Pages

August 19, 2018

G125: Rays 2, Red Sox 0

Rays    - 010 000 001 - 2  4  1
Red Sox - 000 000 000 - 0  2  0
The Red Sox were shut out for only the fifth time this season.

They have been held to four or fewer hits only eight times in 125 games. However, two of those eight games have been played in the last 24 hours. (Boston had four hits last night.)

The Rays were powered by solo home runs from Joey Wendle (off Hector Velazquez (4-3-1-3-2, 73) leading off the second inning) and C.J. Cron (off Matt Barnes with one out in the ninth).

The Red Sox had only five baserunners, and two of their three men left on base were stranded at third.

Xander Bogaerts doubled with one out in the second and went to third on Eduardo Nunez's groundout. Jalen Beeks came out of the bullpen and struck out Brock Holt. Beeks pitched four innings after starter Diego Castillo faced only six batters and threw 19 pitches.

The third inning began with Andrew Benintendi's single to right and a walk to Steve Pearce. J.D. Martinez grounded into a double play, moving Benintendi to third, and Xander Bogaerts walked. Beeks had thrown 22 pitches to the previous three batters (6-8-8), but Nunez hacked at the first thing he saw and flied to left. Boston's only other base runner came when Holt reached on an infield error in the fifth and was immediately erased on a double play.

The Red Sox did not hit a ball out of the infield over the last five innings. After Holt reached on the error, the Rays relievers retired the last 14 Boston batters, beginning with Blake Swihart's GIDP. Chaz Roe, Jose Alvarado, and Sergio Romo teamed up to strike out seven of the final nine Red Sox hitters, all swinging.
Diego Castillo / Hector Velazquez
Betts, RF
Benintendi, LF
Pearce, 1B
Martinez, DH
Bogaerts, SS
Nunez, 3B
Holt, 2B
Swihart, C
Bradley, CF
The Red Sox are 32-7 since July 2 (a 133-win pace).

At 88-36, Boston is on a 115-win pace for the season. The AL record for wins is 116.

No comments:

Post a Comment