All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 6-1 loss to the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight.
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Offense in familiar funk: In one obvious way, this loss was not dissimilar to many others this year -- the Red Sox had themselves plenty of opportunities to score, but couldn't cash in when they needed to. The Sox were an abysmal 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position, stranding 10 baserunners. Four times, the Sox managed to put the leadoff man on base, but only once did they score. After the Rays streaked to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, the Sox had a perfect chance to match them in the bottom of the inning, but failed. They had three hits in the second, but got only one run out of it, in part because Jackie Bradley Jr. was picked off. "We put pressure on (Tampa Bay starter Blake) Snell the whole day,'' bemoaned Alex Cora. "We just didn't score enough runs. We've got to take advantage of the situations. That's something we've been talking about for a while. We just didn't execute.''
Rodriguez rocked: The Sox had won nine of Eduardo Rodriguez's last 10 starts, but he didn't do much to keep them in the game Sunday. After spotting the Rays a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, he allowed solo homers in the second and sixth innings and was lifted after 5.2 innings, tagged with his first Fenway loss of the season. "He made adjustments throughout,'' said Cora. "But that first inning wasn't great. He didn't execute early and they took advantage of it.'' Rodriguez confessed to missing with a cutter to Guillermo Heredia in the second and a fastball to Brandon Lowe in the sixth. "That's what's going to happen when you miss over the middle of the plate,'' said Rodriguez, who had difficulty throwing his changeup for strikes and had to rely on other pitches in his repertoire.
Betts not leading the way: Ten days ago, Cora moved Mookie Betts back to the top of the lineup, hoping that it would A) jumpstart the Red Sox offense and B) allow for Betts to run more. To date, neither has taken place. The Sox are just 5-5 since the switch was made and Betts is just 6-for-38 (.158) with five runs scored in 10 games and no stolen bases. "He keeps searching,'' said Cora. "He expanded a little bit today and the most important thing is to dominate the strike zone -- get your walks, work the count and keep swinging at the stuff.'' It doesn't help that the Sox have been without J.D. Martinez in all four games in this series, depriving the Sox of a big run-producing bat in the middle of their lineup. But last year, Betts could singlehanded impact games for the Sox offense and that hasn't happened nearly as much this season.
TURNING POINT: It may have been (very) early, but the tone for this one was set right away. In the first inning, the Sox got a leadoff single from Mookie Betts and a walk from Christian Vazquez. A wild pitch then moved them up a base, giving the Sox two runners in scoring position. But Blake Snell dug in and fanned Xander Bogaerts, Michael Chavis and Eduardo Nunez in order, to strand two.
ONE UP
Marco Hernandez: Hernandez has now hit safely in each of the three games in which he's played since being promoted, collecting five hits, including two on Sunday.
TWO DOWN
Marcus Walden: Walden had one of the worst outings of the season, allowing three hits and two runs (including two homers) in the seventh inning.
Michael Chavis: After showing signs Saturday that he had broken out of his funk, Chavis regressed in a big way, going 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
QUOTE OF NOTE:
"Right now, they're better than us and we've got to keep working.'' Alex Cora, when asked what it says that the Sox have lost four straight weekend series to first-place teams.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The loss was the first at Fenway this season for Eduardo Rodriguez.
- Sam Travis recorded the first outfield assist of his career.
- The loss was just the second in the last 12 tries in a series finale for the Red Sox.
- The four homers allowed were the most at a home game this season.