G42: Athletics 5, Red Sox 3

Athletics - 210 000 020 - 5  9  1
Red Sox   - 000 110 001 - 3 10  1

When tonight's game wasn't frustrating, it was annoying. First, the game began at 8:52, after a rain delay of 102 minutes. Oakland jumped ahead 3-0 and for the rest of the game, the Red Sox either did nothing or not enough. In the bottom of the ninth, Boston had the potential tying run at the plate three times. One run scored on a groundout, which didn't even qualify as a major league tease.

Once the game finally began - even though it was still raining - Eduardo Rodriguez (5-6-3-0-4, 98) threw three pitches and Oakland had men at first and second. Rodriguez got two outs, but Mike Chapman lined a ball to right. Mookie Betts appeared to be playing too shallow and as he went back and tried making a leaping bare-handed grab, the ball sailed over his glove for a two-run triple.

Stephen Piscotty homered on an 0-2 pitch in the second and the Red Sox trailed by three runs. (It was the third home run the Red Sox have allowed this year on an 0-2 pitch.)

Before that dong, however, the Red Sox ran into yet another bone-headed out on the bases. Andrew Benintendi and J.D. Martinez had singled in the bottom of the first and Xander Bogaerts, batting with two outs, grounded a ball to third. Benintendi had run to third on contact and even though Oakland third baseman Chapman had not thrown the ball to first, Benintendi rounded the bag. He was promptly caught in a rundown and easily tagged out, 5-2-6, ending the inning.

Benintendi has stolen seven bases in seven attempts this year, so he clearly has some speed, but his baserunning instincts must be the worst of anyone on the team. Also, what the fuck was our third base coach Carlos Febles doing while this potential rally fizzled out to nothing? Maybe he was sending a text or something.

Mitch Moreland doubled to start the second and stayed anchored to the bag while the next three batters were retired. Martinez reached on an infield error in the fourth. He went to third on Bogaerts's single and scored on Moreland's fielder's choice.

Benintnedi homered with two outs in the fifth, cutting Oakland's lead to one run. Hanley Ramirez followed with a single, but Martinez flied to right. Moreland doubled again in the sixth, this time with one out, but he was stranded there yet again. Benintendi doubled against Lou Trivino with two down in the seventh, but Ramirez popped to first.

Oakland scored two runs against Steven Wright in the eighth. With one out, Khris Davis and Chapman singled. Bobby Poyner came in and gave up a two-run double to Mark Canha.

In the ninth, facing Blake Treinen, Devers struck out but reached first on a wild pitch. Brock Holt pinch-hit for Christian Vazquez and doubled to left-center. Betts grounded to third and Devers scored. Benintendi flied to left. Ramirez got ahead in the count 3-1 and it seemed like he might walk and bring Martinez to the plate as the potential winning run. But that did not happen. Ramirez fouled off one pitch and then grounded out to shortstop.

The Yankees/Nationals game was suspended in the middle of the sixth with the score 3-3. The Red Sox are now 1 GB in the East.

Daniel Mengden / Eduardo Rodriguez

Betts, RF
Benintendi, CF
Ramirez, DH
Martinez, LF
Bogaerts, SS
Moreland, 1B
Nunez, 2B
Devers, 3B
Vazquez, C

Carson Smith was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right shoulder subluxation. Lefty Bobby Poyner has been recalled from Pawtucket. Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic tweeted that Smith injured himself "after coming out of the game in [Boston] yesterday when he threw his glove in anger in the dugout". President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski said Smith's injury was potentially significant and surgery could be necessary.

Robinson Cano of the Mariners has been suspended 80 games (effective immediately, without pay) after testing positive for Furosemide, in violation of MLB's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. ... I wish this had happened when he was with New York.

Since the mound was moved in 1893 to its current distance from home plate, here are the only three pitchers with multiple games of 11+ strikeouts within the first six games of their careers:

Karl Spooner (1954)    15 in first start and 12 in second start (only two games of 1954)
Kerry Wood (1998)      20 in fifth start and 13 in sixth start
Shohei Ohtani (2018)   12 in second start and 11 in sixth start