All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Tigers, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES:
Perez trips up: Martin Perez turned in his shortest start of his season, lasting just four outs while spotting the Tigers a 3-0 lead by the second inning and leaving 23 outs for the bullpen to record. A big problem was the long ball -- Perez gave up a solo homer to Robbie Grossman, the first batter he faced. At this point, Perez isn't keeping his team in the game when he pitches and that's a major problem. With some other options available -- or soon to be available, -- you have to wonder how many starts (if any) Perez is going to get. The Sox can't afford to sacrifice games in the middle of a pennant race. Alex Cora said before the game that he hoped Perez would pitch up in the zone more with his fastball, but when Perez tried that approach, he couldn't execute well enough to make it effective. The numbers and recent trends are clear: Perez is 0-for-4 in his last five starts with a gaudy 8.53 ERA. Interestingly, when asked about changes to the rotation that might be in the offing. Cora brusquely noted that Nathan Eovaldi would start Friday "and we'll go from there.''
Offense regresses: When the Sox managed four runs Wednesday night, it didn't exactly qualify as a breakout for their lineup, but it was a sign of life at the least. That wasn't evident Thursday, as the Sox had just one extra-base hit and were shut out by a handful of Tigers pitchers. Of their seven hits, five came from the bottom three spots in the batting order. Meanwhile, The Big Three of Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts combined to go 1-for-11. The Sox were slightly better when it comes to making contact, striking out just five times. But once more, they couldn't do anything with the few scoring opportunities they gave themselves. Over the last seven games, the Red Sox are averaging just over 2.5 runs per game.
Sox add some minor league depth: The trade deadline may have passed, but teams can still move players who are not on 40-man rosters. The Sox obtained outfielder Delino DeShields Jr. from Texas for cash considerations and pitcher Jose De Leon from Cincinnati. DeShields has been assigned to Worcester and can provide valuable outfield depth for the organization. He had been at Triple A Round Rock, where he slashed .263/.392/.368 with 16 stolen bases. He's spent six years in the big leagues -- five with Texas and another with Cleveland -- and has 106 career steals. Meanwhile, De Leon was once among the game's most promising pitching prospects when in the Dodgers system before being traded to Tampa Bay, where he crossed paths with Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. De Leon was released by the Reds more than a week ago. He has an elite fastball, but has struggled with his control.
TURNING POINT:
Any chance the Red Sox had to climb back into the game after the Tigers sprinted to a 3-0 lead came in the top of the third. The Sox got a one-out walk to Kike Hernandez and a slow roller single by Rafael Devers. Then, when starter Tarik Skubal made an errant pickoff attempt at second, both runners advanced, giving the Sox two runners in scoring position, just one out and the the third and fourth hitters due at the plate. But J.D. Martinez took a called third strike and Xander Bogaerts flied out to center, ending the threat.
ONE UP:
Alex Verdugo: Verdugo was the only Red Sox hitter in the lineup to collect more than one hit. He also had a sacrifice fly for the only run of the afternoon and turned in a fine sliding catch in left field for the first out in the sixth.
TWO DOWN:
J.D. Martinez: After homering Wednesday night, Martinez took a step backward, going hitless in four plate appearances with two strikeouts.
Hansel Robles: In his third appearance since joining the Red Sox, Robles was knocked around for three runs on three hits in just an inning of work, with the Tigers doing the most damage on his fastball.
QUOTE OF NOTE:
"In all aspects of the game, we're struggling....For us to pull this off, we've got to play better baseball.'' Alex Cora.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING:
* Martin Perez has allowed eight homers in his last five starts.
* The game marked the eighth time this season that Perez failed to go more than four innings, the most by any A.L. starter this season.
* After building one of the best road records in the game, the Sox are 1-5 on their road trip so far.
UP NEXT: The Red Sox travel to Canada for the first time since 2019 and meet the Blue Jays at 7:07 p.m. Friday, with RHP Nathan Eovaldi (9-6, 3.71) vs. RHP Alex Manoah (3-1, 2.47).