the Rays led 6-2. That was it for Perez who got hammered for 6 runs in just 4 innings of work.

                                                       Perez got shelled again

The Sox blew another rally in the top of the fifth as Verdugo struck out swinging to start. Bogaerts ripped a base hit off the glove of Choi but Martinez flied out to center. Renfroe doubled to left and needing a clutch hit.....Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning. Yacksel Rios came in to get tagged in the bottom of the fifth although Diaz grounded out to second to start. Franco tripled to center then scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead. Lowe walked but Margot flied out to left. Zunino struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 7-3.

                                                   Triple for Franco

Ryan Sherriff came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Dalbec grounded out to short to start. Duran took strike three but Arauz singled in the hole at third. A passed ball moved Arauz to second and Hernandez walked, but Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Rios returned for the bottom of the sixth and Choi went down hacking to start. Arozarena lined out to left and Cruz grounded out to third to end the inning.

JT Chargois came in to dominate the tip of the seventh as Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Martinez grounded out to first and Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Meadows walked to start. Diaz doubled to right but Meadows was thrown out at home by Bogaerts. Diaz moved to third on a grounder to second by Franco and Lowe was intentionally walked. Margot struck out swinging to end the inning.

Louis Head came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Vazquez ripped a base hit to left to start. The rally ended as both Dalbec and Duran went down swinging. Arauz grounded out to second to end the inning. Josh Taylor came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Zunino went down hacking to start. Choi popped up to third but Arozarena singled to left. Cruz grounded into a force to end the inning.

Old pal Jeffrey Springs came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Hernandez lined out to short to start. Verdugo flied out to left and Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the game. The Rays had won it 7-3.

                                                         Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Martin Perez. He got lit up for 6 runs in just 4 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                              Jackass Perez

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Hunter Renfroe was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Jonathan Arauz was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Hiro Sawamura tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Josh Taylor tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Yacksel Rios allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Sox fans are a little upset that the Sox have a chance to make it to October but only managed to trade for an injured outfielder and two low level relief pitchers. Still, the Sox only gave up one Top 20 prospect, a lower end prospect and an expendable bat for the new additions. The Sox kept their farm system intact while the Yankees emptied theirs to get Joey Gallo and...surprise....Anthony Rizzo. The biggest move was the Los Angeles Dodgers trading garbage to the Washington Nationals for Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. The San Francisco Giants have been on a tear in the first three months and the Dodgers are loading up to try to repeat as champions. As for this game, the Sox got outclassed by the Rays and couldn't get anything going offensively when the game started to slip away. The Sox had 2 men on in back to back innings and couldn't get anybody in. A few more clutch hits here and there and the Sox would have made it interesting. Instead, the Rays walked all over them and are one win away from taking over first place as we head to August. There's still another day to make some trades but it seems unlikely the Sox are going to do anything else. The Sox are going to roll the dice with what they have and its possible that it may not be enough. The loss dropped the Sox to 663-42, just 0.5 games in front of the Rays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow evening the Sox look to rebound with Nathan Eovaldi (9-5) taking on Ryan Yarbrough of the Rays. The game begins at 6:10 PM at Tropicana Field.

Jays Dominate Sox in Game 1 of Doubleheader (7/28/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox called up Connor Wong to be the extra in today's doubleheader. Yippie.

                                                                        IN

This could be the end of Garrett Richards (6-6, 5.15 ERA) in the Boston Red Sox rotation and its not a moment too soon. Needing to win a doubleheader to gain ground on the Tampa Bay Rays, the Sox and Richards laid an egg in Game 1 against the Toronto Blue Jays. Richards got knocked out in the fifth inning after allowing 4 runs and 2 big home runs. The Sox were held to just 5 measly hits by Robbie Ray and Jordan Romano and the Jays took Game 1 by a score of 4-1 in 7 innings at Fenway Park.

Richards got the ball in the top of the first inning and George Springer greeted him with a double to right. Springer looked to have beat a tag to third on a fly ball to center by Vladimir Guerrero Jr but Spx manager Alex Cora challenged the call. Replays showed Springer was out and Marcus Semien flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Ray in the bottom of the first as Kike Hernandez walked to start. Rafael Devers got a base hit to center to move Hernandez to third. Devers took second on the throw and Hernandez scored on the grounder to short by JD Martinez. Hunter Renfroe flied out to left and Christian Vazquez popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                       Martinez drives in a run

The Jays tied it in the top of the second as Bo Bichette walked to start. Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging but Bichette swiped second and moved to third on the Lourdes Gurriel Jr fly ball to center. Bichette scored on an infield single off of Richards by Randal Grichuk and Cavan Biggio singled to center. Alejandro Kirk lined out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                              "Where's the dad gum ball?" - Richards

The Sox blew the game in the bottom of the second as Alex Verdugo singled in the hole at second to start. Kevin Plawecki hit a ground rule double down the left field line and Bobby Dalbec walked to load the bases with nobody out. The rally ended as Michael Chavis struck out swinging, Hernandez struck out swinging and Devers flied out to center to end the inning. They had the bases loaded & nobody out and did not score.

Somehow the Jays failed to capitalize in the top of the third as Springer lined out to right to start. Guerrero Jr popped up to second but Semien beat out a roller to third. Bichette flied out to right to end the inning. Ray cruised in the bottom of the third as Martinez flied out to right to start. Renfroe grounded out to third and Vazquez lined out to center to end the inning.

The Jays took command in the top of the fourth inning although Hernandez flied out to right to begin. Gurriel Jr doubled to left and Grichuk smashed a home run all the way to Wisconsin to pur the Jays up for good. Biggio struck out swinging and Kirk grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays ahead 3-1.

                                                      Grichuk puts the Jays up for good

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Verdugo grounded out to second to start. Plawecki walked but Dalbec struck out swinging. Chavis struck out swinging to end the inning,.

The Jays knocked out Richards in the top of the fifth as Springer hit a home run to Pluto to start. Guerrero Jr singled to center to chase Richards. Garrett stunk again, allowing 4 runs in just 4 plus innings. Yacksel Rios cane in and Semien flied out to left, but Guerrero took second on a wild pitch. Bichette grounded out to short and Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 4-1.

                                                       "I sucked today" - Richards

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Hernandez took strike three to start. Devers doubled off the glove of Springer and took third on the base hit to left by Martinez. Renfroe struck out swinging and Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning, another waste.

Rios struck out Gurriel swinging to start the top of the sixth and Grichuk flied out to left. Biggio took strike three to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Verdugo lined out to left to start. Plawecki and Dalbec both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Brandon Workman came in for the top of the seventh as Kirk lined out to left to start. Springer struck out swinging and Guerrero Jr flied out to center to end the inning. Reese McGuire took over behind the plate with Jordan Romano in to close out the bottom of the seventh. Jarren Duran pinch hit for Chavis and struck out swinging before Hernandez popped up to short. Devers flied out to center to end the game. The Jays had won it 4-1.

                                                                Jays win

Jackass of the Night is Garrett Richards. He got lit up for 4 runs in 4 plus innings to take the loss and jack his ERA to over 5.

                                                           Jackass Richards

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4.

JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3.

Kevin Plawecki was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Yacksel Rios pitched 2 scoreless innings.

Brandon Workman tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Michael Chavis was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Think its time to get Richards out of the rotation. If Tanner Houck can prove he can be the pitcher from last year, that makes Richards the odd man out if and when Chris Sale returns. He just isn't giving them a chance to win with an ERA over 5 although once again, its hard to win when the offense only gets 5 hits as a team. Robbie Ray shut them down big time and the Sox either score 10 runs or 1, there is no in between it seems. Hopefully the Sox can get it together in the nightcap because the Sox really can't afford to lose this series with the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees playing each other the next few days. The Sox should be able to come back in the nightcap but damn, what a disaster. Tonight Tanner Houck (0-2, 2.50 ERA) looks to salvage Game 2 of this series when he takes on Steven Matz of the Jays at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.