It's early yet, but the Red Sox may have bottomed out Thursday.
The Sox were pummeled by the Tampa Bay Rays 17-8, giving the the visitors a four-game sweep of the series, during which they outscored the Sox 42-22.
Kyle Hart, making his major league debut, was shelled for five runs in just two-plus innings, but there were plenty of other culprits, including Marcus Walden who gave up six runs without retiring a hitter and Rafael Devers, who committed three errors.
Tampa Bay hit four homers.Thursday and seven in the last two days.
This is the Red Sox' third four-game losing streak of the season.
WHO: Red Sox (6-12) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (10-8)
WHEN: 4:30 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: Tampa Bay 3-0|
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: Tampa Bay 4-1
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Kyle Hart (debut) vs. RHP Tyler Glasnow (0-1, 5.56)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Verdugo LF
Devers 3B
Martinez DH
Moreland 1B
Pillar RF
Plawecki C
Arauz 2B
Bradley CF
Peraza SS
RAYS
Brosseau 3B
Martinez 1B
Diaz DH
Renfroe RF
Lowe 2B
Adames SS
MArgot CF
Tsutsugo LF
Zunino C
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
7:18 This is the second four-hit game of the series for Manuel Margot, who's got 10 hits in three starts.
7:12 Third error of the day for Devers -- all on throws. He's got eight on the season.
6:45 Marcus Walden has faced four hitters: homer, walk, triple, single. Three more runs in. The beat(ing) goes on.
6:39 Second homer of the game for Renfroe, third for the Rays today. They've hit seven in the last two games and eight for the series.
6:12 Meanwhile, the defense has been abysmal. Again. Throwing error by Devers on what was a tailor made double play ball results in three unearned runs scored. Sox have allowed five unearned runs today alone.s
6:10 The streak lives -- the Sox have now allowed at least eight runs in the last four games.
5:55 Today's inspirational Jonathan Arauz Moment: A line double to right, scoring J.D. Martinez from second. Two more hits today gives him
5:39 That's all for Hart, who didn't help himself (three walks, a balk, two gopher balls ahead in count), but also, wasn't helped by his defense. Phillips Valdez on.
5:29 More trouble: a 1-and-2 four-seamer, dead red, and Brandon Lowe hits it over the home bullpen.
5:27 Hart was ahead of Hunter Renfroe 0-and-2, but left a cutter up and away which Renfroe drove into the bullpen.
5:23 Hart not helping himself with control issues. He's walked three of 12 batters he's faced, twice to the leadoff man in an inning.
4:55 What a surprise Kevin Plawecki has been at this plate so far. Big, two-out, two-run double to put the Red Sox ahead. He's had at least one hit now in all five of his starts and has knocked in five runs in limited playing time.
4:49 Very quickly, the Red Sox cut into the lead -- leadoff oppo double by Alex Verdugo and a ball through the shortstop hole by Rafael Devers.
4:43 Following back-to-back strikeouts, Hart was an out away from limiting the damage to a single run. But on a soft liner to right by Willy Adames, Kevin Pillar got a late break coming on the ball and it dropped in for another run-scoring single.
4:36 Three batters in, Kyle Hart is trailing by a run. A four-pitch walk, an error by Jonathan Arauz on a slow roller and a ground single shot through the right side has produced the first Rays run.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- Andrew Benintendi, on the IL with a strained rib cage, is "frustrated" by the injury. Limited to just two hits in the first 16 games, he collected two in his first two at-bats Tuesday, the got hurt when he fell down on the basepat. "It's frustrating. I got a few hits, was feeling good, felt like I was about to get hot,'' he said. Benintendi is unsure of how long he might need to get healthy again. "It's just kind of a day-to-day thing right now. We'll know more in time.''
- To make room for Kyle Hart's activation, the Red Sox optioned RHP Robert Stock back to their alternate training site.
- Ron Roenicke said the Red Sox rotation for the four-game weekend set at Yankee Stadium will feature a bullpen game Friday, Nathan Eovaldi for Saturday nd TBD for both Sunday and Monday. Roenicke said the team has specific starters in mind for Sunday and Monday, but would hold off announcing them until after today's game.
- SS Xander Bogaerts is battling some fatigue in his lower half and was given the day off. "He'll be back in there the next day,'' said Roenicke. ":It's not anything he's going to be out for (additional days). And I can use him today if a big situations comes up we'll use him.'' With Bogaerts sitting, Jose Peraza got the start at short with Jonathan Arauz taking over at second base.
- Both LHP Josh Taylor and LHP Darwinzon Hernandez threw Wednesday. Roenicke said it's possible that Taylor could join the club during the four-game series in New York, with Hernandez not too far behind that.