All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 8-7 loss to the Blue Jays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Bullpen implodes: For the seventh time this season, the Red Sox lost a game in which they were leading after seven innings. The Sox were up 6-1 after six innings and 6-5 after seven, and managed to lose. It also marked the 15th blown save of the season for the Boston bullpen. The most frustrating thing for the Red Sox is that Matt Barnes and Ryan Brasier were both unable to throw strikes. Together, they combined to walk four consecutive hitters -- all with two out. The third of those -- on four straight pitches from Brasier -- resulted in the eighth run being scored, and after the Sox managed to get a run back in the ninth, that proved to be the difference in the game. "All the walks ... it wasn't a good inning for us,'' acknowledged Alex Cora. "I just didn't make pitches what I had to,'' said Barnes. "I couldn't throw anything where I wanted to.''
Usage has been an issue: The Sox have been leaning heavily on Barnes of late, so much so that he's made 12 appearances in June already -- and there's another week to go in the month. He's made more appearances in June than any reliever in the American League. Was that a factor in his wildness in the eighth? "I don't know,'' said Barnes, appearing to avoid the question at least somewhat. "I just didn't have it today.'' Cora was a bit defensive on the topic. "I don't know ... with a one-run game and those matchups?'' he said. "He's the guy right there. We're playing close games and we know where we're at and we're going to go those guys. Right now, we're playing a lot of close games and when we have the lead late in games, we're going to those (high leverage) guys.'' It's not all the manager's responsibility, of course. Much of it can be placed at the feet of the starters, who have averaged about five innings per outing this month, resulting in a lot of extra outs to be taken care of by the bullpen.
Johnson steps up in spot start: Ever since Nathan Eovaldi went down with an injury earlier this season, the Sox have been trying different options in the rotation. They've used Hector Velazquez, Josh Smith, Ryan Weber, Darwinzon Hernandez and, now, Brian Johnson. Johnson didn't pitch particularly well last Sunday in his first outing off the IL, but Saturday was a big turnaround. The lefty pitched five innings and allowed just one run -- unearned -- on four hits without a walk. "That's what we were looking for -- go five or six innings,'' said Cora. "Give us a chance to win and he did. It's very important in that fifth spot for someone to step up and give us length. We've been going through this the whole season and it was good see him go out there and compete at that level. He's a good pitcher. The last one in Baltimore, he was coming off a rehab assignment; today, he was a little better.''
TURNING POINT
Leading 6-4, the Sox got the first out in the seventh before Teoscar Hernandez reached on an infield single, and then advanced to scoring position on a wild pitch. That was the beginning of the spiraling down problem. A run-scoring single brought the Jays within a run and it was all down from there in that inning, eventually leading to two more runs scoring and four straight walks being issued.
ONE UP
Andrew Benintendi: In the early going, before it all unraveled, Benintendi launched two doubles and knocked in two runs.
TWO DOWN
Michael Chavis: He had a hit and scored a run, but he twice failed to pick low throws at first base that should have been handled.
Mike Shawaryn: While Barnes and Brasier were the chief culprits in the eighth, Shawaryn didn't help in the seventh, giving up two homers and three runs.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"That was a bad (eighth) inning, to say the least. Honestly, a bad game.'' - Alex Cora.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- The Sox scored five times in the second inning, the 10th time this season in which they've scored that many in a single inning.
- Christian Vazquez is hitting .331 since May 1, the highest average for anyone with 100 or more at-bats in the A.L. in that span.
- Mookie Betts swiped second in the ninth and is 9-for-10 in stolen bases attempts.
- Michael Chavis extended his hitting streak to 11 games.