All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 10-3 loss to the Braves, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
BOX SCORE
HEADLINES
The Ozuna Show: Ordinarily, we don't feature opponents in this section, but Marcel Ozuna had a night to remember and he was responsible for knocking in six of the 10 Braves runs. Ozuna enjoyed a three-homer game for the first time in his career. In the first, he gave the Braves a 2-0 lead when he hammered a shot over everything in left off Ryan Weber. After going hitless in his next two plate appearances, Ozuna came up against Kyle Hart in the seventh. He swung and missed at the first pitch and could be seen screaming at himself for missing his pitch. After laying off two more, he drove a slider over the Monster Seats, a solo blast. But Ozuna was saving his best for last. He came up again in the eighth, and with two on, belted a blast to straightaway center which landed on the camera platform situated on the back wall -- as hard-hit and far a shot as you'll see in Fenway.
Hart over his head: Kyle Hart took the long way to the big leagues, pitching parts of five seasons in the big leagues before finally making his majors league debut last month at the age of 27. But it's become painfully obvious that Hart isn't a major league-caliber arm. The Red Sox gave him three starts and Hart wasn't really competitive in any of them. Before Tuesday night, he hadn't pitched since a week ago in Buffalo. He finally returned in a mop-up role Tuesday night and pitched two innings, allowing two of Ozuna's three homers for a total of six runs. In four appearances with the Sox, he's pitched 11 innings and allowed a staggering 24 hits and 19 earned runs. "I don't want to ever see a guy not in a position where we think he can do well,'' said Ron Roenicke."Those are the discussions we'll have to have to make sure we're doing what's best.''
Sox outclassed by quality teams: For periods of time, the Red Sox have played .500 ball. They were 6-5, in fact, in their previous 11 games before Tuesday night, having held their own with the likes of the Orioles, Blue Jays and a depleted Washington Nationals team. But when the competition gets stronger, the Red Sox really get exposed. They're 1-12 against the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees, and the last two nights, they've been dominated by the Atlanta Braves, who sit atop the National League East and have been a frequent postseason team in recent years. It's one thing for the Sox to remain competitive with teams in and around .500. But when stacked teams with strong lineups pop on the schedule, the Red Sox pitching staff is completely exposed. With Nathan Eovaldi temporarily sidelined and Martin Perez the lone starter with any history of success as a big league starter, Roenicke is forced to run out sub-standard pitchers, with predictable results. They've been outscored 16-6 in the two games with the Braves and it's not likely to get better on Wednesday.
TURNING POINT
In a 2-2 game, the Red Sox began to stir against Atlanta rookie starter Ian Anderson in the fifth after two were out. Christian Vazquez reached on an innocent slow roller to third, took second on a wild pitch and was joined on base by Rafael Devers (walk). That brought Xander Bogaerts to the plate with a chance to break the tie -- and break the game open. But Bogaerts was retired on a fielder's choice, and in the top of the next inning, the Braves scored twice to go ahead to stay.
ONE UP
Ryan Weber: Weber continued the pattern of Sox pitchers not being able to get through five innings, but after surrendering the first Osuna blast in the first inning, retired 10 of the next 11 hitters he faced.
TWO DOWN
Michael Chavis: Chavis continues to struggle mightily at the plate, going hitless in four at-bats. On the plus side, he did put the ball in play three times after averaging a strikeout every other at-bat.
Robert Stock: Brought in to a 2-2 game in the top of the sixth, Stock courted trouble right off the bat when he walked the first hitter he faced. Three more singles followed and the Braves had themselves two runs.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It was a good game there...for a while.'' Ron Roenicke.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
- Alex Verdugo has four doubles and six runs scored in the first five games of the homestand.
- Josh Taylor racked up his third straight scoreless appearance.
- Xander Bogaerts has 12 RBI in his last 13 games.