After squandering a number of chances in the first two innings, the Red Sox didn't get any more the rest of the way and dropped a 3-1 decision to the Atlanta Braves.
The Sox were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position in the early going against Charlie Morton, who shut them thereafter, allowing one baserunner over his final five innings of work.
The Braves got two in the third off Garrett Richards on a run-scoring double by Marcell Ozuna and a fielder's choice and added another in the sixth when Ronald Acuna Jr. greeted reliever Hirokazu Sawamura with a double that drove home Pablo Sandoval.
WHO: Red Sox (29-19) vs. Atlanta Braves (23-24)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Garrett Richards (4-2, 3.72) vs. RHP Charlie Morton (2-2, 4.60)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
BRAVES
Acuna RF
Freeman 1B
Ozuna LF
Albies 2B
Swanson SS
Sandoval DH
Heredia CF
Contreras C
RED SOX
Hernandez CF
Verdugo LF
Martinez DH
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Vazquez C
Santana CF
Renfroe RF
Dalbec 1B
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
B7: Morton finishes strong, retiring the final 13 hitters he faced and 17 of the last 18. He's at 1-2 pitches and presumably done.
T6: Sawamura makes a pretty good pitch to Ronald Acuna Jr. -- a splitter, down-and-in. But Acuna pulls his hands in a rifles a run-scoring double into the left field corner.
T6: That's all for Richards, who allows two runs in 5.2 innings, and leaves two runners for Hirokazu Sawamura.
B5: As if often the case with veteran starters -- if you don't get them early, you don't get them at all. Since Danny Santana's leadoff triple and a walk to Hunter Renfroe in the second, Red Sox hitters are 1-for-12 against Charlie Morton.
T3: Alert play by Kike Hernandez, who cuts down the trail runners, Marcell Ozuna, trying to advance from second third on a fielder's choice as a run scores.
T3: Marcell Ozuna, who had a three-homer game here last season, renews his assault on Fenway with a line drive double to The Triangle, scoring a run.
B2: For the second straight inning, Red Sox failed to cash in. Had runners at first-and-third with no out, and get nothing from it. They're already 0-for-5 with RISP.
T2: Pablo Sandoval, in a glorious and long-awaited return to Fenway, bangs a single off The Wall and is greeted by rapturous applause by Sox fans. ( Not really).
B1: Rafael Devers credited with his 40th RBI in a most unusual fashion -- taking a bases-loaded pitch off the foot, forcing in the first run of the night.
B1: Bizarre play. J.D. Martinez hits a lower liner right at second baseman Ozzie Albies, who was intent on snaring it and doubling up Kike Hernandez at second. Instead, the ball ticks off his glove for an error and the Red Sox have the bases loaded with no out.
T1: Garrett Richards is flashing improved velocity with his fastball in the early going, routinely hitting 96 mph. Unsurprisingly, he's throwing it often -- 13 of his first 17 pitches.
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have won seven of their last 10 and four of their last five...They've also won three consecutive series and are 5-1-0 in their last six.... At 29-19 (.604), the Sox have MLB’s fourth-best record behind San Diego (30-18), the Los Angeles Dodgers (29-18), and Tampa Bay (30-19)...This is the first day the Red Sox are not in first place in their division since April 8....They had had a run of 46 consecutive days from April 9 through May 24 in which they were either in first place by themselves or owned a share of first, including 43 consecutive days in sole possession of 1st place from April 11 through May 23.. Starting tonight, each of the Red Sox’ next 21 games will be against teams that made the 2020 postseason, as well as 27 of the next 30 with seven games against Houston, six against the Yankees, four against the Braves, four against the Jays, three against the Marlins and three against the Rays... So far, the Sox are 11-6 (.647) against teams that entered today with at least a .500 winning percentage, the second-best record in the majors...The Red Sox are 13-12 at Fenway Park, fifth-best home mark in the American League...They are 13-9 at home since getting swept by BAL to begin the season....On the road, the Sox are 16-7 (.696), the second-best record on the road. Only the Rays at 19-7 are better on the road....The Sox are 6-1-0 in road series, but just 3-2-3 in series at Fenway....The Red Sox lead the majors in runs (tied, 249), doubles (105), extra-base hits (173), slugging percentage (.450), and OPS (.774)...They're second in batting average (.263) behind HOU (.270). The Sox are an MLB-best 26-3 (.897) when scoring four or more runs and 15-0 when scoring seven or more runs....: The Red Sox are out-homering opponents, 65-35, for a plus-30 differential, the largest in either league....The Sox rank tied for third in the AL with 65 homers...They have hit multiple homers in nine of their last 10 games for a total of 21 homers....The Sox are the only AL team featuring as many as 7 players with five or more homers...Meanwhile, Sox pitchers have allowed an AL-best 0.74 homers per nine innings...They've given up one or no homers in 12 straight games...The Red Sox are 4-1 vs. NL teams this season are are 267-181 (.596) all time against the NL, the highest Interleague winning percentage in the majors....Among relievers with at least 20 innings pitches, Matt Barnes leads the majors in strikeout % (50.0, 40 of 80) and WHIP (0.63) and ranks second in SO/9.0 IP (16.12)....Josh Taylor has made 10 consecutive scoreless appearances and Adam Ottavino has made five. Ottavino hasn't allowed a homer this year in 18.1 innings pitched...Garrett Richards allowed eight earned runs in his first three innings. but has since compiled a 2.38 ERA....Pablo Sandoval is 2-for-6 lifetime against Richards while Freddie Freeman is 0-for-2....Xander Bogaerts is 10-for 29 with a homer in his career against Charlie Morton while J.D. Martinez is 9-for-26....Both Rafael Devers and Bogaerts have five-game hitting streaks.
NEWS:
* The Red Sox activated Christian Arroyo (left hand contusion) from the IL. Arroyo spent three days on a rehab assignment in Worcester and pronounced himself fully recovered, though he will continue to wear a padded glove for a while to offer himself extra protection.
* Alex Cora had both Kike Hernandez and Danny Santana in the lineup together, and put Santana in the outfield and Hernandez at second even though each has played the other position. Cora said he wanted Santana to get more time to become comfortable with Xander Bogaerts around second base.