In what was inarguably their worst game of the season, the Red Sox blew a six-run lead early and lost to the Tampa Bay Rays, 11-10 in 10 innings.
The game featured four errors by the Red Sox -- and that number could have easily been higher -- resulting in a stunning six unearned runs.
The Rays tied it in the top of the ninth on an inside-the-park homer by Austin Meadows, in which no fewer than three players mishanded the ball.
The Sox used six pitchers in relief of Chris Sale but only the final one, Stephen Gonzalves, was not charged with a run.
WHO: Red Sox (79-60) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (86-51)
WHEN: 1:10 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: TB 9-7
STARTING PITCHERS: LHP Chris Sale (3-0, 2.35) vs. LHP Ryan Yarbrough (8-4, 4.50)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
RAYS
Arozarena RF
Franco SS
Cruz DH
Diaz 3B
Luplow LF
Margot CF
Meadows LF
Mejia C
Walls 2B
RED SOX
Motter 2B
Schwarber DH
Renfroe RF
Martinez LF
Devers 3B
Dalbec 1B
Verdugo CF
Vazquez C
Arauz SS
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
T10:
B9: Red Sox get first-and-second with no out, but a fouled off bunt attempt by Christian Vazquez is caught, and Arauz hits into a 5-6-3 inning-ending double play, So, extra innings for this mess.
T9: In a game that has had a little bit of everything, the Rays have tied it on.....an inside-the-park home run by Austin Meadows.
B7: What a shot! Jonathan Arauz with a pretty swing on a fastball down and-in, driving it over the home bullpen. Where is that power coming from of late? Three homers in the last 11 days for Arauz.
B6: Renfroe singles through a drawn-in infield and the Sox have their first run since the second inning and a two-run lead again.
T6: Red Sox shut down a threat by the Rays, who leave two on base with an inning-ending groundout to Devers. Still, they've scored five unanswered runs and now trail by one.
T4: Sale lifted with two outs in the fourth -- which isn't something anyone expect an inning ago. Allowed 11 hits, though *FIVE* never left the infield. Garrett Richards on.
T4: Well, now. Alex Verdugo has a ball fall out of his glove for a gift bases-loaded hit for Nelson Cruz. Then, with Cruz dead to rights at third, Taylor Motter air-mails the throw over third and Cruz scores. Ruled a triple, charitably.
B2: Bobby Dalbec doubles into the corner in LF, the fifth hit this inning for the Sox and they've opened up a 6-1 lead.
B2: Twice in the last two days, Hunter Renfroe has missed out on home runs by literally an inch. On Sunday, hit the top of the home bullpen wall; here, he bangs one of the top of The Wall in left, just under the line. Even with benefit of a review, remains a run-scoring double.
B2: Taylor Motter, getting his first start as a member of the Red Sox, collects his first hit with the team: A Wall double, scoring Christian Vazquez from first base.
B1: Alex Verdugo retired on a comebacker as Sox leave the bases loaded. They're 4-for-21 with RISP in last two games.
B1: Sox don't take long to even it up. Single to right-center by Kyle Schwarber, Wall ball single from Hunter Renfroe and a line drive to center from J.D. Martinez.
T1: Sale has been victimized by some bad luck in the first. Of the four hits off him, two were of the swinging bunt variety while a third was a grounder through a drawn-in infield.
T1: Home plate umpire Manny Gonzalez stunned by a foul ball. He'll leave the game. Second time in the last few weeks that's happened at Fenway. Tom Hallion suffered a concussion here in late August.
T1: Wander Franco triples off the CF wall and rides home on a single up the middle by Nelson Cruz and the Rays need just three batters to take a lead.
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have won 4 of their last 5 games...They are 9-4 in their last 13 games and 4-0-1 in their last 5 series....The Red Sox and Rays split their recent 4-game series at Tropicana Field (8/30-9/2), with the Sox winning the final 2 games. The Sox are 7-9 against the Rays this season, including 4-2 at Fenway Park. 23 TO GO: The Sox won their first 4 games in September before losing to CLE yesterday...It is the first time the Sox have won their first 4 games of September since 2008 (also started 4-0). The Sox are in a stretch of playing a game on 17 consecutive days from 8/23-9/8 (9-5 so far). Each of the Sox’ next 9 games is against a team that entered today with a winning record (TB-3, CWS-3, SEA-3)...The Sox’ 10 games prior to today were also against teams that entered today with a winning record (went 6-4 in those games)....In the 4 games prior to yesterday’s 11-5 loss, Red Sox pitchers posted a 2.50 ERA (10 ER/36.0 IP) with 37 SO and 9 BB...In those games, Sox starters had a 1.93 ERA (5 ER/23.1 IP). The Sox have won each of their last 7 games started by Nathan Eovaldi, Chris Sale, and Eduardo Rodriguez... Beginning 8/10, those 3 pitchers are a combined 7-2 with a 2.70 ERA (24 ER/80.0 IP), 16 BB, and 88 SO...Nathan Eovaldi reaches 10 years of MLB service time today...Selected by LAD in the 11th round of the 2008 MLB Draft from Alvin High School (TX), Eovaldi is 60-64 with a 4.19 ERA in 215 appearances (196 starts) for LAD (2011-12), MIA (2012-14), NYY (2015-16), TB (2018), and BOS (2018-21). A member of the Sox’ 2018 World Series champion team, Eovaldi went 2-1 with a 1.61 ERA and 0.81 WHIP in 6 appearances (2 starts) during his Postseason debut (22.1 IP, 15 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 16 SO). ...The Red Sox are 3-1 in their last 4 home games, 5-2 in their last 7, 9-3 in their last 12, and 24-10 (.706) in their last 34 (since 6/14)...Overall, their .614 win % at home ranks 7th in MLB. Among AL teams at home, the Sox rank 1st in runs per game (5.71), AVG (.277), and OPS (.822). In their last 14 home games, the Sox have scored 112 runs (8.0 per game) and hit 27 HR. The Sox lead MLB with 35 HR with at least 2 runners on base (32 three-run, 3 grand slams). The Sox rank 4th in the AL with 184 HR...Their homers have averaged a projected distance of 405 feet, tied for the 3rd-longest average in the majors. The Sox have hit 4+ HR in a game 13 times, the most by any team in MLB this season and the 2nd-most of any season in franchise history (15 times in 1977). ....The Red Sox lead the majors in 2-strike RBI (284), 44 more than any other team). With 2 strikes, the Sox also lead MLB in XBH (172)... They lead MLB with 16 HR in 0-2 counts. The Sox lead the majors in runs scored with 2 outs (293)...With RISP & 2 outs, they lead the majors in AVG (.270) and OPS (.851)....The Red Sox lead the majors in doubles (286) and XBH (488) and rank 5th in runs per game (5.03), 3rd in AVG (.260), 2nd in SLG (.446), and 3rd in OPS (.772). The Sox own MLB’s 3rd-best record when scoring 4+ runs (.824, 70-15)...They have scored 10+ runs 17 times (3rd in MLB) and 15+ runs 3 times (T-2nd in MLB). ....From the No. 9 spot in the batting order, the Red Sox lead the majors in HR (16) and XBH (43)...Half of those 16 HR have come in the Sox’ last 22 games. The Sox have hit more than 16 HR from the No. 9 spot in the order only 3 times: 2003 (24), 2011 (18), and 1999 (17)...They also hit 16 in 2001, 2013, and 201....On Saturday, Rafael Devers set a new career high in HR (33) and recorded his 98th, 99th, and 100th RBI of the season...This is his 2nd time hitting 30+ HR (32 in 2019) and 2nd time recording 100+ RBI (115 in 2019). Devers is the 13th player to record multiple 30/100 seasons with the Sox, but only the 2nd to do so before turning 25 years old (also Ted Williams)...In 20 games with the Red Sox, Kyle Schwarber has a .319/.449/.569/1.019 batting line...He has reached base 40 times, the most by a player in their first 20 games with the Sox since Manny Ramirez in 2001 (45). Since returning from the IL on 8/13, Schwarber ranks among AL leaders (min. 75 PA) in AVG (13th, .319), OBP (2nd, .449), SLG (12th, .569), and OPS (7th, 1.019). ...The Red Sox have used 52 players this season, their most since 2014 (55). The Sox have used 34 pitchers, the most in a season in franchise history...That includes 4 position players (Araúz, Arroyo, Gonzalez, Plawecki). The Sox have used 30 true pitchers (excluding position players), tied for the most in franchise history (2006).
NOTES:
* Alex Cora began his pre-game press conference by noting the team "has a lot of moving parts,'' as it pertains to COVID testing and protocols. Cora emphasized that he knew of no new positive cases, but said the Sox were waiting to see whom the Sox could return to the roster from the COVID-IL. Kike Hernandez will likely require another day of intake before being eligible. "The rest of the roster is a moving part,'' said Cora. "With all these people coming in, the intake situation takes longer than usual.''
* The Sox announced a flurry of moves 25 minutes before gametime. They signed SS Jose Iglesias, who was released recently by the Los Angeles Angels. Iglesias was once an international free agent signing for the Sox and played for them between 2011-2013. He's also played for Detroit, Baltimore and Cincinnati. He had hit .259 with eight homers for the Angels this season. They also reinstated Josh Taylor from the COVID-IL and promoted RHP Michael Feliz from Worcester. To make room for the three additions, the Sox returned the following players to Worcester: pitchers Kutter Crawford, John Schreiber and infielder Jack Lopez to Worcester.
* Cora said Chris Sale has taken on a bigger role in the leadership department. "It's not only what he brings to the equation in between the lines,'' he said, "but what he brings in the clubhouse, especially with everything that's been going on. He's been very positive. He's had a calming effect the way he's handled everything in there and I'm glad that he's with us. I do believe he understands who he is and his status in this organization. He's the veteran, he's the guy who's been there and done that. He's been successful, but at the same time, he's learned a lot not only baseball-wise but about himself. I think his ups and downs the last two years has made him a better leader. He's been able to talk to guys about injuries, something a couple of years ago he had no clue (about)....He's been great. He's been the guy we envisioned when we made his commitment (with his contract extension in 2019). He hasn't swung-and-missed.''
* Five teams are bunched together and separated by just four games for the two A.L. wild card spots -- the Yankees, Red Sox, Toronto, Seattle and Oakland. "To be honest with you,'' said Cora, "if some had told us on April 1 that we had this lead in the wild card on Sept. 6, we would take it. We're going to keep banging heads and now you start looking around the league (and noticing) who's playing who and all that, but all we have to do, obviously, is keep winning series. It's not going to be easy, but we'll take it. If it's hard, we'll take it. We just have to keep winning series and move forward.''