All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 9-2 loss to the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Pitching depth an issue: Injuries are going to be an issue for any major league team over the course of the season, and that's especially true when it comes to pitching. A year ago, when the Sox experienced some health problems in their starting rotation, they could plug in either Hector Velazquez or Brian Johnson as able replacements. But currently, both Velazquez (lower back) and Johnson (elbow) are on the IL so the Red Sox have been forced to find alternatives and that hasn't worked well. Josh Smith got his second start of the season and it went about as well as the first one went -- which is to say, poorly. Smith got through the first inning unscathed, but the second inning was a different story. He needed 42 pitches to get three outs and ended up giving up four runs, including three on a titanic homer to left by Tampa Bay catcher Travis D'Arnaud. "I was falling behind guys,'' said Smith. "I did a good job getting the first two outs then I tried a cutter with D'Arnaud and I don't know if he was sitting on it or what, but he did a good job hitting it.'' Smith was done after four innings. It was the second time in the last three days that a spot starter for the Sox gave up multiple runs in the early innings.
Hernandez returns: Infielder Marco Hernandez missed almost two full years with a shoulder injury that was major enough to require two different surgeries. He battled back through months and months of rehab and conditioning and was finally rewarded with a call-up to the big leagues Saturday morning. Hernandez wasn't in the starting lineup, but he did an at-bat in the ninth inning, pinch-hitting for Xander Bogaerts. In his first at-bat in the big leagues since May of 2017, Hernandez ripped a double to right, scoring a run. "That was awesome,'' said Cora. "To see him running the bases and being able to contribute, that's good. He worked hard to get to this point and we're proud of him.'' Hernandez then earned himself a spot in the starting lineup for the second game, playing second base.
Offense sputters again: In the post-game interview room, manager Alex Cora was asked what he saw from his team's offense. "Not much,'' said Cora, in an unusual bit of candor from him. True enough, the Sox were limited to a single run through the first seven innings and for the first two games of this series, the Sox have scored a total of four runs and collected just 10 hits in 18 innings. The Sox knew they were in for a tough series against a strong Tampa Bay pitching staff, but they've been able to do very little offensively halfway through this four-game series. In five of the first six innings in Game 1, the Sox sent the minimum number of hitters to the plate. Tellingly, Sox hitters didn't collect a single walk, and the first run they managed was unearned, coming as it did after second baseman Brandon Lowe bobbled what should have been an inning-ending double play ball.
TURNING POINT: The game still seemed within reach in the fifth inning with the Sox trailing 4-1. But Colten Brewer, in relief of Smith, had control issues, allowing three walks in the span of five hitters and the Rays -- with the help of a passed ball charged to Sandy Leon -- managed to add a run on to their lead and never looked back.
ONE UP:
Jackie Bradley Jr.: In the eighth inning, Bradley homered off the top of the right field foul pole, his fifth homer since May 20. He also recorded his fourth outfield assist of the season in the second inning.
ONE DOWN:
Josh Taylor: It was a 5-2 game when Taylor came on for the top of the ninth, but not for long. He was shelled for four runs on six hits as the game got out of hand.
QUOTE OF NOTE:
"It's been a challenge.'' Alex Cora on the team's pitching depth being exposed in recent days.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The game marked the fourth time in their careers that Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. recorded an outfield assist in the same game.
- Michael Chavis had two hits, giving him 15 multi-hit games as a rookie.
- Eleven of Jackie Bradley's last 17 hits have gone for extra bases.