The rest of what you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 2-1 loss to the Blue Jays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Benintendi pinch-hit for in fourth inning: You knew things were bad for Andrew Benintendi entering this one, considering he was 2 for 33 on the season and 0 for his last 14, and he was demoted from the lead-off spot and placed in the seventh hole prior to the game. Well, things got worse for the left fielder in the fourth inning when, after he grounded into a double play in the second inning after the first three had reached, manager Ron Roenicke decided to bench Benintendi and replaced him with Kevin Pillar.
“It’s still tough and I still didn’t like it,” Roenicke said. “I actually would have rather not have done that. ... We don’t score runs, and I start doing things I would rather not do. So I guess it affects everybody.
“I would have never done it in 162-game (season). I shouldn’t say never but I probably wouldn’t have done that in 162. And if we were swinging the bats well, I wouldn’t have done that either.”
Rest of the offense still stinks: Even Alex Verdugo (1 for 4) in the lead-off spot couldn't shake this group from its collective doldrums. Rafael Devers and J.D. Martinez were a combined 0 for 7 with two Devers strikeouts, and are now 0 for 15 in the series. Jackie Bradley Jr. was 0 for 4, and Jose Peraza was 0 for 3. All told, Benintendi (0 for 15), Bradley (0 for 7), Devers (0 for 10) and Martinez (0 for 11) are a combined 0 for their last 43 at-bats.
I'm no math major, but that doesn't seem good.
"You look at those names down the lineup, and it’s a tough lineup,” Roenicke said. “And yet, right now, we’re just not swinging the bat. ... No doubt it gets in your head and you press. When you press and you still try to be aggressive you end up chasing more.”
TURNING POINT
Benintendi's double play in the second inning. The Red Sox were gifted two walks to start the inning and Christian Vazquez lined a run-scoring single to set up a potentially big inning. And then Benintendi made like a human extinguisher and snuffed it all out. This team just can't get out of its own way at this point. They have so many guys lost at the plate right now, I'm not sure there's a map big enough to get that back on the road.
THREE UP
Zack Godley: The Opener Plan finally worked to perfection as he allowed just three hits and no runs in four shutout innings. He has not allowed a run in 8.0 IP over two outings at Fenway Park this season (7 H, 2 BB, 10 SO).
Ryan Brasier: After Heath Hembree was wild and hit hard to start the seventh, Brasier entered the game with the bases loaded in a tie game and kept it right there by striking out Teoscar Hernandez on three pitches.
Kevin Pillar: Just watch.
What. A. Catch. pic.twitter.com/TVVtRlOql3
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 9, 2020
- Red Sox relievers have stranded 13 of 14 inherited runners in 2020 (Hembree-4, Brasier-3, Mazza-2, Osich-2, Brice-1, Valdez-1).
- Xander Bogaerts (1-for-2, R, 2 BB, SB) reached base safely in eight consecutive plate appearances spanning 8/5 at TB through his 2nd at-bat on Saturday night. He has reached base safely in 13 of 20 plate appearances over his last 5 games (8-for-15, 5 BB, 6 R, 2 HR, 3 2B, 4 RBI). Seven of Bogaerts' last 8 hits have had an exit velocity of at least 98 MPH. His single to LF in the fourth had an exit velocity of 112.1 MPH, his highest of 2020.