All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Astros, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Rotation continues to struggle: Houston connected for 11 hits off Nathan Eovaldi and roughed him up for 5.2 innings. It was the most hits Eovaldi has allowed in a game in six years, and it put the Sox into a hole out of which they couldn't climb. It was part of a disturbing trend by Red Sox starters of late. After pitching well in New York over the weekend, the Sox haven't gotten a quality start in three outings on the current homestand. Is it a coincidence that these three games have come just as the Sox have hit the 60-game mark, the same length as the 2020 season? In other words, now that they're throwing more innings and making more starts than they have since 2019, have Boston's starters hit the wall? Alex Cora doesn't believe so. "You put everything in perspective,'' said Cora. "This was going to happen at some point. They were so good for so long.'' They have not been in good of late, however, with 13 earned runs allowed over the last 12.1 innings pitched.
Sox hitters again ineffective: The Astros have beaten the Sox five times in the last six games. and in those five losses, they've scored a grand total of eight runs. Cora has been vocal about the Astros' specific approach to the Sox lineup. Whatever they're doing, it's worked over two series in two different ballparks. "I think their pitching staff,'' offered Hunter Renfroe, "as a whole, when we were there, did a really good job living on the corners and throwing very good off-speed pitches for us to chase. I think everybody kind of knows that we crush fastballs and we may struggle at times hitting off-speed. And they have some very good pitchers that have very good off-speed stuff.'' Whatever the strategy is, it's working like a charm. After the Sox jumped on Jake Odorizzi in the first inning for two runs, they had just two more hits over the final eight innings.
TURNING POINT
In the four-run third inning, the Astros took a decidedly aggressive approach to Eovaldi, swinging at his first pitch in a run of at-bats and connecting for three straight run-scoring hits. "For me, (the response) is pitching inside more,.'' said Eovaldi of how to react to that approach. "But after the fact, it's too late. They already did the damage. The fourth, fifth, and sixth inning, I started throwing the ball in more. I started throwing my cutter in and they were kind of laying off those pitches. To the righties, I started throwing the heater in more and I felt like it kind of got them off it a little more. Again, it was too late of an adjustment and I've got to be able to make those adjustments on the fly.''
TWO UP
Hunter Renfroe: In addition to an RBI single in the first, Renfroe recorded his seventh outfield assist in the first inning, and should have had another seventh, but Christian Vazquez couldn't get tag down in time.
Xander Bogaerts: Bogaerts drove in the first Red Sox run of the night in the first and added their final run with a homer to left in the fourth.
TWO DOWN
Phillips Valdez: Just in case the Red Sox were harboring any comeback fantasies, the inning of relief by Valdez dashed those. He was rocked for two runs on four hits.
Christian Arroyo: His breakout game in the leadoff spot Monday seems like a long time ago now. He was 0-for-3 with all three plate appearances ending in a swinging strikeout.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"Average...middle-of-the-pack....There's more in the tank.'' Hunter Renfroe on the strike he threw in the first inning to cut down an Astros runner at the plate.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Rafael Devers leads MLB in doubles (19) and extra-base hits (34)
* Brandon Workman made his fourth appearance since re-joining the Red Sox and has a 1.93 ERA so far.
* The 107 pitches thrown by Nathan Eovaldi were his most in a start since July 24, 2016.
* Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to seven games.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Astros wrap up their series -- and season series -- Thursday night at 7:07 p.m., with LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (5-4, 5.59) vs. RHP Zack Greinke (6-2, 3.38)