All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 5-4 loss to the Diamondbacks, complete with BSJ analysis and insight.
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Another three-run lead blown: This has become almost habit-forming for the Red Sox. It happened last Sunday in Seattle, when the Sox scored three times in the top of the first, only to have that wiped out by the third inning. It happened again on Thursday, with two quick runs in the first and another in the third, again lost when the A's answered with a three-run homer in the third. And Saturday night, another three-run lead -- this one in the top of the second -- didn't last for a whole inning as David Price gave up four in the bottom of the inning. There was so much focus on the bullpen at the start of the season, with the fear that it wouldn't protect late-inning leads. That hasn't been the case for the relievers -- in part because they haven't been given many leads. The problem, instead, has been the starters coughing up early-inning leads. Rick Porcello did it last Sunday, followed by Eduardo Rodriguez on Thursday and Price on Saturday. If the Sox had merely held on to those leads, they'd be at .500 right now. Instead, those blown leads have resulted in morale-sapping defeats and their current hideous 2-8 record on this first road trip.
Losing streaks piling up: A year ago, the Red Sox managed to avoid long losing streaks for the entire season. They went the whole way without having a losing streak of more than three games. But this year is a completely different story. Through the first 10 games, they've already had a four-game streak and have a three-game in the works. Should they lose the road trip finale, they'll have two four-game losing streaks before they play their first game at Fenway. Also, regardless of what happens Sunday, the Sox have already lost each of the first three series. Know how long it took them to lose their third series last season? May 10. Talk about turning the page. The Red Sox were a consistent team last year, avoiding long droughts. Much of that, of course, can be credited to the starting rotation, which managed to keep them in most games. That hasn't been the case this year. Through the first 10 games, the Sox haven't had a pitcher get through the sixth inning and don't have a win from any of their five starting pitchers.
Lineup not 'doing damage": As demanding as this trip has been for the Red Sox, they haven't exactly faced a series of Cy Young Award winners from the Mariners, A's and Diamondbacks. And yet, after a pretty good start (offensively, at least) when they averaged six runs per game in Seattle, the Sox haven't been beating up some average-at-best pitching. Luke Weaver is an inexperienced starter in a hitter's ballpark, but other than a stretch in the second inning, the Red Sox did little against him. Boston scored three runs in the second, but thereafter, sent one batter over the minimum to the plate over the next four innings -- three of them against Weaver. Of the six hits the Red Sox collected, five were singles. One extra-base hit in a bandbox like Chase Field? That's not nearly good enough.
TURNING POINT
The Sox managed to tie the game at 4-4 in the seventh with a sacrifice fly from Mookie Betts but should have gotten more out of the inning. They had the bases loaded with one out and the 2-3-4 hitters due. But after the Betts' sac fly, the Sox got a walk from pinch-hitter Mitch Moreland to re-load the bases and then Xander Bogaerts left the bags stranded with a force-out at second. It marked the fourth time in the last three games the Sox left the bases loaded.
TWO UP
Andrew Benintendi: Back in the leadoff spot for the second straight day, Benintendi is swinging a hot bat. He had an RBI double in the second, a single in the fifth and a walk in the seventh.
Brandon Workman: Workman retired the Diamondbacks 1-2-3 in the seventh inning. In four scoreless appearances, he's faced 13 hitters and retired all but one while piling up six strikeouts.
TWO DOWN
Christian Vazquez: He was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and also committed a passed ball in the ninth, putting a baserunner in scoring position.
Jackie Bradley Jr.: Bradley is really scuffling at the plate. On Saturday night, he was 0-for-3, including two hitless at-bats with runners in scoring position.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"That's been one of my Achilles heels for a lot of my career -- having that one tough inning -- and it cost me the ballgame.'' David Price.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- David Price collected his first career RBI with a second-inning single to right.
- J.D. Martinez extended his hitting streak to 10 games with a pinch-hit single in the seventh.
- The game marked the first time this season that Red Sox pitchers didn't allow a home run.