All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Astros, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Perez can't continue mastery: Last week at Minute Maid Park, Martin Perez turned in one of the best starts for any Red Sox start this season, shutting out the Astros into the eighth inning. But Tuesday night at Fenway, it was as if that outing never happened. The Astros got a solo homer in first inning from Carlos Correa and really teed off on him in the second inning, scoring five times and cutting his night short. It was evident that the Astros made some adjustments against him just five days later. But it was also obvious Perez didn't possess the same stuff, unable to command his pitches the way he would have liked. That came on a night when the Sox bullpen usage had left them thin, making Perez's off-night particularly ill-timed. In the second inning alone, he gave up as many runs as he had in his previous four starts combined. Poor starts are bound to happen over the course of a season, but it was somewhat shocking to see the lineup he had tamed so well last week flip the script against him.
Valdez muzzles Sox: One pitcher who didn't have trouble repeating his success from a week ago was Astros lefty Framber Valdez, who allowed just one run through seven innings last week in Houston. Tuesday, he managed to do more of the same, allowing just one run again -- this time through eight innings. The one run the Sox scratched against him was the result of a hit batsman, an infield single and two groundouts -- hardly any sort of explosion. As happened last week, the Sox expanded the strike zone against the lefty, too often chasing his breaking ball off the plate. The loss dropped the Sox to 1-4 against Houston this season, and in each of the losses, it seems like one bad inning has done them in. But even if the five-run second hadn't taken place Tuesday, the Sox only had six hits to show for themselves and that would still have been insufficient. With two games remaining in the series, the Sox lineup has to better counter-act the precise game plans that the Astros' staff has designed against them -- and fast.
TURNING POINT
This one got away from the Red Sox early, but if you have to cite a spot where the game got away from them, look to the second inning. After back-to-back doubles to open the inning by Michael Brantley and Kyle Tucker, Perez got ahead 0-and-2 of light-hitting catcher Martin Maldonado. But Maldonado delivered a two-run single and the steady drumbeat of Astros hitters parading around the bases had begun. They sent a total of 11 men to the plate and scored five times, but it might have unfolded differently had Perez been able to finish off Maldonado.
TWO UP
KikΓ© Hernandez: Hernandez snapped out of his funk with his first multi-hit game in some time, collecting a single and a double.
Matt Andriese: Making his first appearance this month, Andriese gave the Sox three strong innings with five strikeouts. The lone run off him came on a monster shot into the center field bleachers by Yordan Alvarez.
ONE DOWN
Bobby Dalbec: The first baseman was 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and has just three hits in his last 38 at-bats.
Marwin Gonzalez: After signs that he was ready to break out at the plate in New York last weekend, Gonzalez was 0-for-4 and is just 1-for-8 on the homestand so far.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Bad outing, bad day. But I'll just turn the page and come back tomorrow and be ready for (my next start) Sunday.'' Martin Perez.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to six games.
* The start was shortest of Martin Perez's career since Sept, 28., 2018.
* For the first time in his last five outings, Phillips Valdez did not allow a run.
* The Boston bullpen allowed just one over seven innings and has an ERA of 1.59 In June.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Astros continue their series at 7:10 p.m. Wednesday, with RHP Nathan Eovaldi (7-2, 3.78) vs. RHP Jake Odorizzi (0-3, 7.160