The Red Sox' losing streak hit four as the Sox were swept by the New York Mets in a two-game set, losing 8-3.
The loss marked the fourth straight game in which the Red Sox allowed the opponent to score at least seven runs.
Once more, the visitors took an early, multi-run lead, scoring three off starter Matt Hall in the top of the second. They added two more in the fifth and another three in the eighth.
After loading the bases with no out in the third, the Sox got a run on a strange double play, then got a run-scoring double from Kevin Pillar in the sixth.
WHO: Red Sox (1-3) vs. New York Mets (2-2)
WHEN: 7:35 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: Mets 1-0
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Matt Hall vs. LHP Daniel Peterson
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Peraza 2B
Martinez DH
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Pillar RF
Chavis 1B
Bradley CF
Plawecki C
Benintendi LF
METS
Rosario SS
Alonso 1b
McNeil #b
Davis LF
Conforto RF
Cespedes DH
Cano 2B
Ramos 2B
Nimmo CF
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
10:09 Closer Brandon Worker, who hasn't had, you know, any leads to protect, making his 2020 debut.
10:00 Ryan Brasier is rocked for three hits and three runs, and just like that, it's time to update the stat: four straight games in which the opposition has scored seven or more runs.
9:54 That's now four straight games in which the Red Sox have allowed six or more runs.
9:39 Brewer's had a nice outing -- 2.2 innings, one hit allowed, with one hit batsman and four strikeouts. In 58 appearances last year, only twice did Brewer go longer than two innings.
9:21 Third double to left in as many games for Devers, who suddenly looks like he might be finding his stroke.
9:15 Brewer does well to get out of a second-and-third no out jam. He got some help on a nice play by Chavis at first, then completely fooled Rosario with a few breaking pitches in the dirt, then got Pete Alonso to fly out to left.
9:07 Plawecki has two hits (thought the second was a gift from the official scorer), but hasn't had a great night. Big baserunning blunder in the crazy third, and an error there when he couldn't field a bunt by Robinson Cano.
8:52 Two-run homer by J.D. Davis off the Pesky Pole...about 302 feet from the plate. And that's how it goig for the Red Sox pitching staff. Brice out, Colten Brewer on. Four homers by the Mets in 14 innings -- five, if you count the one by Davis that was called foul and was actually fair on Monday night.
8:24 Atrocious baserunning by Kevin Plawecki, who improbably hung near the second-base bag on a ball hit almost to the triangle, one that wasn't going to be caught. That forced Benintendi to hold up and limited Peraza to a single. Based loaded. Just stunning that that ball didn't score a run.
8:22 First-and-second, no outs for the Red Sox. They had two of these chances Monday night and couldn't do anything with then, going just 1-for-8 with RISP.
8:11 Two-out walk by Hall ends his night. Austin Brice on.
8:04 Michael Conforto leans way into the seats in right to catch a twisting foul ball off the bat of Michael Chavis. That's a play that almost certainly doesn't get made if there are fans in the ballpark. Kevin Pillar, alertly,moves up from first to second on the play.
7:58 With the bases loaded, Amed Rosario drops a bloop single just past Peraza into shallow right, scoring two runs. And for the fourth straight game, the Sox are trailing by multiple runs in the first two innings.
7:36 Jose Peraza, back in the leadoff spot, bangs a ball off the Wall, but is out by about 15 feet trying to stretch to a double. Over-aggressive baserunning on his part.
PRE-GAME NOTES
- Ron Roenicke shuffled his lineup some Tuesday, dropping Andrew Benintendi to ninth and installing Jose Peraza as the leadoff hitter. Roenicke noted that the numbers suggest that Peraza is the better choice against a lefty starter. Benintendi, meanwhile, has just one hit this season and it was bunt single Monday night. "I know Benny's going to start swinging,'' said Roenicke. "He still has a really good swing going. When he relaxes, it will show up.''
- Roenicke emphasized that neither the front office nor the analytics department is dictating specific lineups to him. "It's just helping us to put all the information together,'' said Roenicke, who noted that he also receive data on player usage, health and effort. "All of this is gathered together. The information comes to us. It's not bout so much who's in the lineup every day; it's just the numbers on matchups. And I want to know: what are the numbers saying is the most optimal lineup that you could put out there? And then from there, who fits and who makes the most sense. We want as much information as we can get. If I have all this information on the matchups, on what they've done historically, it helps me to make a decision. If a guy is a hot, does that play into it? Yes. We're getting information that I wished I would have had when I managed years ago. I wished I would have had this information when I was coaching. So the more information we can get, the better off we are. I'm not being told to do anything, which is nice. Gathering all this, talking to Tim Hyers, to (Dave Bush), it's: how can we get the most out of these players? That's what it's all about. I love the information. All this makes my job easier.''
- LHP Josh Taylor was scheduled to throw live batting practice at the alternate site in Pawtucket today, with Darwinzon Hernandez set to do the same tomorrow. Both players tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this month and are attempting to progress at the alternate site. "They're still a ways away,'' said Roenicke. After a second live BP, the pitchers will throw simulated games before getting close to returning.''
- Roenicke said three pitchers are being stretched out in Pawtucket as potential starters, but declined to identify them.
- Mitch Moreland introduced Rafael Devers to former teammate Adrian Beltre, one of the best defensive third basemen in recent history. Beltre worked with Devers last year when Devers slumped in the field in the first month of the season, and helped Beltre turn things around. In the first four games, Devers has committed three errors, but Moreland said he was unsure whether the two had been in touch in recent days. "They have each other's number, and that gets me out of the way of that now,'' said Moreland. "I'm sure, knowing AB, he'll probably check in now and then. And I know if Raf has anything, he's got another source to go to. I don't know if they've talked or not. I think it's (a matter) of finding that rhythm again. Raf'a a great player. You'll never hear me say a bad thing about what he does on the baseball field. He's goes about the game the right away. He works hard, plays hard. He constantly tries to get better and that's the reason I've said from Day One, I feel like he's going to be a great player for along time. He's a special player. He's had a couple of bumps in the road the first four games, but the next four might be something you've never seen before. He's shown us he can do that. I'm not too worried about Raf -- he'll be fine.''