All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Rays, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Rotation springs a leak: No, it is not just your imagination: the Red Sox' starting rotation, a definite strength through the first two-plus months, has seen its performance spiral downward over the last couple of weeks. No longer can they depend on a minimum of five innings, as they did throughout most of April, May and the early part of June. In the last 14 games, Red Sox pitchers have posted a 6.12 ERA, with the vast majority of that damage coming against the rotation. Eduardo Rodriguez, who got a no-decision in the series opener hasn't won since May 7 and Wednesday's starter, Garrett Richards, has now given up 12 earned runs in his last 11 innings. Sadly for the Red Sox, those 11 innings represent his last three starts, meaning the righthander has lasted less than an average of four innings during this stretch. It's not much better with the other starters, either. Nate Eovaldi lasted only four innings in his last start, a loss at Kansas City. Worse, the Sox have just embarked on a portion of the schedule in which they'll play 16 games in 16 days, without a day off. Is this just some poor turns through the rotation? Are Red Sox pitchers experiencing a regression to the mean? Have they been impacted more than most staffs thanks to the crackdown on foreign substances? All of those have yet to be answered with any certitude.
Offense flat: One night after putting up nine runs in the series opener, the Red Sox were held to just two runs on just six hits. After scratching out a run in the first inning on a walk, a wild pitch and a single the other way from Xander Bogaerts, the Sox offense was disengaged the remainder of the way. It wasn't until the game was well in hand in the eighth inning that the Sox scored another run. Even without producing a lot of hits throughout, the Red Sox were not without their chances, as they did work six walks. In fact, through the first eight innings, the Sox had baserunners in every inning but one and from the second through the fifth, had two baserunners in three different innings. But for the evening, the Sox were just 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position and stranded a total of 10 runners. No Red Sox hitter had more than one hit and of the six total hits they produced, only two were for extra bases.
]TURNING POINT
Given how the night unfolded, it probably wouldn't have made any difference in the long run, but ... in the second inning, the Sox were down 4-1 and an out away from getting out of the inning as Richards got Rays rookie Wander Franco to hit a routine chopper to the right side. Second baseman Kike Hernandez fielded it cleanly, but then saw Franco burning down the line. In an apparent effort to get his throw to first as quickly as possible, Hernandez never got a good grip on the ball and hurriedly bounced it into the ground from 30 feet away. Franco reached safely, another baserunner scored from third and Richards had to face two extra batters before he was removed.
ONE UP
Yachsel Rios: It speaks volumes about the kind of night it was for the Red Sox that one of the "standouts'' was a middle reliever to managed to toss two scoreless, hitless innings.
TWO DOWN
Matt Andriese: The Sox keep giving Andriese opportunities to work through his problems and Andriese keeps scuffling. He allowed three runs in two innings of mop-up relief.
Danny Santana: Even with the team shorthanded with the injury to Christian Arroyo, it's hard to justify Santana's presence in the lineup on a regular basis. He was 0-for-5 with three strikeouts
QUOTE OF NOTE :
"I'm kind of just learning how to throw a baseball right now.'' Garrett Richards, on the changes he's having to make in the wake of MLB's crackdown on foreign substances.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* Thanks to a gift single that got lost against the roof backdrop, J.D. Martinez saw his hitting streak extended to 12 games.
* Josh Taylor extended his scoreless streak to 21 straight games, the longest in the league this season.
* The loss was just the third in the last 11 road games for the Red Sox.
* The Sox allowed two homers in the loss, after allowing just to the Rays in the first four meetings this season.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Rays wrap up their series at the Trop at 7:10 Thursday night with RHP Nick Pivetta (6-3, 4.36) vs. TBD for Tampa Bay.