All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' 5-4 loss to the Mets, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
The Red Sox were trailing the Mets late on Friday night before the game was called due to rain. A little over seventeen hours later, the Sox dropped the series opener to the Mets, 5-4 at Fenway Park.
Mets third baseman Brett Baty delivered an RBI single in the top of the sixth inning that ended up being the difference maker in the game. The loss was the Sox’ third in a row, dropping them back into last place in the AL East. They are now 51-47.
Prior to the game being halted on Friday night, Alex Verdugo was at the plate with one out in the fourth inning. The Sox were unable to get any offense started when the game resumed. Verdugo finished the game 0-for-3, he's now hitless in his last 12 at-bats and his batting average has dipped to .277.
Boston tried to make things interesting trailing by two in the bottom of the seventh. Triston Casas led off with a triple down the right-field line. Rob Refsynder pinch-hit for Yu Chang scoring Casas on a sacrifice fly into center.
The Sox opened the game jumping all over Mets starter Kodai Senga for three runs. Justin Turner drove in Jarren Duran on a groundout and Chang hit a two-run double off the Green Monster.
Thank Yu! pic.twitter.com/3o72m5gBjh
— Red Sox (@RedSox) July 21, 2023
Kutter Crawford opened the game strong retiring the first six Mets hitters. The right-hander allowed two two-run homers, one to Brandon Nimmo (2-for-5) and the other to Daniel Vogelbach (1-for-2) to give the Mets the lead in the fourth.
Crawford lasted four innings before the game was suspended due to rain. The righty gave up four earned runs on four hits with two strikeouts (4.04 ERA). Crawford allowed four runs in this start after allowing three or fewer in each of his last three outings, and four of his previous five.
Mets closer David Robertson threw a one-two-three ninth inning to pick up his 14th save of the season.
TURNING POINT
Pete Alonso tagged Brennan Bernardino for a wall ball double off the Green Monster. Alonso moved to third after a Bernardino wild pitch and then ultimately scored after Baty hit a chopper into the hole at short. Chang fielded the ball cleanly but really didn’t have a play. Alonso scored the Mets' fifth run giving them a much-needed cushion.
UP
Both teams had scoring chances in the eighth inning, but it was the Sox who slammed the door on the Mets from breaking the game open. With the bases loaded and no one out, southpaw Richard Bleier forced Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez to fly out to Casas and then forced an inning-ending double play.
Casas finished the day 2-for-3 with a single and a triple in the loss. In his last 26 games, since 6/13, Casas is batting .329 with a 1.006 OPS (28-for-85, 15 runs, six doubles, a triple, 13 RBI).
Duran stole his 18th base of the season in the first inning (19 opportunities). He's now led off the first inning with a hit in each of his six of his last 10 starts. He has scored a run in each of those games.
DOWN
In the last three games, Red Sox starters Crawford, Brayan Bello (three), and Joe Jacques (two) have allowed a combined seven homers in 9 1/3 innings.
Justin Turner snapped his 15-game hitting streak after going 0-for-4, he had the longest streak in the bigs.
NOTABLE
The game was just the third Sox home game since 1970 to be suspended due to weather. It also happened back on Aug. 7, 2019 against the Royals, the game was later resumed 15 days later. Most recently, the last suspended game was on April 16, 2020 against the Rays.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will face the Mets for the second game of the Saturday doubleheader at 7:10 pm. James Paxton (5-2, 3.51 ERA) will be opposed by Mets hurler Max Scherzer (8-3, 3.99 ERA). You can watch the game on NESN and listen along on WEEI 93.7 FM.