RESULT – LOSS 5-1
It was more of the same on Saturday night in Texas
The Sox again were unable to figure out a Rangers starter. This time it was Alexi Ogando doing the baffling. Ogando pitched 6 innings giving up only 6 hits and one run. Then came three relievers (Ross, Schneppers and Nathan) who allowed only 1 hit in the remaining 3 innings.
Jacoby Ellsbury was the only Red Sox player with more than one hit and went 2 for 5; he also stole his 12th base of the year. Big Papi hit a double that extended his hit streak to 24 games and Daniel Nava had an RBI single in the second. Saltalamacchia went 1 for 4 with a double and Napoli and Middlebrooks were the only other two players with a hit.
Both Victorino and Drew went 0 for 3 but walked once and Dustin Pedroia went 0 for 4 with a strikeout. The offense has been atrocious so far in the series and it doesn’t look like it will get any better today when they will be facing the Ranger’s ace Yu Darvish. When looking at the series matchups, I figured Sunday would be the one day the Sox struggled offensively but all Rangers pitching seems to be giving the Sox hitters fits.
Will Middlebrooks also committed 2 errors on the night the biggest coming in the bottom of the fourth when a bad throw allowed 2 runs to score. When the bats aren’t going, these errors look even uglier.
John Lackey struggled through his third start of the season, throwing 98 pitches in just 5 innings of work. However he kept the Sox in the game by only allowing 6 hits and three runs. He struck out 4 batters and walked 3. His night didn’t start off all that well as he surrendered a home run on the first pitch of the game to Ian Kinsler but was able to recover a bit and grind out 5 innings.
The good thing was that Lackey experienced no pain again and his velocity seemed good. If not for a big error in the third I would bet his pitching line would look a whole lot better.
The bullpen was solid until the eighth when Koji Uehara allowed a two run home run to Craig Gentry to put the Rangers up 5-1 and the game out of reach. Koji has a knack of giving up the long ball but I still am confident in him as he also struck out 2 of the 5 batters he faced.
Andrew Miller actually looked good for a change and threw a scoreless 6th inning. Junichi Tazawa pitched the 7th and struck out the side.
The Rangers had 10 hits on the evening, 8 being singles and 2 going yard. Mitch Moreland was 2 for 3 with a walk and Craig Gentry was 2 for 4 with 3 RBI. Every Ranger starter except Nelson Cruz had a hit.
I mentioned yesterday that the Sox are terrible in Texas Arlington
SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE – GAME MVP
Again, no one really deserves this honor but I’ll give it to Jacoby Ellsbury again. Ellsbury went 2 for 5 with his sixth stolen base of the year.
ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP
Will Middlebrooks who went 1 for 4 with a strikeout which wasn’t half bad considering the abysmal performance of the offense but his 2 errors in the field really cost them. One directly led to 2 runs but both made Lackey throw more pitches and extend innings. In a game where the bats aren’t working, fielding has to be spotless.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Top of the seventh and the Sox were mounting a comeback. Middlebrooks led off with a single. Robbie Ross came on to get Stephen Drew to bounce into a fielder’s choice. Ellsbury then followed with a single up the middle to give them 2 runners on. Victorino’s ground out pushed the runners to second and third with Dustin Pedroia coming to the plate. Tanner Scheppers came on and got Pedroia to ground weakly to first base to end the threat.
NEXT
Today, May 5th in Texas
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