All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 2-1 loss to the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Price good in defeat: He got no support over six innings, but it's tough to blame this loss on David Price. Price allowed a solo homer in the first inning, then another solo run in the fourth and that was the only damage done against him. "Six innings, two runs (allowed),'' noted Alex Cora. "We'll take that any night. He battled.'' Price judged his outing to be largely successful. "I threw some really good fastball cutters,'' he said, "and my fastball command was there at times. I made some pitches when I needed to.'' The toughest inning for him was the fourth when the Rays sent seven men to the plate and Price had to wiggle out of a bases-loaded, one-out predicament after allowing one run. It took 32 pitches to get out of the mess. "Whenever you throw that many pitches in one inning,'' said Price, "that's pretty taxing. But it could have been a lot worse -- damage control, kept us in the game.'' Price has allowed two or fewer earned runs in each of his last three starts and he's pitched through the sixth inning in four of his five outings.
Big hit elusive: As was the case earlier on the homestand, the Red Sox found themselves unable to deliver the big hit when they needed it. They left 11 baserunners on and were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. After being limited to one hit -- an infield single -- over the first five innings, but even then, the Sox had scoring opportunities, using a walk and a botched play by the Rays infield to get runners at first and second and one out -- to no avail. The Sox kept giving themselves some chances as the game wore on. They had a one-out double from Xander Bogaerts, but wasted it in the sixth. In the eighth, after a solo homer by Mookie Betts cut the Tampa lead in half, the Sox had first-and-third and one out, then loaded the bases with two outs, but couldn't produce anything further. "You look up and there were a lot of at-bats with men on,'' said Cora. "We just couldn't get the big hit.''
Martinez sidelined: J.D. Martinez was in the original lineup, but was scratched an hour or so before gametime with back spasms. Cora said Martinez reported to the ballpark feeling stiff and tried to loosen up in the cage with some swings, but couldn't get comfortable. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Steve Pearce. In the late innings, with the bottom third of the order due, there were several opportunities for Martinez to hit for either Jackie Bradley Jr. or Christian Vazquez. But Cora said Martinez wasn't available to use off the bench. Bradley ended up striking out on a full count to leave the bases loaded in the eighth. Cora was unsure about Martinez's availability for the series finale on Sunday. Martinez had appeared in every one of the first 26 games for the Sox, hitting safely in all but two of them.
TURNING POINT
In the bottom of the eighth, after a Mookie Betts leadoff homer sliced the Rays lead in half, the Red Sox had runners at the corners with one out. But Alvarado fanned Michael Chavis for the second out and, after walking Steve Pearce to load the bases, got Jackie Bradley Jr. swinging to end the threat.
TWO UP
Matt Barnes: The reliever had a one-two-three ninth inning and required only nine pitches to record the three outs.
Mookie Betts: Betts continued to wield a hot bat with a single and homer in five at-bats. Over his last eight games, he's reached base 19 times in 37 plate appearances.
https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1122272670656212994
ONE DOWN
Steve Pearce: A month into the season, Pearce has yet to get untracked at the plate. A late sub for Martinez in the lineup, he was 0-for-3 with a strikeout and double play.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Our offense is too good. They'll get back to it. Sometimes, you just have to tip your cap.'' Price on the lineup's struggles.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING:
- This was just the second one-run game in the last 10 between the teams that the Rays won.
- Matt Barnes has struck out exactly half of the batters (23-of-46) he's faced this year.
- Over the last three games, the Red Sox have worked 20 walks.
- Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to six games.