All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 17-8 loss to the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
Sox bottom out: Things have been bad for a while, but Thursday's 17-8 debacle was the most lopsided loss of the year, and the 17 runs allowed represented a season high. The Sox used seven pitchers -- also tying a season high -- and though they pounded out 13 hits and scored eight runs themselves, still lost in double figures. If that weren't bad enough, they embarrassed themselves in the field with four errors -- three alone by Rafael Devers -- leading to five unearned runs. "Sloppy,'' bemoaned Ron Roenicke. "They know. When you see heads hanging after a game, they realize that (things are bad). It's kind of the way it's going. We're just going through a bad point and we keep talking about how we need to turn it around and we're not doing that. It's hard watching games like that.'' For the series, the Sox were swept and outscored 42-22. Twice, the Sox scored seven or more runs, and still managed to lose both games. And before the season officially turns three weeks old, the Red Sox are in the midst of their third four-game losing streak.
Position players on the mound: It's never a good sign when a team resorts to using a position player on the mound. It's borderline disastrous when they have use two position players to pitch in the same game. But that's what happened to the Sox Thursday. First, Jose Peraza, who had appeared in two games as a pitcher for the Reds last season. Peraza gave up base hits to the first two hitters he faced, then took a comebacker off the knee from Brandon Lowe. The ball struck Peraza so hard that it caromed to first, where Michael Chavis recorded the out on Lowe.
But Peraza was too sore to continue, so Roenicke scrambled and went with catcher Kevin Plawecki, who had four pitching appearances to his credit. After issuing a walk, he retired the final two hitters he faced. Then, in the bottom of the ninth, Plawecki singled for his second hit of the game, one that will go down as a base hit as a pitcher -- the first such hit for a Red Sox "pitcher" in a non-interleague game since Pete Schourek singled June 28, 2000 against Baltimore.
Arroyo claimed: Minutes before gametime, the Red Sox announced they had claimed infielder Christian Arroyo off waivers. He had been designated for assignment by the Cleveland Indians earlier this week. Arroyo has played with San Francisco, Tampa Bay and Cleveland and can play all over the infield -- second, short and third. He's out of options, which means the Red Sox will have to put him on the major league roster, though he might have to go through MLB's intake program first before being cleared to play. He could see some time at second, where Peraza has yet to fully claim the job. "He has a feel for hitting that started to translate into production at Triple-A last year,'' said Chaim Bloom, who had him in Tampa Bay as part of the deal that saw Evan Longoria go to the Giants. "Our roster is obviously in flux right now and we had the chance to grab a player who's shown upside when healthy. We'll how he fits as we go forward.''
TURNING POINT
Things were already rocky for rookie Kyle Hart, making his major league debut. Thanks to an error in the first inning, he had already allowed two runs. But things unraveled in a hurry in the third. First came a leadoff walk to Yandy Diaz. Then, on the next two hitters -- Hunter Renfroe and Brandon Lowe -- he got ahead with two strikes.....and promptly allowed consecutive homers and the Rays were off and running.
TWO UP
Josh Osich: Osich was the most effective pitcher for either team, tossing two shutout innings while allowing just one hit and fanning five hitters.
Jose Peraza: Before his turn on the mound, Peraza, taking over at shortstop for the afternoon, rapped out two doubles.
TWO DOWN
Marcus Walden: Walden, who blew a save over the weekend, faced six hitters, didn't record an out, and gave up two homers while watching his ERA exactly triple -- from 4.05 to 12.15.
Rafael Devers: Devers committed three errors -- all of them of the throwing variety -- and now has eight errors on the season.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It's never good when I'm pitching. I don't want to pitch.'' Catcher Kevin Plawecki.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Michael Chavis has two triples in his last three games.
- J.D. Martinez has reached base nine times in his last four games.
- In his five starts as catcher, Kevin Plawecki has six RBI.