All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Reds, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Sox drop third straight: The Red Sox lost their third game in a row after Wednesday's 5-4 loss to the Reds, dropping to 6-7 in their last 13 games. They’ve lost seven of nine to finish the month of May 13-13. They’re now 2-6 in their last eight games at Fenway after a run of 11-3 in the prior 14.
Bullpen blunders: James Paxton had a solid start, lasting five innings and leaving the game with Boston up 3-1 after giving up four hits. Kutter Crawford and Josh Winckowski couldn’t hold it down in the sixth and the seventh, though, as the Reds eventually took the lead and never looked back.
TURNING POINTS
Seventh inning: Rafael Devers started the top of the inning off with another throwing error for the Sox infield after Kiké Hernández’s struggles on Tuesday. Winckowski gave up a pair of singles and a home run as Cincinnati opened it up to 5-3. With Boston down a pair in the bottom of the seventh, Justin Turner ended a bases-loaded rally with a groundout.
TWO UP
Masataka Yoshida: All Yoshida does is hit, no matter what’s happening around him in the order. Finished 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a double. You’d have thought the night would have gone better for Boston after his lead-off shot in the second.
James Paxton: Paxton did enough for Boston to win. Grinded out the fifth inning as he started to run out of gas. Pounded the strike zone and generated 22 swings and misses, finishing the night with eight strikeouts.
THREE DOWN
Kutter Crawford: Crawford didn’t make it more than an inning out of the pen, walking two and letting up a run on one hit. Just half of his pitches went for strikes.
Josh Winckowski: Winckowski started strong, getting Boston out of the jam he inherited from Crawford in the sixth. It was downhill from there, though. Cincinnati’s seventh-inning outburst probably doesn’t happen without Devers’ throwing error, but Winckowski couldn’t pull himself out of it before the Reds took the lead.
Justin Turner: Turner had a chance to swing the game back in Boston’s favor in the bottom of the seventh with the bases juiced. Chased a changeup that was practically in the other batters’ box for a weak groundout to put a stop to any sort of momentum down 5-3.
NOTABLE
Devers notched his 200th career double, an RBI knock in the third. He is the third-youngest player to reach the milestone with Boston, joining Hall of Famers Bobby Doerr and Tris Speaker. He is the fifth-fastest player (741 games) in MLB history to reach 200 doubles and 150 home runs.
Raimel Tapia did not start, despite hitting .385 (5-for-13) in his career against Reds starter Luke Weaver. Flew out as a pinch-hitter in the eighth, and swung at all six pitches he saw against Lucas Sims, four of which were out of the zone.
It is the first time since the 1975 World Series that the Reds have beaten the Red Sox in a series.
UP NEXT
Series finale is set for Thursday at 7:10 p.m. at Fenway. LHP Chris Sale (5-2, 4.72 ERA) will face RHP Hunter Greene (1-4, 4.18 ERA).